Hosted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), NAV 2013 started today at the Darwin Convention Centre and is on until 31 July. The symposium brings together more than 100 marine navigation practitioners and aids to navigation service providers from around Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and the UK to share expertise and exchange experiences.
Topics for discussion include electronic chart display and information systems, case studies of navigational aids, vessel monitoring services, new technologies, and the move to e-navigation.
AMSA’s Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said the theme of this year’s symposium was the transit to e-navigation.
"In many aspects of daily life, more and more we are moving away from paper records and the same applies to the navigation world,” Mr Peachey said.
“There is a great deal of work being done in the area of electronic charting in particular, and a number of the symposium’s speakers will look at how the navigation world is changing to be more compatible with the digital world.
“This will be an important symposium for AMSA to showcase the work we’ve been doing and also hear from other leaders in the field about their procedures and new technologies.”
Speakers at the symposium include representatives from AMSA and other maritime authorities in South Africa and Papua New Guinea, as well as representatives from the Australian Maritime College, Geoscience Australia, and the General Lighthouse Authorities of UK and Ireland.