Any suggestions for improvement or amendments should be sent to: Maritime Safety Queensland Queensland Transport GPO Box 2595 BRISBANE 4001 Tel: (07) 3224 2832 Fax: (07) 3221 7179 or Maritime Safety & Environmental Strategy Australian Maritime Safety Authority GPO Box 2181 Canberra ACT 2601 Tel: (02) 6279 5678 Fax: (02) 6279 5002 Fifth Edition Printed May 2003 © Copyright Queensland Transport & Australian Maritime Safety Authority FOREWORD BY W.A O’NEIL SECRETARY-GENERAL INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION 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 particular 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 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 INTRODUCTION 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 currently being implemented As further initiatives are implemented this booklet will be updated and the attention of mariners is drawn to the sections of Annual Australian Notices 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 published by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) • Reef Guide has been compiled with the help of other government organisations, the shipping industry and GBR pilot organisations • The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest and most significant living reef system It has been inscribed on the World Heritage list • 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 CONTENTS The Torres Strait Torres Strait Shipping Routes The Great Barrier Reef .8 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (IMO) 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) McGrath, V Contemporary Torres Strait Art, essay in Ilan Pasin catalogue Torres Strait Shipping Routes ���������������� ������������ ������������� �������������� ������������� ���� ������������ �������������� ������� ��� ����������� ����������� ������������� ���������� ���� ��� ������� �������������� ��������������� ����������� ������ �������������������� ���������������������� ���������������� ����������������������� ����� ��� ������������������������� ������������������ ����������������������� ������������������ ������������������������ ��������������� ������� ��������� ��������������� ������ ������� ���� �������������� ����������� ��������������� ������������������ ������� ������ ���������������� ��������������� ����������� ������������� ��������������� ������ ������ ��������� ��������� ���������������� ����������������������� ������������������ �������������������� ������� �������������������� ��������������� THE GREAT BARRIER REEF 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 AUTOMATED POSITION REPORTING VIA INMARSAT C The use of Inmarsat-C for Automated Position Reporting was recommended in the Review of the Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures 2001 to improve ship safety and environment protection in the Great Barrier Reef region and the Torres Strait A recent evaluation of Automated Position Reporting confirmed that the ‘near real time’ availability of ships’ positional information can significantly improve the quality of Ship Traffic Information provided by ReefCentre Vessels transiting the REEFREP region are encouraged to participate in Automated Position Reporting (APR) via Inmarsat-C Inmarsat-C APR costs will be borne by REEFREP ReefCentre will generally carry out APR remotely without any intervention by ships’ crews However, a small proportion of vessels are fitted with first generation Inmarsat-C terminals such as the Thrane & Thrane 3020A which not support remote programming Masters of ships fitted with these terminals, who choose to participate, will be required to program them onboard to send position reports automatically Instructions relating to programming of these terminals can be obtained from ReefCentre How to participate in Automated Position Reporting Vessels can participate in Automated Position Reporting at any time by authorising ReefCentre to download a Data Network Identifier (DNID) to the ship’s Inmarsat-C terminal Once the DNID is downloaded, ReefCentre is able to program the ship’s Inmarsat-C terminal to transmit position reports automatically at regular intervals Masters can communicate authorization for DNID download either by: i Inmarsat** By forwarding an APR message via Inmarsat to ReefCentre the Master authorises download of a DNID into the Inmarsat-C terminal, and provides the following details for each Inmarsat-C installation: 46 – Vessel Name; – Callsign; – Inmarsat-C Mobile Number (IMN); and – Manufacturer, and Model (Example at Figure 2) ** APR messages sent to ReefCentre using Special Access Code (SAC) 861 via Perth LES using Inmarsat-C access code ‘222’ will be reverse charged to REEFREP While reporting to REEFREP, you should ensure that your Inmarsat equipment remains active in the “LOGIN” mode at all times ii REEFREP VHF Voice Communication Channels For example, at the first Reporting Point, the Master (or his representative) verbally authorises the DNID download and provides the following details for each Inmarsat-C installation: – Vessel Name; – Inmarsat-C Mobile Number (IMN); and – Manufacturer, and Model e.g.: 450306909, JRC, JUE75C The DNID will remain downloaded until the Master or company advises ReefCentre that the ship is no longer a regular visitor It is important that this information is passed during the final visit