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Output 1.4: Systems that aid safe marine navigation

AMSA, 15th Annual Report, 2004 - 2005

This output covers AMSA’s responsibility for providing technical, maintenance and engineering project management services supporting the provision of the national network of integrated aides to navigation and traffic management measures to meet the needs of commercial shipping for safe and efficient coastal navigation. AMSA also provides a safety communications network under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

It comprises the following Sub-Output:

Sub-Output 1.4.1: Enhancement of systems that aid safe navigation.

This Sub-Output covers AMSA’s management of the national network of integrated aids to navigation and coastal traffic management measures so it operates at international standards and meets commercial shipping requirements for safe and efficient coastal navigation. It also covers AMSA’s provision of Australia’s maritime safety communications service broadcasting and receiving safety of navigation information to and from ships at sea.

AMSA’s Maritime Safety and Environmental Strategy Division and Emergency Response Division deliver this output by:

Providing the national network of integrated aids to navigation and coastal traffic management measures that meet the requirements of commercial shipping for safe and efficient coastal navigation.
Participating in the development and application of international navigation safety policy and standards, principally through the IMO and International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
Providing a maritime safety communications service that broadcasts and receives safety of navigation information to and from ships at sea.

Operating environment in 2004-2005

During 2004-2005, AMSA’s delivery of Output 1.4 in relation to systems aiding safe marine navigation was influenced by the following external factors:

Australia’s support for development of international standards and operational practices in the provision of aids to navigation by the IMO and IALA.
The impact of technological developments on provision of aids to marine navigation including the expansion in global satellite navigation services providing highly accurate positioning fixing systems and availability of low cost remote monitoring systems.
The effects of changes in AMSA’s delivery of marine aids to navigation services by external service providers.
Government endorsement of relevant recommendations of the Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures, including:
- Improving the REEFREP ship reporting service;
- Examining alternative ship tracking technologies; and
- Developing the aids to navigation network.
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AMSA’s response to the operating environment

In response to the external factors in the operating environment, AMSA identified the following portfolio objectives and underpinning responses and priority actions to focus its work during 2004-2005 on achievement of the portfolio outcome of a better transport system for Australia.

Sub-Output 1.4.1: Enhancement of systems that aid safe navigation.

Portfolio Objective: A better transport system for Australia by Australia maintaining a national network of integrated marine aids to navigation and traffic management measures to meet the needs of commercial shipping for safe and efficient coastal navigation.

AMSA’s response 1.4.1-1: AMSA to maintain worlds best practice availability for marine aids to navigation network in line with IALA standards.

Priority actions in delivering sub-output 1.4.1 during 2004-2005

Actively participate in IALA in contributing to international development of standards for aids to navigation and navigation systems

AMSA represented Australia at the IALA Council meetings held in November/December 2004 and June 2005. AMSA also participated in meetings of IALA’s Aids to Navigation Management Committee, the Automatic Information Systems (AIS) Committee and the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Committee. AMSA also took part in an IALA Long Range Tracking Seminar on long range ship tracking held in Victoria, Canada, during November 2004.

Major issues considered at these meetings included: development of product certification guidelines, the involvement of IALA in maritime security measures, the reclassification of categories of aids to navigation, availability objectives for aids to navigation, the provision of aids to navigation for different classes of vessels, VTS operating procedures and equipment performance standards, and adoption of new technologies in aids to navigation.

IALA’s AIS Committee continued to develop the technical and operational aspects of AIS, including the recommendations and guidelines required by the international community.

Following the devastation of the south-east Asian tsunami in December 2004, the IMO and IALA sought Member States assistance in providing a package of assistance measures to restore maritime safety infrastructure and services in affected countries. AMSA offered to contribute 60 light beacons, spare parts, and three fibreglass light towers, as well as shipment costs, as a contribution to the international assistance package. The donated items are scheduled to be transported to particular locations in the region in June and October 2005.

