Port Procedures and Information for Shipping, Port Douglas Pilotage Areas

Section 2 Movement procedures

2.1 General Maritime Safety Queensland, through the authority of the Regional Harbour Master (Cairns), has jurisdiction over the safe movement of all shipping within the pilotage area.

The scheduling of ship movements is initiated by the agent submitting movement details for a vessel to ‘Thursday Island port control’ via the QSHIPS ship planning programme in accordance with this section.

2.2 Arrival checklist Sequence Time Report 1 48 hours before arrival Arrival information to RHM via QSHIPS .

2 48 hours before arrival Dangerous goods report to RHM (see section 11 Dangerous cargo. 3 48 hours before arrival Gas free status and OBO's 4 48 hours before arrival Customs (2.5) 5 48 hours before arrival Arrival/departure report (16.1) to MSQ regional office. 6 Not more than 96 hours or less than 12 Quarantine (2.4 ) hours before arrival 7 24 and 12 hours before arrival update Arrival information update to RHM via QSHIPS. ETA if necessary. 8 24 hours prior to loading / handling Dangerous goods report (2.7) to RHM and AMSA. dangerous goods (includes bunkers)

9 Two hours before arrival pilotage area Call Thursday Island Port Control on VHF channel 12.

Table 1 – arrival checklist

2.3 Departure checklist Sequence Time Report 1 24 hours before departure/removals Confirm departure information to RHM via 72 hours if pilot required QSHIPS. 2 Three hours before departure Dangerous goods report to RHM. 3 Two hours departure Pre entry report to REEFVTS (see 2.8 – AUSREP and 2.9 – REEFVTS) call Thursday Island Port Control on channel 16.

Table 2 – departure checklist

2.4 Quarantine

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) require vessels from overseas to submit their documentation no more than 96 hours and no less than 12 hours prior to arrival:

Contact details for AQIS at Cairns: Phone: +61 7 4030 7800 Fax: +61 7 4035 9578 Email: [email protected] Postal address: Ground floor, Airport Administration Centre PO Box 96 ACC, Cairns, Queensland 4870

Hard copies of this document are considered uncontrolled. Please refer to the Maritime Safety Queensland website for the latest version. Port Procedures and Information for Shipping Port Douglas pilotage area – October 2012 Page 11

2.4.1 Ballast water information

Ships with ballast water from ports that are considered a high risk for introduced marine species and that have not exchanged water ballast in mid ocean are now forbidden to discharge this ballast into Australian waters. Vessels that do not need to discharge ballast in Australian waters are exempt from these requirements.

The Ballast Water Decision Support System (BWDSS) is a computer-based application that has been developed to assist masters with the decision as to whether they are required to complete an ocean exchange of ballast prior to arrival. Masters/agents can access the program by inputting details of where ballast was taken – the program will decide on the data provided whether this ballast is high risk or not and whether ballast management is required.

2.5 Customs (Source: Australian Customs Service (ACS)) Vessels arriving from overseas must submit their documentation 96 hours prior to the nominated date of arrival. If the voyage from the last port is likely to take less than 48 hours then the report is required at least 24 hours before the estimated time of arrival.

All Australian Customs Service forms may be accessed on their website.

2.5.1 Customs – yacht arrivals

All yachts arriving in Queensland from overseas must first proceed to a designated port of entry for customs and quarantine clearance at Cairns, Weipa, Thursday Island, Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg or Brisbane.

At Port Douglas notification should be provided prior details to arrival to Cairns Customs: Phone: +61 7 4052 3580 Phone (afterhours) +61 7 4 1977 8990 Email [email protected] Radio VHF channel 16 (Monday to Friday)

Phoning the Australian Customs National Communications Centre on +61 3 9244 8973

The boarding station for arrival will be as directed by customs or the port authority; complete details are available on the Australian Customs Service website.

2.6 Arrival/departure report

All movements of ships 35m LOA or more are to be reported.

Sections 185 to 190 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2004 require that all ship movements for vessels 35 metres in length or more within the Port Douglas pilotage area are reported to Maritime Safety Queensland.

