Middleton Kirwasi Gwaday completed a master’s degree at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden and was returning to his home country Papua New Guinea (PNG) after studying for fourteen months in Scandinavia when I met him recently. On the ground floor at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra, we shared an insightful conversation on his memorable experience studying abroad. 

Middleton’s academic and professional experience are as extensive as the journey is from PNG to Sweden. Formally, Middleton studied electronics and computer science before embarking on a career with the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) PNG where he started in Seafarers Certifications in 2009. He then trained and worked as a Maritime Safety Information Officer in 2012 with NMSA, connecting the dots from his academic studies to the progressive digitisation of maritime search and rescue. 

In 2016 he worked as a Search and Rescue Coordinator (SAR) which included extensive and practical training with the Australian Federal Police. This collective experience inspired Middleton to pursue studies at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden in 2018 - the scope for collaboration and cooperation with maritime SAR in PNG and neighbouring countries presented a distinct opportunity for Middleton.  

‘I was motivated to study at WMU because of the connection between my studies with information technology and communications and the shifting technology towards digital in the maritime industry,’ Middleton says. 

And because of the innovative advancements in maritime technology, Middleton was able to hone his master’s research on how this can be applied back home in PNG, particularly in regards to cooperation between neighbouring countries in search and rescue -  his personal area of interest and expertise. 

‘I decided to apply my thesis on researching maritime search and rescue services, particularly focused on small vessels in Papua New Guinea,’ he adds.

Middleton highlights the watershed moment for PNG in maritime search and rescue history was when the MV Rabaul Queen Ferry capsized in the Solomon Sea in 2012 where 140 lives were tragically lost at sea. Middleton identifies this incident as an opportunity for PNG to implement a collaborative approach to search and rescue coordination with regional countries to improve maritime standards and regulation. He is specifically interested in implementing an effective regulatory approach through national legislation for small vessels – particularly because of the high incidence of fatalities at sea on banana vessels. 

‘There are a number of issues concerned primarily with safety and regulation of banana boats that need to be addressed in order to make it more stringent because currently the maritime law in PNG is relaxed and penalties should apply in order to encourage banana boat operators to comply and ultimately improve safety standards,’ Middleton says. 

Australia is pleased to have provided financial support to the WMU to assist with funding 10 fellowships for maritime professionals from the South Pacific region to undertake the WMU’s 14 month Master’s program in Maritime Affairs. Australia remains a strong supporter for the maritime interests of South Pacific nations and AMSA view this contribution as an ideal way to enhance the technical, professional and leadership skills in the region.

Middleton has not only expanded his knowledge and expertise in maritime search and rescue as a result of his studies in Sweden but his rich experience in Sweden has enabled him to question his own pre-conceptions of other cultures. The friends he made in Sweden grew to be like family and provided a solid foundation of support as he engaged in a vastly foreign but fascinating cultural exchange.

And with a master’s degree under his belt, Middleton sights are set on being instrumental in facilitating positive change in PNG, specifically to improve seafarer compliance to maritime regulation to foster a safety culture at sea in PNG. His studies in Sweden have expanded his horizons and paved the way for an exciting career in maritime search and rescue.

Mr Bath was nominated for the award after coordinating the response action of allied services including tugs, port pilots and helicopter operators when reports came through of a bulk carrier drifting 20 metres off the berth at 1 am on 21 April 2019.

‘The bulk carrier Aquavoyageurs was 289 metres long and fully loaded so it was sitting 18 metres below the waterline,’ Warren said. 

‘Because so much of the ship was under water, the pressure of the tide peeled the ship from the birth—it all happened really quickly,’ he said.

‘As soon as I was notified I started checking the windows for the ship to sail and it so happened that there was an inbound ship to berth, and as a result, the tugs were out there for the other terminal at Dalrymple Bay.’ 

‘I managed to get the tugs over to Hay Point to help push up on the ship, but by the time they got there the ship was already 90 degrees off the berth and the master had dropped its anchor.’ 

Dropping the anchor stopped the ship from spinning around more and breaking away from the berth all together, but because it was at 90 degrees, they couldn’t use the lines to pull it back around.

The immediate danger was the structural failure of the ship, which in turn would have had serious flow-on impacts for the surrounding infrastructure, the marine environment and the movement of other ships in and out of the port.

