Ships coming into Tauranga Harbour will eventually have electronic signals sent to them warning of reefs and other hazards.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is asking for tenders to provide a virtual marker system that could send flashes or alarms to a captain's navigation chart.
The data would also be sent to the council, which can use the traffic information for future council plans.
Maritime operations manager Reuben Fraser said the grounding of the container ship Rena in 2011 prompted the council to speed up these measures.
Tenders for the project close on 3 July.
