Since 2006, we have provided an emergency towing vessel in the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef to protect the marine environment.

Shipping containers lost from ships are a cause of pollution in the marine environment.

On 3 August 1999 the Laura D’Amato, a 96,121 DWT Italian registered oil tanker, was berthed alongside at the Shell Gore Bay terminal in Sydney discharging its cargo of Murban light crude oil.

The 273rd meeting of the Board was held on Wednesday, 25 June 2025 in Canberra, ACT.

An unexpected wind-shift during parasailing operations caused 2 airborne passengers to contact the water at speed. They were recovered by the vessel and returned to shore. Both passengers later informed the operator that they had sustained injuries during the event. The owner then failed to report this as a marine incident to us.

Safeguard your vessel and operation with an active maintenance plan.

There is increasing use of remotely operated and autonomous technology in Australia and worldwide across a range of fields.

We have diverse teams operating all around Australia.

On 6 October 2022, two crewmembers were setting cray pots on the port and starboard side of a fishing vessel. During one setting, the crewmember’s foot (on the port side) became entangled in the cray pot’s rope dragging them over the side. The second crewmember raised the alarm and the master immediately stopped the vessel and instructed the crewmember to attach the line to the pot winch. The master and crewmember, having conducted regular emergency procedure drills, quickly raised the person overboard (PoB) via the pot winch, deployed the overboard ladder, and cut the rope. The PoB sustained some water in the lungs but was otherwise unharmed.

Our senior management team runs the day-to-day operations and keeps our Board informed.

Guidance for mariners and port stakeholders on the difference between a vessel traffic service (VTS) and a local port service.

This marine notice supersedes Marine Notice 10/2022.

The 276th meeting of the Board was held on Thursday, 20 November 2025, in Canberra, ACT.

We represent Australia in international organisations on maritime, aviation and search and rescue issues.

In this edition we provide advice on how to send us large files, what to do if you receive a complaint about a survey, provide guidance on battery safety, and more.

The Vessel Traffic Services Advisory Group (VTSAG) discusses matters relating to Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) in Australia.