The Great Barrier Reef and
Torres Strait Vessel Traffic
Service (REEFVTS)
REEFVTS
An initiative of the
Australian and Queensland
Governments to:
• Enhance navigational safety
• Reduce the risk of ship
sourced pollution and
damage to the marine
environment, and
• Provide an ability to respond
more quickly in the event of
any safety or pollution
incident
REEFVTS
• Mandatory for:
– All ships of 50 meters or greater in length.
– All oil tankers, liquefied gas carriers, chemical tankers
or ships coming within the INF Code, regardless of
length.
– Ships engaged in towing or pushing.
• Other vessels are encouraged to participate
on a voluntary basis.
REEFVTS
Two major components:
1. A mandatory Ship Reporting System
• Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Ship Reporting
System (REEFREP), and
2. Monitoring and surveillance systems
•
•
•
Radar
Automatic Identification System (AIS)
Long Range Identification and Tracking (Automated
Position Reporting via Inmarsat C)
The Great Barrier Reef and Torres
Strait Vessel Traffic Service
Information Service -
a service to
ensure that essential information becomes
available in time for on-board navigational
decision-making.
Navigational Assistance Service - a
service to assist on-board navigational
decision-making and to monitor its effects.
REEFVTS – Key Elements
¾Key Elements to Delivery of Service
9Input data
9Integration / Display
9Monitoring / Decision Making
9Communication / Interaction
Input Data
Positional Data
1. LRIT (Inmarsat C)
Onboard
equipment
•
All vessels are remotely programmed to forward position
reports at regular intervals (15 minutes) or on demand
•
Provides a ‘near real time’ picture of where vessels are
throughout the region
Input Data
Positional Data
2. AIS
• Close track monitoring
in key areas
– Position reporting interval
ranges from 2 seconds to 3
minutes
• Base Stations
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Penrith Island
Hay Point
Mt Yarrabah
Pelorus Island
Hammond Island
Sue Island
Cape Flattery
Dalrymple Island
Lockhart River
Archer Point
• Repeaters
– Booby Island
– Cairncross
– Pipon Island
Input Data
Positional Data
3. Radar
Radars are situated at the
major entry and exit points to
the great barrier reef region,
including:
–
–
–
–
–
Prince of Wales Channel
Great North East Channel
Grafton Passage
Palm Passage
Hydrographers Passage
Input Data
Other Data
• Expected Voyage Information
– Pilot Booking Information from Coastal Pilot
Companies (2-5 days prior to transit)
• Vessel Details and Transit Information
– Pre-Entry Report
– Entry Report
– Route Plan Report
– Route Deviation Report
– Defect Report
– Final Report
Integration / Display
Positional data is integrated and displayed on a
single application to the duty VTSO
Currently up to 4 million position reports
processed daily
Replay
Integration / Display
The Traffic Information Module (TIM) provides
a focal point for the data inputs
and display of information
Monitoring / Display
Ship Traffic Information
•
Integrates Radar, AIS and APR
•
Utilises Passage Plan data
•
Analyses (Encounter Predictions, etc)
Monitoring / Display
Route
Monitoring
Monitoring / Display
Route Monitoring
1. Critical waypoints
2. Electronic Corridors
3. Shallow Water
Areas
Coral Reef
Replay
Communications
Communications •
Ship to Shore
Most ships also now meet their reporting obligations via Inmarsat C.
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–
–
–
–
–
Pre-Entry Report
Entry Report
Route Plan Report
Route Deviation Report
Defect Report
Final Report
REEFVTS/PER//
A/LAURIERGRACHT/PFNG/8611128//
B/160230UTC//
C/1026S/14055E//
H/160630UTC/1032S/14146E//
K/161700UTC/bramble//
M/INMARSAT-C/424446811/SAILOR
h2095C//
Example Pre-Entry Report from a vessel
Communications
Communications - Shore to Ship
Expected STI (EST):
• Most ships choose to
Meet SILVER ZHANG (P) in your area now
receive STI via Inmarsat
Overtake ENDEAVOUR RIVER (P) at 10
C.
1215
Meet FAR EASTERN SILO (P) at 10 1240
Meet GLORIOUS HALO (P) at 10 1325
Light altered Auscoast warning 340 at 10
30s 142 13e
Nardana Patches Buoy replaced by Beacon
Example Ship Traffic Information forwarded to a Vessel
Communications – Allied
Services
Advising pilot
companies about
vessels approaching
pilot boarding
grounds
•
•
S
S
Communications – Allied
Services
Advising pilot companies about vessels approaching pilot boarding
grounds
Potential use of Fisheries
VMS Data to Enhance
Navigational Safety
Potential use of Fisheries
VMS Data
2005
Coronial Inquiry
(FV Starmist)
Recommendation
b. That VMS be integrated into MSQ’s VTM system as quickly as possible to
provide continuous monitoring of the position and status of fishing vessels
2002
Coroners findings and decision
(FV Eastern Leader)
Recommendation
MSQ should “fast track” legislation to allow the licensed Authority exercising
control of the VMS data to release that information to recognised Air and Sea
Rescue Authorities including the Queensland Water Police, in circumstances
where an Air and Sea Rescue has been initiated
2001
Assessment of Ship Safety
Controls in the Torres Strait and
Great Barrier Reef, p39
…… REEFREP could provide an enhanced service by:
x Advising ships in their system of any concentration of fishing vessels and
additional back-up assistance regarding fishing patterns, movements and
presence
x Advising the fishing industry about ship movements
2001
Review of Great Barrier Reef
Ship Safety and Pollution
Prevention Measures
… the review supported current action to integrate fishing vessel data into the
Ship Reporting System shipping data
x Advice from pilots and fishers is that the availability of near real time
information on concentrations of fishing vessels (and conversely of ship
movements) would reduce the risk of collision.
2000
Oil Spill Risk Assessment for the
Coastal Waters of Queensland
and the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park
…. To Improve the interaction between ships and fishing vessels, there is a
strong case for VMS data to be transmitted to REEFCENTRE. This will assist
REEFCENTRE to monitor the location of fishing vessels, identification and
concentration of fishing vessels and subsequent alerting of ships in the SRS
network (P. 40).
Recommendation 3 - …. VMS data for fishing vessels should be relayed to
REEFCENTRE to improve interaction between ships and fishing vessels.
1994
Trippett Shedden Report
Recommendation 5.6.2 - It is recommended that AMSA liaise (with fisheries
agencies) to coordinate the position reporting of fishing vessels to optimise the
requirements of both organisations, with the objective of obtaining display
Potential use of Fisheries
VMS Data
The release of VMS data from the Department of
Primary Industries and Fisheries relied on an
amendment to the Transport Operations (Marine
Safety) Act 1994.
Potential use of Fisheries
VMS Data
Workshops with Stakeholders
1. The application of VMS information to accurately
predict vessel encounters in the same manner as
undertaken for shipping transiting the region is limited
•
position reporting interval of individual VMS fishing vessels,
•
the inherent nature of fishing activity, and
•
the absence of passage plans.
2. Two key areas were identified whereby VMS could be
utilised by REEFVTS. These include:
•
•
Emergency/close quarter situations
Greater situational awareness
Potential use of Fisheries
VMS Data
THANKYOU