Navigating coastal waters

There are aids and rules for navigating Australian coastal waters, particularly in sensitive sea areas. Coastal pilots and vessel traffic services aid in preventing incidents and restrictions apply to operating commercial fishing and offshore exploration and production activities.

Coastal pilots

Become a coastal pilot, or find a coastal pilot to navigate safely through sensitive marine areas.

  • About coastal pilotage

    As a coastal pilot, you are a mariner with expertise in handling large ships in dangerous or…
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  • Navigation through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait

    Knowledge of regulations and duties will help you navigate safely on the seas.
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  • About the Queensland coastal passage plan

    The Queensland coastal passage plan (QCPP) seeks to improve pre-pilotage communications between…
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  • Under keel clearance management for coastal pilots

    Tutorials and fact sheets for coastal pilots about the under keel clearance management (UKCM)…
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  • Coastal pilot fatigue management

    You must manage fatigue properly to avoid major shipping incidents.
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  • Coastal pilotage review: 2008

    Information about the joint review of the delivery of coastal pilotage services in the Torres…
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  • Coastal pilotage exemptions

    A master or owner of a vessel may apply for an exemption from the requirement to navigate a vessel…
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Pilot advisory notes

Pilot advisory notes (PANs) inform coastal pilots.

  • Pilot advisory notes

    Pilot advisory notes provide guidance specific to coastal pilotage.
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  • Coastal pilot continuing professional development (CPD) framework update—advisory note

    This Pilot Advisory Note (PAN) updates AMSA-licensed coastal pilots and pilotage providers on the…
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  • Bridge resource management and the reduction of single person errors—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds coastal pilots of the importance of well executed Bridge Resource…
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  • Close proximity manoeuvres and overtaking situations in coastal pilotage areas—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds pilots about risks and obligations when manoeuvring in close proximity…
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  • Interactions between piloted vessels and fishing vessels—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds pilots about risks and obligations when interacting with vessels engaged…
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  • Please call pilot (PCP) positions and waypoint arrival alarms—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds coastal pilots of the importance of correctly placing ‘Please Call Pilot…
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  • Operational Pilot Guidance—advisory note

    This Pilot Advisory Note clarifies who AMSA considers to be the ‘Operational Pilot’ (and therefore…
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  • Definition of loaded vessel—advisory note

    This advisory note sets out AMSA’s position on the meaning of “loaded” for the purposes of…
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  • “All ships” VHF radio broadcasts—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds coastal pilots of the locations at which “All Ships” broadcasts should…
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  • AMSA fatigue risk management plan—advisory notice

    The purpose of this advisory note is to inform coastal pilots and pilotage providers of the…
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  • Pilot reporting procedures—advisory notice

    Clause 6 to Schedule 3 of Marine Order 54 (Coastal pilotage) 2014 (MO54) specifies requirements for…
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  • Use of mobile phones—advisory notice

    The purpose of this advisory note is to remind all AMSA licensed coastal pilots to be cognisant of…
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  • Incident reporting—advisory notice

    To provide guidance to coastal pilots and pilotage providers on incident reporting obligations…
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  • Tug and tow operations—coastal pilotage requirements—advisory note

    This advisory note informs coastal pilotage stakeholders about requirements for embarking AMSA-…
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  • Carriage of electronic charting systems by coastal pilots—advisory notice

    The purpose of this advisory note is to inform pilots and pilotage providers of AMSA’s requirements…
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  • Automatic shallow water alerts—advisory note

    This Pilot Advisory Note (PAN) reminds AMSA-licensed coastal pilots to contact REEFVTS if a planned…
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  • Access to reference materials and resources by coastal pilots—advisory note

    This advisory note reminds coastal pilots about the requirement to have access to appropriate…
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  • Depiction of charted information—electronic navigation chart vs paper chart—advisory note

    This Pilot Advisory Note (PAN) informs AMSA-licensed coastal pilots about circumstances where the…
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  • AIS Aids to Navigation

    The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a communication system that enables the automatic…
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  • Cyclone avoidance in coastal pilotage areas

    This Pilotage Advisory Note reminds AMSA-licensed coastal pilots about the importance of…
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  • Vessel-sourced sewage discharge restrictions in the Great Barrier Reef marine park and Torres Strait—advisory note

    This advisory note provides guidance to coastal pilots about vessel-sourced sewage discharge…
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  • Under Keel Clearance Management (UKCM)—regulatory framework and system usage update

    This Pilot Advisory Note (PAN) updates coastal pilots and pilotage providers on:
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  • Coastal pilot license issue and renewal—advisory note

    This advisory note is reminds all AMSA-licensed coastal pilots of the procedure to issue or renew…
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  • Counterfeit pilot ladders and certificates—advisory note

    This Pilot Advisory Note (PAN) advises AMSA-licensed coastal pilots and pilotage providers about…
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  • Portable pilot units

    This pilot advisory note (PAN) provides guidance to coastal pilots and coastal pilotage providers…
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  • Vessel speed reduction in the vicinity of Poruma Island (Torres Strait) - advisory note

    This pilot advisory note seeks the cooperation of masters and AMSA-licensed coastal pilots to…
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Vessel traffic services

As the competent authority for vessel traffic services (VTS) in Australia, we ensure that VTS providers operate in accordance with Marine Order 64 (Vessel traffic services).

  • Australian legislative framework for VTS

    We are responsible for leading national policy on vessel traffic services (VTS).
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  • VTS areas in Australia

    We authorise and audit vessel traffic service (VTS) providers in Australia.
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  • VTS training organisations

    A training organisation must apply to be accredited to provide approved VTS training.
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  • VTS providers

    An entity must apply to be authorised to provide a vessel traffic service.
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  • VTS compliance and enforcement framework

    1 PurposeThis page outlines the compliance and enforcement framework
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  • Qualifications and training for VTS personnel

    Guidance for VTS providers on the qualifications and training of VTS personnel in Australia.
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  • Communication with VTS stakeholders

    We engage on VTS matters both at a national and international level.
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Local port services

In waterways where the volume of traffic or the degree of risk does not justify establishing a VTS, a local port service may be adopted to coordinate information between vessels, port operators and other stakeholders.

Particularly sensitive sea areas

Environmentally fragile areas such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait are considered particularly sensitive sea areas. We have mandatory regulations you must follow when navigating through these areas.

  • Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and Coral Sea

    A particularly sensitive sea area (PSSA) is given special protection because of its vulnerability…
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  • Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait vessel traffic service

    The Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait vessel traffic service (REEFVTS) improves the safety and…
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  • Coastal pilotage in environmentally fragile areas

    Mandatory coastal pilotage is a protective measure used in environmentally fragile or areas…
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  • IMO documents for particularly sensitive sea areas

    IMO guidelines about Australia's particularly sensitive sea areas—the Great Barrier Reef, Torres…
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  • Marine navigation

    We are responsible for providing navigational systems and services to facilitate the safe and…
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  • Torres Strait maps

    Two way route in Torres Strait and the Torres Strait particularly sensitive sea area (PSSA).
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  • Tide tables

    Tide tables and predictions for the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef are available from the…
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Commercial fishing

There are limitations on where commercial fishing vessels are allowed to undertake voyages in and around Australian coastal areas.

  • Commercial fishing vessels travelling in the exclusive economic zone

    Domestic commercial fishing vessels may transit between the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around…
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Offshore activities

All offshore exploration and production titleholders must consult with us before conducting activities so we can assess the implications to the safety of marine navigation.