Media Release

Note to news editors: World marine navigation experts in Australia for the first time

The world’s leading experts on lighthouses and marine navigation aids will be in Sydney next week to attend the 15th International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) conference.

The event, hosted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, will bring together about 270 of the world’s key figures in the maritime navigation industry from 44 countries. It is the first time the conference has been held outside the northern hemisphere.

Topics to be discussed include:

The review of shipping in the Great Barrier Reef following the grounding of the cargo ship Bunga Teratai Satu;
The use of lasers as navigation aids; and
The future of ship traffic management and navigation aids.

The conference is held every four years and will include an opening ceremony on March 11 beginning at 8.30am.

Keynote speakers at the opening include William O’Neill, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, Senator Ron Boswell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Dr Ulrich Klinge, President of IALA.

About 60 navigation aids manufacturing companies will be displaying equipment at a trade exhibition running in conjunction with the conference.

IALA is a non-government association of organisations concerned with the provision and maintenance of marine aids to navigation systems at sea and on inland waterways.

The organisation fosters safe and economic movement of vessels and protection of the marine environment through improvement and harmonisation of navigation aids and marine traffic practices.

The conference runs from March 11 to March 15 at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. It starts at 8.30 am on March 11.

Further information:

David Gray, AMSA PR Manager 0418 487 794

or Ben Mitchell 0418 164 901

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