Update and continue to implement AMSA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan for Marine Aids to Navigation developed in consultation with the shipping industry, State and Territory administrations and other stakeholders

AMSA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan for Marine Aids to Navigation provides the policy framework underpinning AMSA’s decision making to sustain the future performance of the national aids to navigation network. It includes a three-year rolling work program within a ten-year strategic outlook on the future direction of national aids to navigation. It ensures that the shipping industry has a transparent means of assessing AMSA’s performance of this function and the appropriate allocation of levy funding.

The work program during 2004-2005 produced improvements to the network through a number of major projects including: completion of work on the permanent system of aids to navigation marking LADS Passage and Fairway Channel in the Great Barrier Reef and upgrading of structures involved with remote monitoring of tidal and current information in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (which are detailed later in this section).

AMSA continued to provide ad-hoc advice and assistance to Papua New Guinea through an Asian Development Bank project to establish its maritime safety agency and hydrographic capability and re-establish failed aids to navigation.

Another important aspect of AMSA’s Strategic Plan is maintaining strong consultative links with key stakeholders with an interest in the effective and efficient operation of the aids to navigation network. AMSA’s Navigational Services Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the principal consultative forum on navigational services matters in Australian waters. It comprises representatives from AMSA, the commercial shipping industry, marine pilots and the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Hydrographic Service.

During 2004-2005, the NSAC met in December 2004 and June 2005. The Committee considered proposals in relation to the future directions for the aids to navigation network and addressed the following major issues:

Implementation of measures to promote ship safety and pollution prevention in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, including the upgrading of the Ship Reporting System to a Coastal VTS and phased roll-out of AIS.
Comprehensive review of the aids to navigation network around Australia.
Progress in the production of Electronic Navigational Charts by the Australian Hydrographic Service.
Changes being progressed by Australia in the IMO to the carriage requirements for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), with the aim of increasing the uptake of ECDIS globally. Australia’s proposal to the IMO sought to permit the use of ECDIS with raster charts, without the requirement to carry paper charts and to make carriage of ECDIS mandatory on all ships.
AMSA’s involvement with the work of IALA in particular development of AIS operational and technical standards.

AMSA hosted an Aids to Navigation Symposium (AtoN) in Canberra in March 2005 to provide an opportunity to share information and strengthen cooperation with other jurisdictions in relation to the management of aids to navigation. It also explored technological innovations and their impact on the future development of aids to navigation. Over 50 delegates from around Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea attended the symposium.

Develop purchasing strategy including refined future service requirements to secure maintenance and shipping support services for the national aids to navigation

Following a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of AMSA’s delivery of internally provided services in 2000-2001, AMSA decided to outsource the delivery of maintenance and shipping services associated with its aids to navigation network. In June 2000, AMSA sold its lighthouse tender ship, Cape Grafton, and engaged an external provider for these services after a competitive tender process. AMSA awarded a separate contract to an external provider for the maintenance functions, again after a competitive tender. The contract was operative from 30 March 2001 for an effective contractual period of a potential five years, subject to performance. The contract was extended by a further three months to June 2006 to align it on a financial year basis.

In view of the expiry of the maintenance contract, AMSA has undertaken extensive reassessment of its operational needs and performance criteria for provision of these services and is also assessing the prevailing market prior to conducting a tender process for maintenance and related shipping services during 2005-06.

Contribute to upgrading of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Ship Reporting System (REEFREP) to a Coastal Vessel Traffic System (REEFVTS) in line with IALA and with recognition by IMO

The 2001 Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures proposed the upgrading of the mandatory ship reporting system, REEFREP, to a Coastal Vessel Traffic Service (REEFVTS) in line with IALA guidelines. The system is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments and applies to ships more than 50 metres in length and some other classes of ships transiting the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.

In May 2004, the IMO endorsed Australia’s proposal to move to a coastal VTS to formally operate from 1 December 2004 and recognised the ability of the upgraded REEFREP system to interact more frequently with shipping. This resulted from the upgrading of REEFREP’s capabilities, including adoption of new technologies such as Automated Position Reporting via the Inmarsat C satellite system, and AIS.

The IMO issued a circular (SN/Circular.235 of 28 May 2004) to all its Member States to advise of the changes to the REEFREP ship reporting system for advice to their shipowners and other interested parties.

