Marine safety legislation was updated on 16th August, 2004.
After 10 years, extensive changes have been made to the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation in response to administrative and industry requirements.
Since the change from prescriptive to performance based legislation in 1994, the maritime industry has seen many changes as it has been encouraged to become more flexible and innovative.
In reviewing the previous regulation, Maritime Safety Queensland sought input from commercial maritime and fishing industries and recreational boating organizations throughout the state.
Input was also invited from federal and state government maritime authorities, education and enforcement agencies, the boating public and other interested community groups.
The results of this consultation showed some areas of the legislation could be fine-tuned to be more flexible and that other parts have been difficult to administer and enforce.
In response, the regulation has been overhauled and completely replaced by the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2004.
In some cases, the new regulation requires a more prescriptive approach towards safety. In cases where regulations have been difficult to comply with for technical reasons, these have been amended to give industry and vessel operators more flexibility.
For example, one of the major changes in the new regulation deals with crew competencies. While there are certificates of competency issued for mates, masters and engineers, there has been no formal training requirement for deckhands.
New shipboard safety training requirements will require deckhands of a commercial or fishing ship to complete the training course "Occupational Health and Safety at Sea" if the person remains a crew member for more than 6 months.
The regulation also requires short-term crew members to complete a safety induction course approved by Maritime Safety Queensland.
These new training requirements will improve the knowledge and skills of deckhands to assist in the safe operation of a boat.
New radio monitoring regulation requires fishing vessels to be fitted with a loudspeaker to the after deck as an aid to monitoring VHF radio transmissions and maintaining a proper lookout.
Another change affects capacity labels, which have been designed to alert operators to the number of people a boat can safely carry in good conditions.
Under the new regulation, capacity labels for registrable recreational vessels are now compulsory.
On an administrative level, the previous requirements for licensing and registration of recreational boats were not complementary. Under the new regulation, a licence will be required to operate recreational vessels powered by a motor of over 4.5 kilowatts (6 HP), irrespective of their hull design or speed capability.
This extension of licensing requirements will enhance safety on the state's waterways through improved levels of operator competency and safety awareness.
Some provisions of the new regulation will come into effect one year later to give those affected by the changes time to comply with the new requirements.
The new regulation will ensure that Queensland remains at the forefront in terms of maritime safety, standards and practices.
Further information is available on the | Maritime Safety Qld. | website .