VIII.8 New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.
4. New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone.
There is hereby established the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, which will comprise:
(a) All of the land, territory, and inland waters within the territorial limits of New Zealand; and
(b) The internal waters of New Zealand; and
(c) The territorial sea of New Zealand; and
(d) The airspace above the areas specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) of this section.
9. Entry into internal waters of New Zealand.
(1) When the Prime Minister is considering whether to grant approval to the entry of foreign warships into the internal waters of New Zealand, the Prime Minister shall have regard to all relevant information and advice that may be available to the Prime Minister including information and advice concerning the strategic and security interests of NewZealand.
(2) The Prime Minister may only grant approval for the entry into the internal waters of New Zealand by foreign warships if the Prime Minister is satisfied that the warships will not be carrying any nuclear explosive device upon their entry into the internal waters of New Zealand.
11. Visits by nuclear powered ships.
Entry into the internal waters of New Zealand by any ship whose propulsion is wholly or partly dependent on nuclear power is prohibited.
So, my understanding is that, if the American warship being sent to New Zealand to celebrate New Zealands’ 75th Naval birthday, will neither confirm nor deny that it will not be carrying any nuclear arms, or is wholly or partly propelled by nuclear power, then that American warship cannot enter into the internal waters of New Zealand by any means. If the Prime Minister allows any foreign warship that’s nuclear armed/propelled by nuclear power, and the Prime Minister is aware of such information, then the Prime Minister has breached the laws of our nuclear free zone. Any foreign warship that enters our internal waters of New Zealand, regardless of being nuclear armed/powered, and/or under neither confirming nor denying it’s carrying nuclear arms, is declaring itself hostile.
There it is folks, written in black and white. Put simpy, any foreign warship that doesn’t abide by our nuclear free zone policy, is not allowed within any area of our internal waters, and will be of hostile declaration upon breached entry of New Zealnds’ internal waters.