‘When in port ships sit in a berth pocket, which has been dredged out so it can sit comfortably alongside. The pocket is curved, so if the ship ends up sitting across the curve like in this case, when the tide goes out it would break its back because the middle of the ship would be in the middle of the berth pocket,’ Warren explained. 

‘There were two options—one was to sail the ship out of the port, but to do that you would have needed a pilot on board and tugs organised—it would take hours to plan,’ he said. 

‘The limiting factor with this option was the time—only 10 minutes remained before the tidal window for the ship to exit the port closed, so that wasn’t an option—we had to put the ship back alongside the berth.’
Warren contacted the other terminal at Dalrymple Bay to advise the berthing of the other ship would be delayed.

‘When I spoke to the VTS there I organised for the pilot bringing the other ship in to come to the Aquavoyageurs by helicopter in order to assist get the ship back alongside. We managed to get the ship back in its berth before the tide went out enough to cause serious damage.’

Mr Bath’s quick response ensured the vessel was brought back alongside within three and a half hours with no damage to the bulk carrier, other ships berthed at the port, the offshore terminal infrastructure or pollution event.

The annual Australian VTS Award recognises an outstanding contribution by a VTS beyond their normal operational scope. 

Find out how to nominate for the Australian Vessel Traffic Service Award.

Seafarers have helped in maintaining the vital flow of goods like food, despite the added pressures caused by the pandemic and what this means for them personally.

We spoke to Oliver Krcoski at Austral Fisheries to find out how the pandemic has affected crew on their vessels and how Austral Fisheries mitigated the risks and concerns.

Based in Perth, WA, Austral Fisheries runs three separate operations—the Southern Ocean, Northern Prawn and Timor Reef fisheries. 

Crew working the Timor Reef fishery out of Darwin are out at sea for eight or nine days at a time, but the Prawn seasons can keep crew away from families for up to 16 weeks.

Austral Fisheries Health, Safety and Environment Advisor, Oliver Krcoski, said that when COVID-19 emerged the crew’s immediate concern was their livelihood and getting out to sea.

‘As COVID-19 came to Australia and started spreading before the start of the first prawn season of the year, there was a lot of anxiety amongst our personnel about whether they would go out to sea at all,’ he said.

‘As a company, we really had to assess that risk. It was clear that the success of our operations depended on how well we could manage the COVID-19 threat.’

Once Austral Fisheries made the decision to keep operating, they moved quickly to develop and implement policies and procedures to get crew out at sea without recording any cases of the virus. 

They prepared COVID-19 information packs for crew, outlining the risk assessment that needed to be made before people boarded vessels, the boarding procedure, the required PPE, and information from the Australian Government Department of Health about COVID-19.

‘We got in contact with everyone early on to inform them they would be flying in at least two weeks prior to departure, so that we could isolate and monitor them during that period,’ Oliver said.

‘A couple of crew couldn’t get there in time to quarantine and we unfortunately had to leave them behind to protect the rest of the crew and the operation.’

But once crew had done the quarantine and got out at sea where they knew the drill, the distraction generally turned to what was happening away from the vessel and how they would get home. 

‘At sea crew were worried about their family and friends back home—everyone has someone back home that might have lost a job or suffered in some way with the situation being so uncertain,’ he said. 

When various states closed their borders, this initially complicated matters for Austral Fisheries which operated between the Northern Territory and Queensland but because they were able to demonstrate their planning and risk mitigation, they had no trouble getting an exemption to cross into the Northern Territory. 

However the closing of borders was a cause of anxiety for some crew. 

‘A couple of the guys had newborns coming and were worried about whether they would get home in time and whether the hospitals would let them see their families,’ Oliver said.

‘We did our best to absorb as much of that stress as possible by taking care of the administrative work involved in crossing borders—such as writing letters from the employer to say they had been working in the essential services industry—and I think they found that quite reassuring,’ Oliver explained.

Oliver said that despite the additional burden caused by COVID-19, none of the crew showed signs of being stressed to the point of it impacting on the way they worked or the level of safety they exercised. 

‘We were very aware as a management team that it could impact their mental health and ability to stay focussed and we tried to alleviate this stress getting exemptions for them to cross borders to get home,’ Oliver explained. 

