3. Reef Guide 2003

The Torres Strait region and Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef GBR are used by a wide variety of vessels ranging from large tankers and container ships, bulk carriers and cruise ship

Any suggestions for improvement or amendments should be sent to:

Maritime Safety Queensland

Canberra ACT 2601Tel: (02) 6279 5678Fax: (02) 6279 5002

Fifth Edition Printed May 2003

© Copyright Queensland Transport & Australian Maritime Safety Authority

or

The Torres Strait region and Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are used

by a wide variety of vessels ranging from large tankers and container ships, bulk carriers and cruise ships down to traditional fishing boats, modern trawlers and pleasure craft

All but the smallest vessels are confined to a few well-defined routes which are potentially hazardous to navigation, being frequently very narrow, confined by many charted dangers, depth-limited and strongly influenced by tides and tidal streams often running up to several knots In November 1990, I was present when the Organization agreed that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park be designated

as the world’s first Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) At the time the Marine Park had also been entered on the World Heritage List

These events highlight the significant level of international recognition afforded

to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef region, a unique and environmentally sensitive area worthy of maximum protection

The Torres Strait, a strait used for international navigation, also has its own ticular features and environmental sensitivities Its waters are essential for the livelihood of the Torres Strait Islander communities and the coastal communities of Papua New Guinea Both groups are indigenous people who pursue a traditional lifestyle and have had a long and intimate relationship with these waters These are areas where safety of navigation and protection of the unique marine environment are enhanced by initiatives such as the Reef Guide which is designed to assist Masters of vessels improve their knowledge of local operational requirements

par-To this end the Organization commends to Masters and shipping operators the Reef Guide booklet as a handy and simple guide to aid safe passage of all vessels using these unique waterways

Secretary-General

FOREWORD

BY W.A O’NEIL SECRETARY-GENERAL INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION

Improved protection for the Great Barrier Reef and

Torres Strait

The Australian Government is currently implementing a package

of measures to improve ship safety and environment protection

in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, following the Review of Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures in the Great Barrier Reef, which was carried out by senior officials from the Federal

and Queensland Governments

Key recommendations of the review include:

– international action to promote the compulsory pilotage regime

in the Torres Strait;

– further development of technology to assist ships transiting the Reef; and

– enhanced ship routeing, traffic management and emergency response arrangements

This edition of the Reef Guide contains some of the initiatives rently being implemented As further initiatives are implemented this booklet will be updated and the attention of mariners is drawn

cur-to the sections of Annual Australian Notices cur-to Mariners dealing with navigation in the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland coast and Torres Strait for more up to date information.

• Reef Guide is a concise reference booklet for safe navigation

practice and pollution prevention in the Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef and is directed at all mariners engaged in shipping operations in the region

• Reef Guide is a joint initiative of the Australian Government

and the government of the State of Queensland and is lished by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ)

pub-• Reef Guide has been compiled with the help of other

gov-ernment organisations, the shipping industry and GBR pilot organisations

• The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest and most cant living reef system It has been inscribed on the World Heritage list

signifi-• The region has been identified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area

• The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973 (MARPOL) recognised the need to protect the environment of the Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef region by prohibiting the discharge of harmful substances into the sea from ships anywhere in the area (defined as “nearest land”)

• The Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef are part of a unique cultural and natural heritage that requires the highest level of environmental protection

The Torres Strait 6

Torres Strait Shipping Routes 7

The Great Barrier Reef .8

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (IMO) 9

Incidents 10

Routes .11

Western approaches (to the Torres Strait) and the Prince of Wales Channel .11

Tides and Tidal Streams 12

Great North East Channel 13

Great Barrier Reef Inner Route 13

Hydrographers Passage 14

The Outer Route 14

Fishing vessels and other traffic 15

Pilotage 16

Compulsory Pilotage (must carry a Pilot) 16

IMO-Recommended Pilotage (should carry a Pilot) 16

Hydrographers Passage and Whitsunday Islands Compulsory Pilotage Areas 17

AMSA-recommended Pilotage 18

Pilot Service Companies 18

Ship Helicopter Pilot Transfers 18

Disability of the Pilot 18

Passage Planning and Pilots 19

Pilotage Requirements in the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef 19

