In 1984 New Zealand became the first ever, single-nation, nuclear weapons-free zone, when a Labour government led by Prime Minister David Lange implemented a nuclear prohibition policy despite considerable opposition from its Western allies.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange

In 1984 over 65% of New Zealanders were living in cities that had made nuclear free declarations. At this time 58% of the population were opposed to the docking of US nuclear carriers in their harbours. In the event of a nuclear war a nuclear carrier can become a target and people feared that New Zealand might also become a target at the same time.

Anti-nuclear sentiment in New Zealand was hardly a naïve populist movement. It was built on a solid base of growing public awareness about the dangers of nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Much of the awareness arose from the nuclear tests conducted by the US, UK and France in the Pacific from the 1950s – 1970s.

Despite strenuous efforts, the nuclear weapon States could not hide the severe damage to human health and the environment resulting from their tests.

New Zealanders took a variety of actions to protest the nuclear tests, including sailing ships to the nuclear test sites in opposition to the French declared no-go-zone. In 1973, the New Zealand Labour government sent a warship to the zone to protest, and, along with Australia and Fiji, took a case against France in the International Court of Justice.

Domestic anti-nuclear sentiment was fueled further by the 1985 French bombing of the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour, and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.

By 1986, public opinion polls showed that 92% of New Zealanders supported the government’s nuclear free policy.

At the same time, a strong Pacific wide anti-nuclear movement had moved governments to negotiate and adopt the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty in 1986. The Treaty is much weaker than the national anti-nuclear policies of New Zealand, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, as it permits port visits and transit of nuclear-armed warships. However, it confirms that no South Pacific State would acquire nuclear weapons and includes negative security assurances from the nuclear weapon states.

The Nuclear Free Zone Act

In June 1987, the government adopted the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act cementing in place the nuclear free policy. The Act prohibits the emplacement or transport of nuclear weapons on land or internal waters, including harbours, in New Zealand. It also prohibits:

• entry into internal waters of nuclear powered ships,
• any agents of the crown from aiding in the manufacture of possession of nuclear weapons anywhere in the world,
• manufacture or possession of biological weapons.

The Act gives the Prime Minister the authority to disallow entry of any ship into New Zealand internal waters or landing of any aircraft if there is reason to believe the vehicle may be carrying nuclear weapons.

The Act also established a Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control to advise the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on implementation of the Act and on any disarmament matters it decides are important.