to Australia, as the DNID has to be deleted whilst the Inmarsat-C terminal is logged into the particular satellite region A ship is deemed to be a regular visitor if it operating on the Australian coastal trade or revisiting Australia from overseas within eighteen months Infrequent visitors will have the DNID deleted from their terminals after sending a Final Report Figure - Inmarsat C Data Network Identifier (DNID) ID Message type REEFREP/APR// A Ship Name/Callsign A/REEF CHAMPION/VJVJ// B Primary Inmarsat C terminal details (Inmarsat-C Mobile Number (IMN), Manufacturer, and Model) B/450309919/ THRANE & THRANE/3020B// C Secondary Inmarsat C terminal details (Inmar- C/450309920/ FURUNO/ sat-C Mobile Number (IMN), Manufacturer, FELCOM12// and Model), where applicable 47 Further information on automated position reporting For further information on Inmarsat-C APR please contact ReefCentre : Phone: +61(07) 4956 3581, (24 hour) Fax: +61(07) 4956 3367, Telex: +7146483 Photographs courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority The Inner Route north of the Flinders Group National Park 48 SEARCH AND RESCUE IN AUSTRALIA AUSREP The AUSREP ship reporting system is designed to enable efficient and effective Search and Rescue (SAR) responses in the event of an emergency or distress situation It is important therefore that mariners recognise the assistance available to them from this system and participate as required AUSREP is operated by AMSA through RCC Australia in Canberra and is compulsory for all Australian registered vessels and for foreign vessels on voyages between Australian ports AUSREP covers the entire Australian search and rescue region of responsibility and provides an active SAR watch for participating vessels It is designed to initiate a SAR response if the safety of the ship or its crew is in doubt On voyages where reporting to AUSREP is not compulsory, voluntary participation by vessels, either entering or departing the Australian area of responsibility, is actively encouraged The RCC Civil maritime and aviation search and rescue in Australia is the responsibility of the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC Australia), which operates under the auspices of Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) in Canberra AusSAR is a division of AMSA which in turn is the Commonwealth authority responsible for maritime safety in Australia RCC Australia’s principal function is the coordination of SAR within Australia’s area of responsibility The RCC is co-located with the Australian Mission Control Centre for the international COSPAS-SARSAT system The centre is equipped to receive and evaluate information transmitted by distress beacons operating on the frequencies of 121.5MHz, 243MHz and 406MHz The RCC is the responsible authority for the dissemination of maritime safety information (MSI) by means of satellite The State and Territory Coast Radio Stations broadcast MSI through their Coast Radio Stations 49 The RCC is operated 24 hours a day by officers with specialised knowledge of search and rescue procedures It also serves as the 24-hour contact point for AMSA for all maritime matters RCC AUSTRALIA’s contact details are as follows: Telephone +61 6230 6811 Free call 800 641 792 Facsimile + 61 6230 6868 Telex + 71 62349 via LES Perth on Inmarsat-C, or through any Australian Coast Radio Station Contacting the RCC At the first sign of difficulty, vessels should contact RCC Australia via HF/DSC or Inmarsat via ReefCentre As the responsible authority, RCC Australia will respond to maritime emergencies or distress situations in the most effective way possible in the particular circumstances On receipt of a distress signal or information from any source indicating that a distress or emergency situation exists, a response will be mounted It is important therefore, to advise the vessel’s name, the vessel’s position (if known), the nature of the emergency or distress and the number of persons on board, so that the SAR response is optimised If the vessel’s position is not known, it may be able to be calculated based on a previous position report or it may be assessed through radar information, radio direction finding, distress beacon signals or reports from other vessels Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) As the responsible authority, RCC Australia will coordinate appropriate response action when an EPIRB signal has been detected in a maritime environment EPIRBs should be switched on as soon as a distress situation occurs and must be left on until the rescue is over or until otherwise instructed by the rescue unit or authority EPIRBs must be regularly checked and if found to be operating unintentionally, must be switched off and the fact reported immediately to RCC Australia, ReefCentre or a Coast Radio Station Improper use of an EPIRB can cause the mobilisation of scarce SAR resources and may result in a severe penalty if operated maliciously Check your EPIRB regularly 50 51 ������ ���������� ��� ��� ��� �� ��� ���� ���������� ��������� ���� ����� ���������� ���� 52 million square kilometres ���� Australian Search and Rescue Area ����������� MAJOR QUEENSLAND PORTS Queensland comprises an area of 1,727,523 square kilometres, almost a quarter of the Australian land mass It has a coastline that stretches 3621 kilometres Nearly two-thirds