Bridge organisation 19

Passage in confined waters .21

Carriage of paper charts 21

GPS and Electronic Charts 23

Charting Systems 23

Electronic Chart Display And Information System (ECDIS) 23

Electronic Charting Systems 24

Electronic or Digital Chart Databases .25

Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) 25

Jurisdiction 27

Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone and Exclusive Economic Zone 27

Straight Baselines 27

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 28

Special Protection for the Great Barrier Reef Region 28

Ballast Water 29

Pollution Prevention 30

Reporting Discharges in the Great Barrier Reef 31

Great Barrier Reef Limitation on Operational Discharges 33

Ship Reporting System (REEFREP) for the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef (Inner Route) 34

Concept of REEFREP 34

Information provided to shipping 35

REEFREP Coverage Area 35

Operating Authority 36

ReefCentre contact details (24 hours) 37

Which ships are required to report to REEFREP 37

Warships, naval auxiliaries and government ships 37

Entering the REEFREP area 38

Enroute position reports 38

Leaving the REEFREP area 38

Pilotage reports 39

Special reports 39

Communications 39

Alternative communications 40

Offences 40

Summary of REEFREP reporting instructions 40

Reporting Points for Area Entry/Port Arrival and Departure 42

Enroute Reporting Points 43

Automated position reporting via Inmarsat C 46

How to participate in automated position reporting 46

Further information on automated position reporting 48

Search And Rescue In Australia 49

AUSREP 49

The RCC 49

Contacting the RCC 50

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) 50

Australian Search and Rescue Area 51

Major Queensland Ports 52

Place of Refuge 54

Waste reception facilities in Queensland Ports 55

Distances (pilot to pilot) - in nautical miles 58

THE TORRES STRAIT

Named after the first known European explorer in the region, Spanish navigator Luis Baés de Torres, who sailed through the area in 1606, the Torres Strait lies between the northern-most point of the Australian continent and the island of New Guinea It is bound to the west by the Arafura Sea and the east by the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the Coral Sea It is, in very general terms, about

140 nautical miles long and 80 nautical miles wide However, it is almost totally unnavigable by major vessels, except in a few narrow and relatively shallow channels

Torres Strait waters cover a total area of 35,000 square kilometres and contain over 100 islands, as well as coral cays, exposed sandbanks and reefs Approximately seventeen of these islands are inhabited

The Torres Strait has been described as ‘the most extensive, ecologically complex shelf in the world, offering a multitude of habitats and niches for the great diversity of Indo-Pacific marine fauna’1

The strait’s overall population of 8000, of which approximately 6000 are Torres Strait islanders and Aboriginal people, is spread over 18 small island communities The communities are all remote, about 1000km from the nearest city and each has a population between 80 and 600 The Torres Strait islanders are a fiercely independent people and possess strong seafaring and trading traditions; they maintain bonds with the sea through their culture, lifestyle and history

The Torres Strait is a major shipping channel for Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG)

1McGrath, V Contemporary Torres Strait Art, essay in Ilan Pasin catalogue.

