Coastal Pilotage - Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait - Risk Alert 95

The Club wish to bring to the attention of Members a recently published reminder from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority about the coastal pilotage requirements that apply within the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (per Marine Order 54 (Coastal pilotage) 2014 (MO54)).

The alert reminds vessel masters, owners and operators about the coastal pilotage areas, coastal pilotage area definitions and their boundaries and on the process for any Pilotage Exemption requests.

Vessels over 70 meters in length, loaded oil tankers, loaded chemical carriers, and loaded liquefied gas carriers (irrespective of length) are required to embark a licensed coastal pilot when transiting any of the prescribed compulsory coastal pilotage areas (Navigation Act 2012). 

Significant penalties may apply for navigating in any of the coastal pilotage areas without an AMSA-licensed coastal pilot onboard.

Further information is available on the AMSA website:

Navigation through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (amsa.gov.au)

Coastal pilotage exemptions (amsa.gov.au)

Under keel clearance management (amsa.gov.au)

About coastal pilotage (amsa.gov.au)