The Navigation Act 2012 establishes AMSA as the competent authority for VTS in Australia and section 213 of the Act allows regulations to be made in relation to vessel traffic services.
Marine Order 64 sets out the arrangements for AMSA to regulate VTS authorities, including authorising, certification and auditing.
Following an application for an instrument of authority to provide a vessel traffic service by the PoMC, an assessment was conducted against the criteria for an authorisation to provide a vessel traffic service as prescribed in Marine Order 64. An aspect of this was a detailed onsite audit which was carried out at the VTS centre and head office in March 2014.
During the audit, objective evidence was sought and provided in the form of online and hardcopy system documentation, procedures, meeting minutes, and audit reports. The audit concluded that the Port of Melbourne Corporation meets the criteria for authorisation provided by Marine Order 64. That is:
- there needs to be a vessel traffic service for the VTS area
- the applicant can meet the responsibilities of a VTS authority that are mentioned in the guidelines for vessel traffic services when operating the vessel traffic service.