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, is the largest coral reef eco system and world’s largest living structure It stretches

2340 kilometres from Lady Elliot Island in the south to the tip of Cape York Peninsula in the north and contains 2900 reefs, including 760 fringing reefs and 300 coral cays, and 618 continental islands

Many activities take place within the reef area including commercial and recreational fishing, mariculture, scientific research, tourism, commercial shipping and recreational boating

Established in 1975, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is the world’s largest marine park, with an area of more than 345,000 square kilometres

On the basis of its outstanding natural qualities, the Great Barrier Reef was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981

Its long-term survival depends on the care and concern of all who use it The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) manages the Marine Park to ensure the protection, wise use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef by everyone on behalf of future generations

The GBRMPA is currently reviewing the various zones within the Park Submissions from Australian interested parties are currently being examined, and a revised Park zoning plan will be issued for discussion in late 2003

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

During the 17 year period from 1985 to 2002, there were

11 collisions and 22 groundings reported within the inner

route of the GBR, this represents approximately two

incidents each year Most groundings were caused by

human error, with machinery failure being a minor factor

Where the incident was a collision, it has generally been

between a trading ship and a fishing vessel The only

incident between two large ships was in 1997 Most

other collisions have been caused by a failure to keep a

proper lookout

INCIDENTS

A bulk carrier aground on Piper Reef in July 2002.

Photograph courtesy of

Maritime Safety Queensland

Western approaches (to the Torres Strait) and the Prince of Wales Channel

The IMO recommends that all vessels transiting Torres Strait employ the services

of a coastal pilot due to the navigational hazards of the area Details of pilotage providers can be found on page 18.

• The recommended western entry to the Torres Strait is through Varzin or Gannet Passages, leading into Prince of Wales Channel, the main shipping route through Torres Strait and the entrance to the Great Barrier Reef

• The strait is an interface between the diurnal tidal regime of the Indian Ocean and the semi-diurnal tidal regime of the Pacific Ocean This creates a highly variable and complex tidal regime and fast flowing tidal streams - up to

8 knots are predicted in the tide tables for the Prince of Wales Channel

• Dominating the climate are alternating seasons of wet and dry weather The visibility is frequently affected by seasonal rainsqualls The area as a whole

is subject to moderate to strong winds and tropical thunderstorms

• Minimum depths at chart datum are:

– Gannet Passage - 10 metres;

– Varzin Passage - 10.5 metres ; and

– Prince of Wales Channel - 11.3 metres

• The maximum draught for ships to safely transit Gannet and Varzin Channels

and Prince of Wales Channel, on any day of the year, is 12.2 metres Attempts

to transit the passages with a deeper draught may result in loss of under-keel clearance or the situation where a vessel is totally prevented from entering the channels Significant delays may ensue

Mariners are reminded of the duty, only if practical, under the Safety of Life

at Sea (SOLAS) Convention provisions for a continuous listening watch to be maintained on VHF radio Channel 16 while at sea and for a radio watch to be maintained for broadcasts of Maritime Safety Information on the appropriate frequency or frequencies on which such information is broadcast for the area

in which the ship is navigating

Minimum under-keel clearances are:

a) Gannet and Varzin Passages: 1.0 metre;

b) Prince of Wales Channel: 1.0 metre for vessels with a draught less than 11.90 metres or 10 percent of draught for vessels with a draught of 11.90 metres or more

Tides and Tidal Streams

Accurate calculations and local knowledge are necessary to establish a tidal window for any particular day and draught The employment of a pilot is strongly recommended for this reason

Mariners are urged to monitor the real-time tidal height as the actual tidal height frequently varies considerably from predicted heights This

is due to meteorological effects and fluctuations in the Mean Sea Level Tidal heights (in metres and decimetres) are transmitted on VHF marine channel 68 from gauges at Booby Island, Goods Island, Turtle Head and Ince Point, in that order Details are contained in Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 3 and Annual Australian Notices to Mariners AMSA also produces an hourly tidal predictions booklet for selected locations in the Torres Strait and Great North East Channel and Great Barrier Reef This may be obtained from major chart agencies or AMSA Offices

When passage planning through Torres Strait allowance must be made for strong tidal streams Tidal stream predictions for Hammond Rock may be found in the Australian National Tide Tables.

