New Zealand Frequency and Usage Table

Maritime New Zealand’s Maritime Radio Service (MRS) is responsible for maintaining VHF and HF radio services for New Zealand’s coastal waters and much of the South Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. The services it provides include monitoring radio frequencies for distress messages around the clock. The "Radio Spectrum Management Group" (RSM) manages all frequency allocation in New Zealand.

New Zealand makes use of the International Frequency Plan. There are approximately 55 VHF channels available plus 2 additional channels dedicated to the Automatic Identification System services (AIS.)

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

While DSC radio is available and can be used between similarly equipped vessels, at present there is limited shore support for DSC monitoring.

DSC is not used on the maritime VHF or MF frequency bands and does not cover the GMDSS in-shore area designations* of A1 and A2. However, "Taupo Maritime Radio," does provide HF coverage for areas A3 and A4 in the New Zealand monitored sea area.

New Zealand MSI and Weather Broadcasts

All New Zealand coastal VHF stations broadcast forecasts for all weather areas simultaneously.

Maritime Radio VHF voice broadcasts are announced on Channel 16 and broadcast on the channel announced. Broadcast times are 0133, 0533, 0733, 1033, 1333, 1733, 2133 Local Time. Local area forecasts and current wind conditions are also broadcast continuously by Coastguard using channels 19, 2019, 20, 2020, 79, & 2079 (NowCasting). Chatham Islands coastal VHF stations transmit weather forecasts simultaneously on their working channels 60 and 62 at 0603, 1403, 1803, 2203 (Chatham Islands Local Time).

The above Weather Nowcasting document above is available for download or viewing.

List of New Zealand VHF Frequencies and Usage

   New Zealand VHF Channels & Frequencies ...

The complete list can be downloaded in zipped PDF format New Zealand VHF Frequency Chart.