Upgrading to a coastal VTS has involved a number of changes to the mandatory ship reporting requirements, which AMSA incorporated into a new issue of Marine Orders Part 56, REEFREP, which came into operation on 1 December 2004. These include provision of:

Pre-entry reports by ships at least two hours prior to entering the REEFVTS area from seaward or when sailing from a port within the area;
Route plan at least one hour after entering the area.
Intermediate position reports while transiting the area, with Automated Position Reporting (APR) via Inmarsat C satellite now being used as the primary means of reporting for 95 per cent of ships.

These changes have been well received by the industry and ships are aware of the new arrangements and are complying with them. The rapid uptake has significantly enhanced the surface picture available to the REEFCENTRE facility at Hay Point in Queensland and the quality of ship traffic information provided to shipping.

REEFVTS provides three major services to shipping transiting the region:

Ship Traffic Information to inform ships of potentially conflicting traffic movements resulting from the analysis of incoming reports. REEFCENTRE provides any relevant traffic information to individual ships approaching areas which are navigational hazardous and advice from ships or local maritime agencies about navigational safety (eg concentrations of fishing vessels, unusual weather conditions etc).
Navigational Assistance in circumstances where information is available to REEFCENTRE that may assist onboard decision-making for a particular ship. This may include circumstances suggesting a ship may be standing into shallow water (eg. in areas of restricted navigation as indicated by radar coverage) or deviating from a recommended route.
Maritime Safety Information such as navigational warnings (AUSCOAST Warnings) will continue to be issued in appropriate broadcasts from AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre. The REEFCENTRE will maintain details of Maritime Safety Information for the REEFVTS area for the information of participating ships.

The 2001 Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures supported the implementation of AIS in the Great Barrier Reef and the use of Inmarsat C for monitoring ships transiting the region.

AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that automatically exchanges ship related information (such as identity, position, course, speed, and ship characteristics) with suitably equipped ships and shore facilities. As part of its maritime security agenda, the IMO advanced its timetable for mandatory carriage of AIS requiring all vessels within the purview of the SOLAS Convention to be fitted with AIS by 31 December 2004.

Following the success of joint AMSA and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) initiated trials of the AIS in 2001 and 2002, AMSA upgraded the three AIS base stations installed for the trial on Hammond Island in the Torres Strait, at Cairns and on Pelorus Island north of Townsville, to the standard required for AIS international certification. A fourth AIS base station was established by MSQ at Hay Point to service both REEFCENTRE and the port Vessel Traffic Management System. During 2004-2005, the installation was advanced of two additional base stations at Penrith Island, near Mackay, and Sue Islet in the Torres Strait and a repeater for the Hammond Island base station at Booby Island at the western approaches to Torres Strait.

AMSA and MSQ are undertaking the phased introduction of AIS taking advantage of synergies in relation to base station sites with other communication activity in the region with the aim of the AIS network covering all compulsory and recommended pilotage areas within the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait region. SOLAS ships transiting the region with AIS fitted can be monitored within a 40 to 50 nautical miles range of a base station. There are significant engineering challenges in providing the necessary power and network communication links to the more remote areas in Far North Queensland and Torres Strait. AMSA and MSQ continue to work in close cooperation to develop a cost effective, efficient and risk based AIS network.

In the latter half of 2004, AMSA marine surveyors conducted a focussed inspection campaign on the fitting and operation of ship borne AIS during port State and flag State control inspections of ships in Australian ports. The inspections checked that AIS was correctly fitted, programmed and integrated effectively into the bridge operations of the vessel and that navigational watchkeeping personnel were competent in its use. The industry was alerted to the four month inspection campaign commencing from 1 July 2004 by AMSA issuing a Marine Notice (6/2004 on 3 June 2004).

The deployment of AIS complements recent advances in automated position reporting through the Inmarsat C global satellite communications network. Most ships are fitted with a transponder that communicates with the Inmarsat C system as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). This unit can provide shore-based facilities with automated pre-programmed ship position data.

The upgrading to the REEFVTS included introduction in October 2002 of voluntary Automated Position Reporting arrangements by participating ships with about 70 per cent of applicable ships participating.