Masters of deep draught vessels restricted to the use of a tidal window must make allowance for the effect of tidal stream on vessel speed and hence time of arrival

at depth restricted areas of the channels

The need for proper passage planning cannot be over-stressed

Prince of Wales Channel passes between North West Reef and Goods, Hammond and Wednesday Islands and is 1200 metres wide at its narrowest point between Sunk and Mecca Reefs

At the eastern end of Prince of Wales Channel, the route passes between Alert and Herald Patches, where the marked channel narrows to 800 metres

Great North East Channel

The Great North East Channel forms the route between Torres Strait and the Coral Sea (refer to charts Aus 839 and Aus 840) Changes have recently been made to this route and further major changes are planned for 2003 Mariners should refer

to the latest editions of the charts

The route presently (April 2003) from Prince of Wales Channel passes between Ackers Shoal and Kircaldie Reef and rejoins the long-standing route east of Bet Reef The Vigilant Channel section has been discontinued and removed from charts

In mid 2003 new navigation aids will be commissioned at Newman Reef, Sugar Ran Reef, and Smith Cay An entirely new and deeper route to the east of the existing route will then be put on to the charts This will be a two-way route

Great Barrier Reef Inner Route

The Inner Route from Cape York to Cairns between latitude 10 o 41.0’S and latitude 16 o 39.9’S is subject to compulsory pilotage under the provisions of the

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975.

Between Booby Island (western end of Prince of Wales Channel) and Low Islets (just north of Cairns) a Two-Way Route has been established Details of this route and explanatory notes are given on the appropriate large-scale navigational charts The route has been extended to Palm Isles (approximately lat 18o 40’S) and planning

is underway for a two-way route through the Great North East Channel

The section from Booby Island to Cairns involves navigation within confined waters for a period of approximately 40 hours over a distance of some 500 nautical miles

Using LADS Passage and Fairway Channel, which is newly charted and temporarily marked by buoys, can make a saving of approximately 21 nautical miles Pilots are currently (April 2003) permitted to pilot vessels of draught up to 10 metres through this route A permanent network of navigation aids is expected to be

in place by mid 2004 and the route will then be open to all vessels There is an advisory note to pilots detailing the current requirements for passage through Fairway Channel

Hydrographers Passage

Hydrographers Passage offers the shortest route to the Coral Sea for vessels from central and southern Queensland ports bound for Japan and South-East Asian ports and the Suez Canal, particularly bulk carriers carrying coal from Hay Point.The passage, which is approximately one nautical mile wide at its narrowest point, has a minimum depth of 25 metres on or near the recommended track

Hydrographers Passage is subject to compulsory pilotage under the provisions of

the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975.

Pilots board and disembark ships by helicopter outside Blossom Bank, 14 nautical miles seaward of the nearest reef

The Outer Route

Some vessels, particularly tankers, elect to sail outside the Reef - the Outer Route through the Coral Sea - as an alternative to the Inner Route

AMSA has conducted a hydrographic survey of the Outer Route to a width of

10 kilometres Having been checked and quality controlled by the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographer, this route is now depicted on the appropriate Australian charts

In the case of southbound vessels, the use of this route involves proceeding through Prince of Wales Channel then via the Great North East Channel, north and east of East Cay, southeast through Pandora Passage, east of Lihou Reef, east of Saumarez Reef to a position east of Sandy Cape

The distance from Booby Island to Sandy Cape on this route is approximately 1334 nautical miles compared with approximately 1154 nautical miles using the Inner Route The Inner Route via LADS Passage and Fairway Channel is approximately

1133 nautical miles (these distances are based on the same departure point off Sandy Cape Lt brg 270 deg dist 25 miles) The Inner Route via LADS Passage and Fairway Channel will be approximately 21 nautical miles shorter

Fishing vessels and other traffic

Mariners are reminded of the duty, only if practical, under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention provisions for a continuous listening watch to be maintained

on VHF radio Channel 16 while at sea and for a radio watch to be maintained for broadcasts of maritime safety information on the appropriate frequency or frequencies on which such information is broadcast for the area in which the ship is navigating

The Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef waters are used by almost 2000 primary fishing vessels and approximately 25,000 recreational vessels

Mariners are advised that vessels engaged in fishing using a variety of fishing techniques may be encountered throughout the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef region All those in charge of vessels in such situations are reminded of their responsibilities to comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and to take any precautions that may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case

There have been 11 collisions reported between trading ships and fishing vessels since 1985, caused in most instances by a failure to keep a proper lookout on both vessels

Fishing vessels will be encountered in the Inner Route of the GBR They usually work in concentrations and at night Their movements are frequently erratic and deck lights often inhibit their own lookout The bridge team must maintain a vigilant visual and radar lookout for these vessels

Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef are vast areas of reefs and shoals with narrow shipping channels Fast flowing tidal streams, strong trade winds, heavy rain squalls and occasional cyclones are features of the area’s climate

The importance to safe navigation of carrying and using the latest edition of the propriate largest scale charts corrected by the latest Notice to Mariners cannot be over-stressed A later section in this document refers to the carriage requirements

ap-of paper charts, electronic charts and ECDIS

With regard to pilotage matters the attention of mariners is drawn to the sections

of annual Australian Notices to Mariners dealing with navigation in the Great Barrier Reef.

Compulsory Pilotage (MUST carry a Pilot)

On 1 October 1991, the Australian Government declared compulsory pilotage areas for:

1 The Inner Route between the vicinity of Cairns Roads (latitude 16o 39.9’ S) and Cape York (latitude 10o 41.0’S)

IMO-Recommended Pilotage (SHOULD carry a Pilot)

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recommended under Resolution A710 (17) that vessels of 70 metres in length and over and all loaded oil tankers, chemical tankers or liquefied gas carriers, irrespective of size, use the pilotage services licensed under Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory law, when navigating the Torres Strait and the Great North East Channel Australia strongly endorses this Resolution

AMSA-recommended Pilotage

AMSA also strongly recommends the use of a licensed pilot by masters miliar with other areas of the Inner Route or the entrances to Palm and Grafton Passages

unfa-Pilot Service Companies

There are currently three coastal pilotage companies in the region These are:– Australian Reef Pilots;

– Hydro Pilots Pty Ltd (Hydrographers Passage only); and

– Torres Pilots Pty Ltd

For procedures for ordering pilots, refer to the Admiralty List of Radio Signals Volume 6 Part 3 “Vessel Traffic Services, Port Operations and Pilot Stations” or the Annual Australian Notices to Mariners

Ship Helicopter Pilot Transfers

Attention is drawn to Australian Government Marine Orders Part 57 Helicopter Operations, the Australian Code of Safe Practice for Ship-Helicopter Transfers that is complementary to the Marine Order, and the Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations published by the International Chamber of Shipping

Disability of the Pilot

In the event that a pilot cannot carry out their pilotage duties (for whatever reason) the Master must immediately advise ReefCentre (see page 37 for contact details) and the pilotage provider company In confined waters the Master should consider anchoring the vessel until a replacement pilot can reach the ship

PASSAGE PLANNING AND PILOTS

Pilotage Requirements in the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef

The Masters of vessels employing the services of a coastal pilot for a transit of Torres Strait and/or the Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef should note that the pilot will have some specific requirements of the ship to assist with pilotage It will make the job much easier if the ship is aware of what will be required and makes preparations before the pilot boards

On boarding the pilot will wish to see a Vessel Equipment Check List ( figure 1) and will need to confirm the following:

– Deep draught shape/lights;

– Anchors cleared for lowering;

– Vessel in the AusRep system; and

– Pilot card sighted

Bridge Organisation

When a pilot is on the bridge they become part of the bridge team, but do not replace it The Officer of the Watch should continue to frequently plot the posi-tion on the chart and monitor the vessel’s progress visually and on radar A good lookout must be maintained by the ship’s staff as the pilot can not be expected to

do this at the same time as conducting the pilotage in confined waters

If the Master or the Officer of the Watch has any concerns with the ship’s tion or intended course they must immediately consult the pilot.