of the coastline, or 2340 kilometres, is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Queensland’s port system comprises modern, efficient ports with infrastructure and facilities which handle a total trade throughput in excess of 189 million tonnes (2001/2002) There are seven regional port corporations - Brisbane, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton (Port Alma), Mackay, Townsville and Cairns The Ports Corporation of Queensland administers the ports of Hay Point, Abbot Point, Lucinda, Mourilyan, Cape Flattery, Weipa and Karumba and the smaller community ports of Thursday Island, Quintell Beach and the non-trading ports of Maryborough, Margaret Bay, Cooktown, St Lawrence and Burketown Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) as the State marine authority administers conservancy and oversees port pilotage in the State Townsville port Photographs courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 52 Major Queensland Ports ������������� ��������������� ��������� ����� ������������� ������� ������ ��������� ������� ���������� ����������� ������ ��������� ��������� ��������� ��������� ���������� �������� 53 PLACE OF REFUGE Damaged or disabled vessels requesting a place of refuge within the Great Barrier Reef region will be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the characteristics of the vessel, the facts of the incident and prevailing environmental conditions and the likely consequences Assessments of a request for a place of refuge by a vessel off the Queensland coast will be carried out by MSQ, AMSA and where relevant, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority A place of refuge exists with the aim of protecting: – the safety of the vessel’s crew, passengers and salvage crew; – the safety of human life and health within the immediate vicinity of the distressed vessel; – the ecological and cultural resources and the marine, coastal and terrestrial environments; – economic and socio-economic infrastructure, including sensitive installations, within the coastal zone and ports; or – the safety of the vessel and its cargo For the purpose of a place of refuge, prescribed Queensland waters are: – the territorial sea adjacent to the State (coastal waters) three nautical miles to seaward of the baseline, as defined in the Coastal Waters (State Powers) Act 1980; – the sea on the landward side of the territorial sea adjacent to the State (this includes areas within port limits and to landward of the baseline); – other waters within the limits of the State that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide A vessel requesting a place of refuge should provide all relevant information about the vessel in the initial request All requests for a place of refuge should be made through RCC Australia 54 PORT Address Notice (hrs) 55 CAPE FLATTERY, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 n/a n/a CAIRNS, Cairns Port Authority Cnr Grafton and Hartley Streets, Cairns, Queensland 4870 (07) 4051 2558 (24hr) 12 hrs 24 hrs (oil) 12 hrs (garbage) Zielke’s Enterprises 0412 900 966 Bundaberg, Queensland 4760 BUNDABERG, Bundaberg Port Authority Varies (07) 3895 1317 (24hr) Port Office, Sandpiper Ave, Fisherman Islands, Queensland 4178 Cape Flattery Cairns Bundaberg Brisbane No 25m3 25m3 No Yes Road tanker Yes Yes Road tanker 5m3 Yes Road tanker 17m3 No No 25m3 Road tanker Yes Yes Road tanker 5m3 Yes Road tanker 17m3 No Oily bilge water No 25m3 Road tanker Yes Yes Road tanker 5m3 Yes Road tanker 17m3 No Oil sludge Can waste be received Y/N Type of reception facility Maximum quantity of one time acceptance (m3) Oily mixtures containing chemicals Road tanker Yes Road tanker 5m3 At oil terminal Yes No Slops (tank washing) OILY WASTE No Yes No Yes No Cat A, B, C&D NLS No Yes No Yes No SEWAGE BRISBANE, Port of Brisbane Corporation Abbot Point LOCATION Yes1 No Yes No Yes Yes1 Yes Yes1 Yes Yes1 QUARANTINE ABBOT POINT, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 J.J Richards (07) 4774 5555 24 hours Port, port authority Contact/Contractor *Australian vessels - non quarantine No demand for services NLS accepted by road tanker subject to quantity and analysis Incinerator capacity 2m3 Incinerator capacity 5m3 (1500 kg/hr) 1 Access restrictions not allow road tanker access to the berth COMMENTS WASTE RECEPTION FACILITIES IN QUEENSLAND PORTS GARBAGE* PORT Address Notice (hrs) 56 24 hrs 10,000 litres 10,000 litres Harbour Road, Mackay, Queensland 4740 Mackay Road tanker NQ Resource Recovery (07) 4952 4967, Towners Cleansing Services (07) 4952 3555 Yes 36m3 36m3 Yes Road tanker Road tanker Road tanker Karumba Yes1 Yes1 No Yes Road tanker 70m3 (total) 10,000 litres Road tanker Yes 36m3 Road tanker Yes1 No Yes Road tanker 70m3 (total) Oily bilge water 10,000 litres Road tanker Yes 36m3 Road tanker Yes1 No Yes Road tanker 70m3 (total) Oil sludge Can waste be received Y/N Type of reception facility Maximum quantity of one time acceptance (m3) Oily mixtures containing chemicals MACKAY, Mackay Port Authority KARUMBA, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 NQ Resource Recovery (07) 4774 7333 (not garbage) Hay Point No Yes Road tanker 70m3 (total) Slops (tank washing) OILY WASTE No No No Yes1 Cat A, B, C&D NLS Yes Yes Yes1 Yes No Yes Yes2 Yes3 SEWAGE HAY POINT, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 J.J