‘Last year we also gave formal safety training to all our skippers, which also looked at mental health impacts on crews, so our skippers are somewhat aware of when someone is concerned and they report that back to us. If people want to get off the vessel for whatever reason we are able to arrange that quickly,’ he said.

Oliver explained that all kinds of challenging situations out at sea became a little bit more challenging with COVID-19—crew not being able to get off the vessel during port stops and having to apply for exemptions before they can access medical assistance for general health problems—but the crew have handled it well.

‘Considering that when COVID-19 emerged one of the cards on the table was to call the season off all together, I’m grateful we have been able to keep our crew out of harm’s way and keep operating.’ 

VTS Officer Paul McLaughlin was not far into his shift when at 20:36 he received the call from the Master on Cape Reliance alerting Port Hedland VTS to the four people in the water. 

‘Cape Reliance was anchored within the VTS coverage area approximately 10 nautical miles from the nearest land and only 100 metres from the upturned vessel, so I asked if they could launch their rescue craft,’ Paul explained.

‘Meanwhile, at Port Hedland VTS we also initiated emergency procedures, mobilising the Water Police, Volunteer Marine Rescue and other water assets, including a pilot boat, marine pilot transfer helicopter and tugs to assist with the search and rescue.’

Being in close proximity, the Cape Reliance recue vessel was the first to retrieve two of the four recreational fishermen out of the water. The pilot boat then arrived on site shortly after, picking up the other two.

While the four rescued men were being transported back ashore, Port Hedland VTS liaised with the police and the hospital to make sure the ambulance was on standby. 

‘Arrangements were made to bring the people back to the commercial jetty where Port Authority’s security personnel and St Johns Ambulance paramedics were able to provide medical support,’ Paul said.

After clinging onto their capsized vessel for almost seven hours, the four recreational fishermen were in shock and suffering from hypothermia. 

‘Given the onset of darkness, the temperature of the water and the currents that run through the anchorage, I think they were just relieved that someone had spotted them,’ Paul said. 

‘They were very lucky. They had been setting off hand flares, but despite outbound shipping in the early evening and tugs coming and going, no-one had spotted them since their vessel had overturned in the early afternoon.’

‘The way those currents move through that anchorage, if it had gone too much longer they would have moved out of sight and that would have possibly been a different story.’

Port Hedland Harbour Master Myron Fernandes said he nominated Port Hedland VTS for the Australian VTS Award because the rescue highlighted the positive collaboration Port Hedland VTS has with local stakeholders and its commitment to ensuring safe and efficient port operations.

‘Rescues like this occur fairly regularly across Australian ports however, the challenges posed in a remote port like Port Hedland make the efforts more remarkable and the positive outcome more gratifying,’ he said.

‘Being a remote location, it’s all about the relationships and preparation. Despite being the largest bulk port in the world, we are also very remote, so rescue operations are often a joint effort.’

‘Our staff, including the Vessel Traffic Services Officers, go through robust and regular training process so no matter what the emergency, they know how to respond.’

The annual Australian VTS Award recognises an outstanding contribution by a VTS beyond their normal operational scope. 

Find out how to nominate for the Australian Vessel Traffic Service Award.

Last year, Australia was pleased to have provided financial support to the World Maritime University (WMU) to assist with funding 10 fellowships for maritime professionals from the South Pacific region to undertake the WMU’s 14 month Master’s program in Maritime Affairs. Australia remains a strong supporter for the maritime interests of South Pacific nations and AMSA views this contribution as an ideal way to enhance the technical, professional and leadership skills in the region.

Born and raised on Neiafu on the island of Vava’u—the second largest town in Tonga, life for Hulita always gravitated around family and the ocean. For her, the ocean sustains her community and provides a vital source of international trade for Tonga both locally and internationally.  

Hulita works for the Ministry of Fisheries in Tonga and is one of few women working in the maritime industry. In the future, she is determined to empower women of all ages and as well as educate people on the value of Tonga’s vital environmental and international trade resource—the ocean. 

‘The main issue in the Pacific in terms of capacity building, is people do not care enough about the importance of the ocean,’ she said. 

This presents an obvious concern for Hulita and the opportunity to study at the WMU in 2018-19 allowed her to focus her research on theoretical concepts to build capacity and awareness regarding fisheries management and ocean sustainability. 

