TRANSPORT SAFETY VICTORIA PO Box 2797, Melbourne, Vi c, 3001 T 1800 223 022 E [email protected] Ref: DOC/14/67763 Bus & Rail F 03 9655 8929 Maritime F 03 9655 6611 17 April2014 Mr Neale Burgess MP Chair Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee Parliament ofVictoria Parliament House, Spring Street EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002 Dear Mr Burgess INQUIRY INTO MARINE RESCUE SERVICES IN VICTORIA­ SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSION As you would be aware, Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) provided the inquiry with an initial submission on 21 March 2014. At the inquiry hearing on 24 March 2014, a number of additional matters were raised. This submission is to provide the inquiry with further information related to those matters. If you would like to talk with me further on this matter, please contact me on telephone (03) 9655 8528. Yours sincerely Adrian Mnew Acting Director Maritime Safety Transport Safety Victoria www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au Terms of Reference The Victorian Parliament's Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee (EDIOSISC) is seeking submissions for its new inquiry into marine rescue services in Victoria. Under the Terms of Reference for the inquiry, the Committee has been asked to: a) identify the range of marine rescue services currently provided in Victoria and consider whether the range and manner of services is fit for purpose; b) outline the current structure of marine rescue service provision in Victoria and consider possible improvements to that service provision; c) outline the areas of responsibility for marine rescue service providers and regulators and identify any areas of overlapping responsibility; d) investigate the legislation that enables and governs search and rescue activities in Victoria and provide recommendations on improvements; e) review existing marine monitoring and communications processes underpinning rescue services and provide advice on improvements which could be considered; and f) review the training and development needs for marine rescue service providers and provide recommendations on improvements 2 Transport Safety Victoria's Submission TSV's supplementary submission will address the following additional matters raised by the inquiry at the hearing on 24 March 2014: • Marine Incident Reporting - national dataset and process • Fuel Reimbursements -process • Recreational boat operator licensing in Victoria • Juniors on personal watercraft • Jet Spmis Boating Association -history ofTSV engagement • E&Y report -further comment This submission should be read in conjunction with our earlier submission to the inquiry dated 21 March 2014. 3 Marine Incident Reporting- national dataset and process Victoria's marine incident reporting process is administered by TSV with the data collated and stored within TSV's IT platform, the Mmine Safety System (MSS). The Victoria Water Police have direct access to this system and populate this system in real time as searches are coordinated. The system codifies data in accordance with the National Marine Safety Data Collection Reference Manual. This standard was produced by the National Ma1ine Safety Committee in 2007 in collaboration with all marine safety jurisdictions across Australia. The standard includes a definition of marine incidents generally and for the categorisation of incidents: A Marine Incident is an event causing or involving any ofthe following in connection with the operation ofa vessel. 1. The death of or injury to, any person on board a vessel, or caused by a vessel. 2. The loss ofa person from a vessel. 3. The abandonment, loss or presumed loss ofa vessel. 4. The collision ofa vessel with another vessel or with an object. 5. The grounding, sinking, flooding or capsizing ofa vessel. 6. A fire or explosion aboard a vessel. 7. Loss ofstability affecting the safety ofa vessel. 8. Structural failure ofa vessel. The standm·d's aim is to achieve national consistency in the reporting and categorisation of marine incidents. A copy of the standard is attached for the inquiry's reference. TSV understands that some other contributors to the inquiry have put forward an argument that no definition of a marine incident currently exists and that the current understanding of a marine incident is not broad enough to encompass others incidents that might require an on-water response (for example a swift water rescue). TSV respectfully submits that the national definition above remains fit for purpose and to deviate from this definition would be a divergence from the nationally consistent dataset and would create anomalies with benchmarking Victoria's marine safety interventions against comparable jurisdictions. The use by the Victoria Water Police of the MSS ensures that incident data which is collected (in the form of a Marine Incident Report (MIR)) is detailed, robust and verifiable. The provision of fuel reimbursement funding to volunteer MSAR groups tasked by Victoria Water Police is an appropriate motivator to ensure that they participate in this process, providing detailed information about the incident to which they have responded, and the nature of their response. Additionally, the reimbursement of the cost of fuel used in responding to a marine emergency is of great importance to marine search and rescue groups. They are highly dependent on this funding to maintain their activities. 