Richards Tel (07) 4952 3555 24 hrs Gladstone LOCATION QUARANTINE GLADSTONE, Gladstone Port Authority 19 Yarroon Street, Gladstone, Queensland 4680 (PO Box 259) Nationwide Oil Pty Ltd Tel (07) 4922 8299 (24hrs), Fax (07) 4922 5799 For garbage (07) 4976 1371 48 hrs Port, port authority Contact/Contractor Contractor (require MSDS) Road Tanker Steam steriliser Garbage needs to be handled through the Carpentaria Shire Council or a local contractor Contract for waste services under reviewed 1 Cruise liners can connected to municipal sewage, other commercial vessels serviced by road tanker COMMENTS *Australian vessels - non quarantine Yes Deep burial disposal of quarantine, small amounts by incinerator Yes2 Yes Yes GARBAGE* PORT Address Notice (hrs) 57 Cleanaway (07) 4069 8231 24 hrs Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 WEIPA, Ports Corporation of Queensland TOWNSVILLE, Townsville Port Authority Box 1031, South Townsville, Queensland 4810 NQ Resource Recovery (07) 4774 7333 (24 hr) (oil) J.J Richards, (07) 4774 5555 (bh) (garbage) 24 hrs THURSDAY ISLAND, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Torres Island Council (07) 4069 1336 (bh) 12 hrs 48 hrs Zappaway (07) 4926 1188 (24 hr), Cleanaway (07) 4927 6899 Weipa Townsville Thursday Island Port Alma Yes Road tanker Limited Limited 18m3 18m3 Yes Road tanker Road tanker Road tanker Yes Yes No 15m3 15m3 No Yes Road tanker Yes No Limited Road tanker Yes 18m3 Road tanker Yes Limited Road tanker Yes 18m3 Road tanker Yes No 15m3 15m3 No Yes Road tanker Yes 21m3 Road tanker Yes Oil sludge Road tanker No Oily bilge water Can waste be received Y/N Type of reception facility Maximum quantity of one time acceptance (m3) Oily mixtures containing chemicals Road tanker No Slops (tank washing) OILY WASTE No Yes1 No Yes1 No Cat A, B, C&D NLS Yes Yes No Yes2 No SEWAGE PORT ALMA, Rockhampton Port Authority 1st Floor, 16 East Street, Rockhampton, Queensland 4700 Mourilyan LOCATION Yes1 Yes Yes Yes Reception facility is an autoclave Humbug wharf only For volumes > 5,000 litres, days notice is preferred For volumes less than this 48 hours notice is preferred However, every effort will be made to receive substances when less notice is given Only small quantities of garbage and oily waste accepted Incinerator capacity 0.5m3 Road tanker Capability for noxious liquids depends on type of chemical COMMENTS *Australian vessels - non quarantine Yes Yes2 Yes No Yes3 No QUARANTINE MOURILYAN, Ports Corporation of Queensland Level 24, Hong Kong Bank Building, 300 Queen Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Cleanaway (07) 4051 5231 24 hrs Port, port authority Contact/Contractor GARBAGE* 58 DISTANCES (PILOT TO PILOT) - in nautical miles NOTES 59 60 [...]... 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... to ReefCentre Concept of REEFREP REEFREP is based on a VHF voice reporting system employing a radio network of 14 sites along the Queensland coast and on islands in the Torres Strait Through this network certain categories of ships are required to report their entry into, and progress through, the REEFREP area with reference to a series of mandatory reporting points (MRPs) Ships are to report to ReefCentre... 6868 Telex + 71 62349 AFTN YSARYCYX 32 Great Barrier Reef Limitation on Operational Discharges ������������� ������ ��������������������������������� ������������������������������� ������������ � ��������� ������ ���������� ������ ���������� ��������� �������� 33 SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM (REEFREP) for the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef (Inner Route) REEFREP is the system identifier for an interactive... 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... 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... • 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, south east of Cooktown Photographs courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 29 • Ballast water deemed by AQIS to be ‘low risk’ may be discharged inside Australia’s territorial sea but only with written... Prevention The Great Barrier Reef is patrolled daily by aircraft from the Australian Customs Service Coastwatch These aircraft are fitted with thermal imaging equipment to detect violations in darkness In respect of the Great Barrier Reef, MARPOL contains a definition for “nearest land” where a line connecting coordinates covering part of the Torres Strait and the outer edge of the Reef to Fraser Island as... vessels are therefore generally prohibited in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait region For example, certain discharges of cargo tank washings from oil tankers which can normally be made more than 50 nautical miles from the nearest land must, in the case of the Great Barrier Reef, be made more than 50 nautical miles seaward of the Reef Similarly, unprocessed garbage that can only be disposed of... 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... centre (‘ReefCentre’) at Hay Point near Mackay The Australian and Queensland Governments established it to assist in enhancing navigational safety and to reduce the risk of ship sourced pollution from shipping incidents REEFREP also provides the ability to respond more quickly in the event of any safety or pollution incident The Master is responsible for ensuring that the information required by REEFREP