Back home in Tonga, Hulita’s professional expertise, Special Management Areas (SMA) of the surrounding oceans of Tonga, inspired her to pursue studies at the WMU. Hulita plans to apply this research to mobilise the local community of Tonga to have a more vested interest in ocean sustainability within the maritime industry.

‘I would like to build capacity in terms of fisheries governance in my local area in Tonga and to help enhance and strengthen awareness of communities and all the people of Tonga regarding the importance of oceans,’ Hulita said.

And for Hulita, encouraging women to take a lead when it comes to education and management of Tonga’s oceans will be necessary. As part of her studies at the WMU in Sweden, Hulita was able to view gender inequity in the maritime industry in Tonga through the prism of global standards—specifically the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs). Goal 5: Gender Equality and goal 14: Life Below Water, specifically guided her interest. Hulita wears the UN SDGs pin proudly—a visual reminder of what remains close to her heart personally and professionally.

‘I would like all the women of Tonga to be aware of the opportunity for women in the maritime industry and I would like to empower and build strength for all women and to do this, we should work together,’ Hulita said. 

In Sweden, Hulita’s dissertation focused on marine special planning – this refers to ecosystem based management for conservation of ocean resources. And as mentioned, Hulita plans to drive capacity building and motivate the local community to observe and respect Special Management Areas in Tonga. Hulita would like to apply her studies by implementing measures to build a sustainable ocean management plan for the region.

‘I hope to educate people on the importance of Special Management Areas in Tonga by engaging with local communities to build capacity. I think it is important to raise awareness in terms of fisheries governance in Tonga,’ she said. 

Hulita intends to apply her theoretical studies garnered from Sweden in fisheries management to foster a sustainable ocean management plan for local community and importantly for Tonga’s international trade.

‘Fish supplies are a key export for Tonga, particularly tuna fish so there is a dependency on this industry for trade to Japan and China—sea cucumbers are also critical for Tonga’s trade and economic development.’ Hulita said.

Hulita is grateful for her time in Sweden and the insights gained from experiencing a different culture and she recognises the value of the scholarship she received from AMSA to study at the WMU and what this has meant to her family.

‘I really want to thank AMSA for the opportunity, without them I would not be here. AMSA have been generous and kind to all the WMU scholarship students. I would also like to thank the WMU for all the great experiences and our host families for showing us their culture in Sweden. And my family, for all their sacrifices, support and advice,’ she said. 

And finally Hulita thanks herself, a well-deserved sentiment she confidently imparts before she returns to her home country. And most importantly, she is aware of the original purpose that inspired her to apply for the AMSA academic scholarship—to raise awareness and promote gender equity and build capacity for ocean management in Tonga and within the Pacific region for future generations.  

Mark is passionate about lighthouses and since finishing up his final posting at Seal Rocks, NSW in 2006, he has worked on preserving and restoring some of Australia’s most spectacular maritime monuments.  

How did you become interested in working with lighthouses? 

My keeper life began at Sugarloaf Point (Seal Rocks), followed by Booby Island in the Torres Strait as a relief keeper then at various crewed light stations along the eastern seaboard.   

Working as a relief keeper was a great chance to experience the maritime legacy of lighthouses and be part of its history.  I was so proud to be part of AMSA. 

A relief keeper often travels far and wide.  They have to be adaptable, get along with everyone, self-sufficient and be a skilled plumber, carpenter, electrician, cook, painter and fond of working at great heights in a southerly bluster.  Talk about living my dream!   

What was the greatest challenge while working as a keeper? 

A keeper’s motto is to expect the unexpected and trust no one.   

I recall waking one morning to the sound of cries from men on a trawler that had jammed on the rocks below the lighthouse.  It had a tragic ending, but life as a keeper must carry on.  There is the light station to run, lawns to mow, chimneys to paint and veranda braces to replace. 

When you leave a station, you pack up your possessions, sweep out the shed and leave no stone unturned before handing over to the new custodian.  There is a feeling of great relief and a sense of accomplishment.

Are you still involved in lighthouses? 

I began as a lighthouse keeper and finished as a historian.  I’m a keeper of history and still very involved in restoration work.  I’m part of a legacy lost in time and I often hear tourists staying at converted lighthouse cottages say, ‘what a great resort they built us’!

