The UK Hydrographic Office and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) have agreed to withdraw every UK produced paper chart covering New Zealand waters, with the withdrawal complete by 31 December 2026. The change will happen in two stages. LINZ has not yet released the full list of affected chart numbers or a stage by stage schedule, saying further detail will come through future Notices to Mariners. Right now, there is only one thing most boat owners need to do. Check whether the paper charts you carry are UK Hydrographic Office editions or LINZ editions. If you are not sure, the publisher is printed on the chart itself.
LINZ charts continue unchanged
New Zealand produced paper charts continue as they are, with no change to coverage or to how they are corrected. Smaller scale UK charts that do not carry a New Zealand chart prefix are also unaffected. The withdrawal applies only to UK produced charts covering New Zealand waters under the NZ prefix.
If you use UK charts, start planning
If you rely on UK charts, or use the Admiralty correction service to keep them updated, you will likely need a LINZ equivalent once the affected list is released.
Commercial operators and anyone required to carry corrected paper charts should identify the LINZ replacement as soon as that information becomes available.
Checking your chart folio now beats finding a gap once the summer cruising season starts.
Two temporary notices also removed
This week's Notices to Mariners also cancel two temporary notices.
1. At Manukau Harbour, on the west coast of the North Island, a temporary notice covering subsurface scientific instruments has been cancelled. It applied to charts NZ 42, NZ 43 and NZ 4314.
2. In the Marlborough Sounds, a temporary notice covering a wave buoy northeast of the Tory Channel entrance has also been cancelled, affecting chart NZ 6154.
Both temporary notices can now be removed from your chart correction records. If you use any of these charts, update them accordingly.
One final check
Have a look through your chart folio and note which publisher appears on each chart. LINZ says the full withdrawal schedule for UK produced New Zealand charts will be issued through upcoming Notices to Mariners. Source: Notices to Mariners, Edition 16, 7 August 2026, Land Information New Zealand.