posi-Figure 1 - An example of a

Vessel Equipment Check List

No

Good OrderYes

EquipmentMain engines

Passage in Confined Waters

During the passage through Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef Masters are

to ensure that, at all times:

-– a guaranteed supply of electrical power is available (shaft generators should not to be used);

– anchors have their sea lashings removed and are ready for use at short tice;

no-– an experienced seaman to be on the bridge at all times to act as lookout and

to steer by hand if necessary This will mean that two seamen will need to be available, especially during hours of darkness;

– one VHF set is to be kept on channel 16 with the volume turned up so that it

is audible on all areas of the bridge;

– at least one radar is operating at all times;

– power is supplied to the ship’s whistle; and

– for unmanned machinery space vessels the pilot may require that the engine room is manned at certain stages during the pilotage

The pilot will keep the Master and the Officer of the Watch informed of tidal height and streams to be expected on the passage For deep-draught transits of Torres Strait, when under-keel clearance becomes critical, the pilot will calculate tidal windows based on tidal predictions and information from transmitting tide gauges If necessary the ship may have to reduce speed or anchor to allow for these tidal windows

Carriage of Paper Charts

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority expects all vessels navigating in the Great Barrier Reef Inner Route (Cape York to Sandy Cape), which are subject to SOLAS chapter V, and which are relying on the use of paper charts, to carry the following AUS paper charts:-

270 280 289 292 293 296 839 835 834 833 832 831 830 829 828

826 825 824 823 822 820 819 plus 821 for Hydrographers Passage Vessels not transiting the entire Inner Route need only carry those charts, from the above list, required to reach their destination

Vessels fitting out with the folio of charts provided by the Hydrographer UK ish Admiralty) should note that it will not contain charts 280 and from 822 to 827 inclusive These will need to be obtained from agents stocking charts produced

(Brit-by the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO)

Cruise ships visiting the Whitsunday Islands must obtain the relevant large scale charts available from the AHO See the AHO catalogue chart Aus 6500.The Australian chart catalogue and list of agents (including agents outside Aus-tralia) stocking Australian charts can be found at www.hydro.gov.au products and services

AMSA port State control inspectors will enforce the requirement to carry the charts listed above

AMSA strongly recommends that vessels transiting Torres Strait carry charts 296,

289, 293, 839 and 840 as smaller scale charts will not show enough detail for safe navigation in this area

Murray Island, eastern Torres Strait.

Photographs courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

The combination of GPS/DGPS and computerised charting systems offers a technological advance in navigational safety in confined waters Full DGPS coverage in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait is now available

Charting Systems

Computerised charting systems essentially fall into two categories - Electronic Charting System (ECS) and the more sophisticated and versatile Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) The main difference between the two

is that ECDIS is recognised by IMO; everything else falls in the general category

of ECS Recent amendments to SOLAS Chapter V, permits the carriage of ECDIS

on board ships

Electronic Chart Display And Information System (ECDIS)

ECDIS is a maritime navigation information system that combines position fixing with ship’s sensors and a sophisticated electronic database containing charting and other navigational information ECDIS display and performance standards allow the mariner to select and display navigational information most relevant to the requirements and the situation at the time Depth and hazard warnings are a characteristic feature of ECDIS

Under the revised SOLAS Chapter V, an ECDIS can be accepted as meeting the chart carriage requirements for vessels For a ship to depend totally on ECDIS for navigation (as opposed to relying on paper charts) the system must conform to IMO Resolution A.817 (19), Performance Standards for ECDIS, as amended

A further IMO resolution allows the use of raster chart data when vector data is not available To meet IMO requirements, both the vector and raster chart databases

must be compiled by, or be prepared on behalf of, the national charting authority