Adelaide’s Mark Jacobs, who spent just under three decades with the South Australia Police is now a search and rescue officer working with in the AMSA Response Centre; helping save mariners in distress.

Mark said that his background within the water police and diving unit has assisted in his new role assisting in maritime safety. 

“The AMSA Response Centre is a 24/7 area of responsibility where we assist the public in emergency situations, either at sea or in the aviation sector as well,” Mark said. 

“I like my role here because I can help people in their time of need when they probably can’t help themselves. 

“An example of the kind of work we do here is a rescue I was involved in at the end of last year. I received a phone call from a Reef VTS Centre who informed me that a ships pilot traversing in the Torres Strait, had seen two people clinging to a piece of timber in the ocean.

“So they did a turn, it takes a little while for a ship that size to do a turn as you can imagine, and simultaneously we activated a rescue helicopter from Horn Island, as well as AMSA’s Cairns Based Challenger to go out to the scene.

“The ship managed to lift one of the people from the water but at that time the helicopter was very close by, so it also winched the other gentleman out of the water. 

“As we later found out, their boat had sunk the day before at 4pm and it wasn’t until the next day at 7am that they were seen.  So, they were out there in the ocean, clinging to a bit of wood all night.

“For me, this was an interesting rescue because it was really just because of great timing and coincidence that a ship was passing through and saw them. 

“This is why safety equipment, such as beacons, are so important. As they give people a chance to notify us in the AMSA Response Centre that they are in distress and we can help coordinate a rescue. These gentlemen in this scenario were very lucky.”

Mark said that since moving to Canberra and working within the response centre, he had been very impressed with the diverse backgrounds all his fellow search and rescue officers have.

“One thing I would like people to know about the AMSA Response Centre is that the people who work here have had a lot of experience, either in the aviation industry or within the maritime industry. 

“It’s that experience that lends us to giving a very professional and very thoughtful response in emergency situations. 

“This job is really rewarding in that you are helping the community when they need you. There are some great stories that come out of it, great stories of survival but as well as that there are some not so great stories as well.”

Learn more about the AMSA Response Centre. 

As a recipient of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) tertiary scholarships, Mohammed Taslim of Fiji had the opportunity to study at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden to complete a master’s degree. 

Back in Fiji, Mohammed works for the Maritime Safety Authority Fiji (MSAF) which is connected to Fiji National University (FNU) and also part of the institute where he works. The institute is currently managed by Sri Lanka’s, Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College CINEC. CINEC have managed the institute for six years and Mohammed’s training at the WMU will enable him to integrate a level of expertise including strategic planning particularly in the area of e-learning education and training. 

Studying in Sweden was not without its difficulties—language was a clear barrier initially and the culture itself required a big adjustment—however, Mohammed used this experience to build confidence as well as new language skills in Arabic. Mohammed was also a part of the student association at the WMU and published a number of articles in the student life magazine providing a platform for him to share his insights with academic peers. Although being far from home was challenging, support was never far away.  

‘I have a small daughter, she will be turning four and I missed her and my wife very much. I was away for fourteen months but the good thing was when we arrived in Sweden we were assigned Swedish parents so they became like my Mum and Dad. Whenever I felt lonely and needed help, they were always there for me. For me it was very good to have their support,’ Mohammed shares.

In Sweden, Mohammed focused his master’s studies in the area of e-learning, recognising online learning provides an opportunity for people who may not have access or the means to study face-to-face, to participate in academic learning. And in many cases, e-learning allows students to tailor their studies to their individual lifestyle and professional schedules. However Mohammed also understands academic studies in maritime studies should always have a balance of practical and theoretical training. 

‘At the moment in Fiji there is no online maritime training and education nor e-learning, it is all face-to-face for seafarers but in the near future we hope to offer online learning perhaps in the next twenty years,’ he said. 

Mohammed recognises there is great potential to diversify and expand online education in the maritime sector in Fiji and potentially within the Pacific region. He identifies the scope to promote participation from those already working as seafarers or in the maritime industry in Fiji. Master mariners and chief engineers tend to take positions sailing internationally as opposed to accepting roles as educators because of preferable work conditions abroad.