4 Fuel Reimbursement Process When the VWP receive notification of a vessel (usually, but not always a recreational vessel) which requires assistance, they will make a decision about whether they will respond themselves, or delegate the response to a volunteer MSAR group. An incident record (referred to as a marine incident response - MIR) is created in the MSS by the VWP, who allocate an identifying number to the record. This record is then progressively updated as the incident unfolds. When a group is tasked, they will contact the VWP once they launch their vessel, when they reach the incident itself, and when the tasked vessels and operators have returned safely. The VWP will update the MIR with the information made available to them as the MSAR group deals with the incident. Once the incident is concluded and the group are back at their base, VWP will undertake a review of the time spent, and will approve the record in the system. Following the incident, the responding agency will send in by either email, fax, or post a completed incident form, which contains a range of quite detailed infonnation about what occurred, where it occurred, and the type of vessel involved. A careful checking process is then undertaken by TSV to ensure the integrity of this data. The data is checked against the data recorded for the MIR in the MSS, and, where necessary, TSV will discuss any gaps or discrepancy with either the VWP or the responding group to ensure that the final MIR record is reliable and robust. The group will also provide an invoice for the reimbursement of the fuels they used in the response- either at the same time as providing the incident form, or at a future point (depending on their own operational demands. For example, in the busy summer months there can be a time lag in receiving invoices from groups). TSV cross checks the invoice against the original MIR, ensuring the reimbursement sought is reasonable, having regard to the time spent responding and the type of vessel which the responding groups use. Once the invoice is verified, it is entered into the Department's accounts payment system as approved for payment, and payment will then follow in accordance with the Department's normal practice (understood to be within 30 days). TSV has not had any feedback from volunteer MSAR groups about any undue delays in the receipt of fuel reimbursement claims. Fuel reimbursement expenditure is in the order of $100,000 - $120,000 per year. This essential funding lifeline for MSAR groups also represents an opportunity for TSV to gather information which is highly detailed, of sound and reliable quality, and carefully verified so that it may be used with confidence. The data collected is analysed in many different ways, including but not limited to type of incident, location of incident, type of vessel involved and time of day of incident. The data collected in the MIR system and its subsequent analysis and reporting provides TSV with high quality data which then informs education activity, compliance and enforcement activity, and helps shape and inform marine legislation. It is made publicly available via TSV's website. The data provided as a result of the MSAR group's input as detailed above provides a critical dataset that is aggregated and is used to analyse trends in the causal factors 5 leading to marine incidents. This data has proved vitally important to tailoring the government's interventions to achieve safer boating. Recreational marine licensing in Victoria The recreational marine licensing scheme was introduced into Victoria in 2002. The scheme requires applicants to demonstrate a level of competency by passing a knowledge test. An applicant can choose to either undertake the test at a VicRoads customer service centre or to attend a course with an accredited training provider and then subsequently undertake the test. Applicants who wish to act as the master of a personal watercraft (PWC) must complete a further knowledge test. To obtain a passing grade for the marine licence test the applicant must correctly answer 26 of the 30 questions. To obtain a passing grade for the PWC endorsement test the applicant must correctly answer 13 out of 15 questions. At the time of introduction, the scheme sought to achieve consistency with similar schemes in other jurisdictions in Victoria by modelling the assessment on the Guidelines for Recreational Boat Operator Competencies, released by the National Marine Safety Committee in November 2000. Since that time all other states of Australia have introduced a practical assessment of some degree into their licensing schemes (Note: the Northern Tenitory does not require boat operators to be licensed or to have completed any assessment of their knowledge or competency).