The Australian Hydrographic Service, part of the Royal Australian Navy, is Australia’s national charting authority ECDIS can thus operate in two modes:

– the ECDIS mode when vector data is available; and

– the Raster Chart Display System (RCDS) mode when vector data is not available

GPS AND ELECTRONIC CHARTS

In Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef, this will effectively mean that ships fitted with ECDIS, navigating on or within the recognised routes from Weipa to Cairns, will be able to use the Australian Hydrographic Service’s vector database When navigating in less frequented or more open waters in the central and southern section of the Great Barrier Reef, the system will default to the raster database

In future the vector database will be extended further southwards

Electronic Charting Systems

There are many electronic charting systems (ECS) on the market today They range

in sophistication from simple units intended for pleasure craft to those that closely approach the capabilities of an ECDIS An ECS can contribute significantly to safe navigation in confined waters provided the mariner exercises care in its selection and use Mariners must be fully aware of the limitations of these systems In particular, the following should be noted:

– An ECS cannot legally replace the paper chart Only an approved ECDIS with

an adequate backup system can do this

– Many commercial systems use their own database rather than the official database The quality of the chart database may be unknown to the user.– A raster chart is simply a computer scan of the paper chart The zooming-

in feature available in an ECS, if used beyond the limits of the paper chart’s printed scale, will exaggerate any errors in the original paper chart

– Many paper charts are still on different geodetic datum’s to that used by GPS/DGPS and this problem may carry over into an ECS Some ECS will apply the necessary shifts and some databases will have the shifts already applied Mariners must be aware of the datum used by the ECS and exercise care in applying datum shifts

Copies of the official Australian chart series in both raster & ENC format produced

by the Australian Hydrographic Office are available from chart agents

For more information, visit http://www.hydro.gov.au or see marine notice 14/2002 at http://www.amsa.gov.au/shipping_safety/marine_notices/index.asp

Electronic or Digital Chart Databases

The Australian Hydrographic Service released the first Australian Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) on 1 July 2002, to coincide with the effective date

of the new SOLAS Chapter V regulations covering the carriage of electronic charts and ECDIS This data, known as Seafarer ENC, is Australia’s authorised vector format electronic charts for use in IMO compliant ECDIS and compatible ECS They are produced in International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) S57 Edition 3.1 format When used in an IMO compliant ECDIS, Seafarer ENC’s (and Seafarer RNC’s for those areas not yet covered by Seafarer ENC’s) will allow vessels navigating in Australia to meet the IMO requirements

A key feature of the ENC’s is that a segment of the compulsory pilotage route in the Great Barrier Reef, from Weipa to Cape Grenville, contains depth data at one metre contour intervals between depths of five and 20 metres This information

is extracted from original surveys rather than from existing paper charts and enables the full benefits of ECDIS, particularly its safety depth alarm function,

to be used

The initial collection of Seafarer ENC data comprises ‘cells’ of data covering the main shipping route of the inner Great Barrier Reef from Weipa through the Torres Strait to Cairns

Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)

DGPS is a method of providing ‘discrepancy’ corrections to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, in order to improve the accuracy of the navigational solution

DGPS corrections originate from a reference station at a location whose position

is known The receivers at these reference stations can estimate errors in the GPS because, unlike the general population of GPS receivers, they know their position very accurately The use of DGPS enables mariners to improve the positional accuracy of a GPS receiver to better than 10 metres (95% of the time) Monitoring

of AMSA’s stations indicates that accuracies of two to four metres can be expected from a typical maritime DGPS receiver

More importantly, the reference stations provide integrity monitoring, warning users to disregard a satellite which is operating outside of specification

With DGPS, this warning occurs within a few seconds of the satellite becoming

‘unhealthy’, compared to warnings from the GPS system, where some hours can elapse before a warning is received