The movement of all vessels of LOA 35m or more arriving at Port Douglas are recorded in an internet based program known as QSHIPS.

The report should be made using the Arrival Departure Form (see 16.1) and submitted to Maritime Safety Queensland regional office at least 48 hours before the arrival movement and at least two hours prior to any subsequent movement.

Reports that cannot be made using the official form shall be made via telephone to the Regional Harbour Master (Cairns) office of Maritime Safety Queensland on +61 7 4052 7470 (24/7) or email [email protected]

2.7 Dangerous goods Dangerous goods must not be brought into or handled in the pilotage area until notification has been sent to the Regional Harbour Master (Cairns) in the approved form (see Dangerous cargo report 16.5) at least 48 hours prior to arrival in port limits. For further information refer to section 11 Dangerous cargo.

2.8 AUSREP Participation in the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP) is mandatory for all the following vessels while in waters adjacent to the Australian coastline extending out to the meridian of 163º 00'E:

 All Australian registered ships engaged in interstate or overseas trade and commerce, while in the AUSREP area.  Ships not registered in Australia, but engaged in the coasting trade between Australia and an external territory, or between external territories while in the AUSREP area.  Ships not registered in Australia, but demised under charter parties to charterers whose residences or principal place of business are in Australia, while in the AUSREP area.  Foreign ships other than the abovementioned ships, from their arrival at their first Australian port until their departure from their final Australian port, however they are encouraged to participate in the scheme from their arrival in the AUSREP area.  Australian fishing vessels proceeding on overseas voyages while in the AUSREP area, but not including those vessels operating from Queensland ports, which may call at ports in Papua New Guinea as an incidental part of their fishing operations.

2.9 REEFVTS REEFVTS is the name given to the mandatory ship reporting system (SRS) operated under joint federal and state arrangements between Maritime Safety Queensland and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority from the ship reporting centre at Townsville. The purpose of REEFVTS is to enhance navigational safety in the Torres Strait and the inner route of the Great Barrier Reef which encompasses the Whitsunday region.

The following vessels are required to report to REEFVTS:

 All vessels of 50m or more in overall length.  All oil tankers, liquefied gas carriers and, chemical tankers or ships coming within the INF Code regardless of length.  Ships engaged in towing or pushing where it or the ship being pushed or towed is from one of the above categories or where the length of the tow is 150m or more.  The ship reporting system applies to all ships in the above categories irrespective of whether they are on overseas, interstate or intrastate voyages. This regulation does not apply to any warship, naval auxiliary or government vessel but they and all other vessels not mentioned above are encouraged to report.

2.9.1 Reporting When approaching the REEFVTS area vessels are required to provide a pre-entry report at least two hours prior to entering the area or departing from a port within the REEFVTS area. An entry report must be made in respect of a ship as soon as it enters the REEFVTS area or departs from a port within the REEFVTS area. Information received will include ship name, intended route, cargo, draughts and other supplementary information. The amount of information required will depend on whether the vessel has already provided a sailing plan to AUSREP.

Automatic position reporting (APR) via Inmarsat-C is the primary mechanism for ships to provide intermediate position reports. REEFVTS will generally carry out APR remotely without any intervention by a ship's crew. Ships fitted with first generation Inmarsat-C terminals that do not support remote programming, will be required to be programmed onboard for intermediate position reports to be sent automatically.

Mariners are requested to ensure the vessel's Inmarsat-C terminal is logged into the Pacific Ocean region (POR). If a ship is unable to provide intermediate position reports via APR, brief position reports must be provided on an hourly basis or as advised by REEFVTS. Coastal pilots are required to report to REEFVTS when embarking or disembarking a ship in the REEFVTS area.

Ships are reminded to maintain a listening watch on the appropriate VHF channel frequency for the section of the reef that they are travelling in.

2.10 Security All commercial vessels with a gross tonnage of 500 tonnes or more and passenger ships are required to report their security information to the port authority. For further information refer section 13 Security