Since the REEFVTS official commencement on 1 December 2004, some 95 per cent of ships are adopting automatic communications with REEFCENTRE via the Inmarsat C system. This has the advantages of overcoming any English language proficiency difficulties with foreign ships’ crews associated with VHF voice communications and ensuring messages already are formatted correctly through the Inmarsat C system.

Provide new and updated aids to navigation to improve ship safety in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, particularly LADS passage and Nardana Patches

The 2001 Review of Great Barrier Reef Ship Safety and Pollution Prevention Measures recommended that work developing the Fairway Channel should be accelerated to improve opportunities for traffic separation and provide an opportunity for coastal pilots to take a rest break.

During 2004-2005, AMSA completed work on installing the 15 new aids (nine fixed structures and six buoys) to assist vessels in navigation through LADS Passage (Fairway Channel) in the Great Barrier Reef. While this work was scheduled for completion by mid 2004, adverse weather conditions delayed the completion of the final two fixed structures until early 2005.

The marking of LADS Passage provides a higher degree of navigational safety and a shorter transit time (saving on average one to one and half hours) for vessels traversing the Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Cape York. It also will assist merchant ships to keep clear of concentrations of fishing vessels often found in the Princess Charlotte Bay area.

A new light beacon was established at Stagg Patches, off the coast of Queensland near Cairns, replacing a floating buoy. This new beacon will increase navigation situational awareness for mariners operating in the vicinity of Green and Fitzroy Islands, both major tourist destinations and areas of environmental significance.

A new light beacon was also established at Nardana Patches in Torres Strait, replacing a floating buoy. Strong tidal streams and periods of poor weather resulted in minimal windows of opportunity for installation, and hence the new beacon (located atop a gravity base structure) was installed behind schedule in late 2004. Work on the inclusion of tidal height and stream measuring sensors and connection to AMSA’s existing information transmission service is continuing.

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Performance Review 2004-2005

Portfolio Outcome: A better transport system for Australia

AMSA Outcome 1: Minimising the risk of shipping incidents and pollution in Australian waters.

Output Group 1: Ship Operations Safety and Marine Environment Protection Program

Output 1.4: Systems that aid safe marine navigation: AMSA provides technical, maintenance and engineering services supporting the provision of a national network of integrated aids to navigation and traffic management measures to meet the needs of commercial shipping for safe and efficient coastal navigation. AMSA also provides a distress and safety communications network under the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Sub-Output 1.4.1 Enhancement of systems that aid safe navigation.
Measure	Performance 2004-2005
National Aides to Navigation Network
Marine navigational aids network meets requirements of the five-year Navigational Strategic Plan. (Quality) Target: 100% in priority projects completed on time and within budget.	During 2004-2005, all priority projects were completed on time and budget.
Availability of the marine navigational aids network. (Quality) Target: Visual: Cat 1 - 99.8%, Cat 2 - 99.0%, Cat 3 - 97.0% Racons: 99.6% Tide gauges: 99.6% DGPS: 99.6% Ship Reporting System: 98% Unlit Beacons: 95% Topmarks or daymarks: 95%	During 2004-2005, the network was available: Visual:Cat 1 – 99.7% Visual Cat 2 – 99.9% Visual Cat 3 – 99.1% Racons: 99.7% Tide gauges: 99.7% DGPS: 99.8% Ship Reporting System: 94.4% Unlit Beacons: 100% Topmarks and daymarks: 100%
Cost to provide a network of aids to navigation. (Price) Target: 2004-2005 estimates: $17.982 million	During 2004-2005, the cost of providing the network was $15.110 million. The reduced expenditure from the estimated cost was due to the adjustment of $2.9 million required to the current year’s depreciation, as per Note 1.15 in AMSA’s 2004-2005 Financial Statements.
Safety Communications Network
Median time taken to distribute safety information messages. (Quality) Target: 2 hours	During 2004-2005, the median time was 26 minutes.
Capability to monitor successful transmission of safety messages (Quantity) Target: 100%	During 2004-2005, 100% capability was maintained.
Cost to provide maritime safety messages. (Price Target: 2004-2005 estimates: $0.349 million	During 2004-2005, the cost is estimated to be $0.446 million.

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November 2005