AMSA’s DGPS service uses pseudo-range corrections and range-rate corrections from a single reference station that has sufficient channels (typically 12) to track all satellites in view Pseudo-ranges (distance measurements) are simultaneously measured to all satellites in view, and using the known (surveyed) position of the receiver’s antenna and the positional (ephemeris) data from each satellite, the errors

in the pseudo-ranges are calculated These errors are converted to corrections and are broadcast to user receivers

DGPS eliminates satellite clock offset and reduces satellite orbit bias & atmospheric effects It does not account for receiver-dependent biases, noise, instrumental effects or multi-path

AMSA has established a network of sixteen DGPS stations, of which seven provide coverage of all the shipping routes along the Queensland coast The locations of these DGPS stations and operating frequencies are as follows:

The data format for all stations conforms to international standards (ITU-R 832-1) for the transmission of DGPS data in the maritime radio navigation band (285 to

325 kHz in the Australian region)

For more information, visit http://www.amsa.gov.au/Shipping_Safety/Navigation_Safety/Differential_Global_Postitioning_System/

The Federation of the Australian States was established on 1 January 1901 with

the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia by the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp.)

This Act also gave force of law to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia, a document that governs the workings of the Australian federal system and, in particular, defines the powers of the Commonwealth Parliament

The Commonwealth and State Parliaments share legislative powers on maritime matters

State Parliaments have the power to legislate on any topic for the peace, order and good government of the State concerned provided that the State legislation

is not inconsistent with any valid Commonwealth Act within the terms of the Constitution

The Australian Government has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982

Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone and Exclusive Economic Zone

Australia has a territorial sea with an outer limit of 12 nautical miles, measured from the territorial sea baselines; a contiguous zone with an outer limit of

24 nautical miles from the territorial sea baselines; and an exclusive economic zone with an outer limit of 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baselines

Straight Baselines

The normal baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone are measured is the low water line along the coast of the mainland, islands and territories of Australia

In some areas of the Great Barrier Reef straight baselines have been drawn in conformity with the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Waters on the landward side of the baselines are internal waters for the purpose of international law Straight baselines in the Great Barrier Reef are shown on the 1:300000 scale charts of the area

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Almost the entire Great Barrier Reef is designated a marine park under the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), a Commonwealth agency

Restrictions on activities and use of the marine park are achieved through a system

of zonings Details are available from the GBRMPA on request

There are no zoning restrictions on ocean-going vessels proceeding to and from any Queensland port via the Inner Route or Palm, Grafton or Hydrographers Passage

The IMO has accepted the area of the Capricorn and Bunker groups of islands and reefs as an Area to be Avoided

Cruise ships must apply for a permit from the GBRMPA before anchoring in the marine park

Special Protection for the Great Barrier Reef Region

In November l990, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) declared the Great Barrier Reef region a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area This declaration means that special marine environmental protection measures can be applied

to shipping activities The Great Barrier Reef was the first area in the world to be given this status

Australia applied its first special protective measure by introducing compulsory pilotage on sections of the Great Barrier Reef from 1 October 1991

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78) provides protection for the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef region by generally prohibiting ship discharges in this area by using a specific definition for the ‘nearest land’.

Cargo residues, including residues from bulk cargoes such as coal and cement dust, are defined as “garbage” in MARPOL 73/78, and must be disposed of

in accordance with the relevant regulations of the Convention Because of the special definition of “nearest land”, cargo residues cannot be discharged anywhere in the Torres Strait or Great Barrier Reef ‘Cargo residues’ means the remnants of any cargo material on board including spillage on deck and remains

in cargo holds

Requests for pollution prevention information, reports of inadequate reception facilities in ports and reports of pollution should be directed to:

The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) is the lead agency for regulating the discharge of ballast water from internationally trading vessels Ballast water management options approved by AQIS are:

• Non-discharge of ‘high risk’ ballast water On board, tank-to-tank transfers to avoid discharging high risk ballast water are permissible

Rachel Carson Reef.

Located on the outer reef,