‘In Fiji, it is difficult to recruit qualified and competent seafarers to educate the next generation of students in Fiji. I would like to encourage young seafarers to take on academic studies in the formative stages of their career to increase their knowledge and expand their opportunities in the maritime sector in Fiji,’ he said. 

And no better way than to promote pathways for academic studies than to implement an e-learning module for seafarers to complete studies while they’re working in the field. Mohammed hopes to be a cog in the wheel of change in terms of devising and implementing online maritime academic education in Fiji. 

‘I see this as a wise long-term plan for young seafarers when they finish their career and perhaps complete their academic studies including a masters and/or PhD whilst continuing their career. And beyond their work as seafarers, they can apply their expertise as educators to the next generation of seafarers. 

‘In many areas, maritime education is competency based training therefore at some point you can provide lectures and online learning but for other areas of the training, practical learning and assessment is essential,’ he said. 

In other words, having the means to provide academic e-learning as a complimentary option for seafarers will ideally build an inclusive education opportunity. 

As I am photographing Mohammed, I notice a delicate pin attached to his suit jacket lapel and ask him what it symbolises, he is quick to share. 

‘The pin symbolises empowering women in the maritime community, this was also the theme for the World Maritime Day 2019 which addresses the gender gap in the maritime, ports, fishing and related industries. It represents a call to action from maritime and other stakeholders in support of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Goal 5 related to gender equality,’ he said. 

Mohammed’s studies have shaped him personally and will no doubt influence his future - the tyranny of distance for him was worth it. Beyond studies, his ambitions are to integrate technology to encourage academic e-learning. Mohammed views e-learning as an exciting avenue for positive progress and a clear pathway to build a professionalised culture in the maritime industry in Fiji and the Pacific region.

As Todd and Ricky logged on for their shift at Brisbane VTS on 9 June 2019, a crisis was already underway.

When colleagues working the previous shift had overheard on VHF traffic at 2:30 am that a tinnie had capsized about nine miles north-east of Caloundra Head, they had instigated the standard operating emergency procedures and involved the Queensland Water Police and Mooloolaba Coast Guard.

Todd Stewart recalled starting the shift with a gut wrenching feeling.

‘When I started my shift that day it was still pitch black and the search and rescue was already underway. We got briefed on the details―two men and a seven-year-old boy had been out there in the freezing water since 2:30 am. Helicopters and multiple search and rescue vessels were out there looking for the people,’ he said.

Taking over the shift with fresh eyes, Todd and Ricky immediately started reviewing the sitrep they had received from the Queensland Water Police and the information in the handover from the previous shift.

‘Our standard operating procedure for an emergency had been underway since the night before. It was just a case of collating all the information that had been handed over to us and developing a situational awareness of where all the rescue craft were, where the dinghy had first capsized and how we could help,’ Todd explained.

‘We went through the different options of what we could do and came up with the plan to contact the vessels out at anchor via VHF, to get them to keep a lookout for the people as light came with day break,’ Todd said. 

Todd and Ricky thought there could be a chance the two men and the boy or the debris of their boat may have ended up outside of the search area, so they contacted all the ships anchored in the Port Cartwright area, which was adjacent to the area being searched.

Incredibly, just 40 minutes later the Master of the North Sea oil tanker radioed Brisbane VTS and reported seeing in the morning twilight, what looked to be people in the water to the south of the ship.

‘When the ship called back to say they had spotted them, we directed the police launch over to the people straight away. The adrenaline was pumping, especially because it happened so fast,’ Todd said.

‘Shortly afterward the Queensland Water Police confirmed they had got the three people out of the water and were rushing them to hospital.’

‘Those two men and the seven-year-old boy had been treading water without life vests in freezing water and darkness for six hours by the time they were rescued.’

Every day of the year, VTS operators throughout Queensland are on the emergency VHF channel 16 maritime safety listening watch between from around 18:00 until 5:30 in the morning. No matter what sort of distress call—a Mayday, Securité or Pan Pan, from a dinghy through to a large ship—VTS responds.

In this case, the Brisbane VTS team had a profound impact on the outcome for those three people by calling on locally anchored ships to extend the search area of the Queensland Water Police and the Mooloolaba Coast Guard. 

The annual Australian VTS Award recognises an outstanding contribution by a VTS beyond their normal operational scope. 

Find out how to nominate for the Australian Vessel Traffic Service Award.