C

Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait

Vessel Traffic Service
Reef VTS User Guide

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© State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads) 2025

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Important
Reef Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) relies on the reports that it receives from ships. The
information used by Reef VTS is only as accurate as the information that is given in these
reports.
Reef VTS may not know about all the hazards in the region and ships may encounter unreported
hazards at any time. Any hazards should be reported to Reef VTS immediately.
The master of a ship is responsible for the ship’s operation and is responsible for the safe
navigation of the ship under all circumstances.
The information provided within this document is a guide only and does not replace any rules in
the Navigation Act 2012 which apply to waters within the Reef VTS area. Any ship, owner,
operator, charterer, master, or person directing the movement of a ship must follow all relevant
laws or regulations and must take any precaution required by ordinary seamanship or the special
circumstances of the case. Neither the Commonwealth of Australia nor the State of Queensland
accept any responsibility for any decision made by any master or crew member.
If there is any difference between the information in this guide and the relevant laws, the relevant
laws should be followed.

For more information

For any questions about this document or suggested improvements, please contact:
Maritime Safety Queensland
Email: [email protected]
Address: PO Box 2595, Brisbane, Qld, 4001

Publishing details
First Edition – December 2004
Previous Edition – January 2022
Current Edition – January 2025

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Contents

Creative Commons information

Important

For more information

Publishing details

Contents

Table of Tables

1. Definitions

2. Purpose

3. Introduction

4. Reef VTS
4.1 Authority

5. Reef VTS area

5.1 Reporting to Reef VTS
5.1.1 General obligation
5.1.2 Voluntary reporting
5.1.3 Warships, navy auxiliaries, and government ships

6. Master’s responsibilities
6.1 Failure to report to Reef VTS

7. Communication
7.1 VHF radio
7.2 Inmarsat-C
7.3 Other communications

8. Mandatory reporting requirements

8.1 Standard reporting codes reference table
8.2 Reef VTS reporting
8.2.1 Entry Report (ER)

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8.2.2 Final Report (FR)
8.2.3 Route Deviation Report (DR)
8.2.4 Intermediate Position Report (IP)
8.2.5 Defect Report (IR)
8.2.6 Route Information
8.3 Passenger ship reporting requirements.
8.4 Outer ports and anchorages

9. Ship encounter information

9.1 Provision of SEI
9.1.1 SEI message
9.1.2 How to interpret SEI
9.1.3 New or changed information
9.1.4 SEI updates
9.2 Maritime safety information
9.3 Responding to developing unsafe situations

10. Other rules and regulations

10.1 Coastal Pilotage
10.2 Under Keel Clearance Management
10.3 Designated Shipping Areas
10.4 Standard route plans
10.5 Pollution Reporting

11. Chartlets
11.1 Reef VTS area
11.2 Reef VTS areas North and South
11.3 SEI North
11.4 SEI South
11.5 SEI Central
11.6 AMSA Coastal pilotage and designated shipping area
11.7 VHF coverage
11.8 VHF channel overview
11.9 VHF channel 14 – Torres Strait to Cape York
11.10 VHF channel 11 – Cape Flattery to Mourilyan
11.11 VHF channel 14 – Lucinda to Abbot Point
11.12 VHF channel 11 – Whitsundays and Hydrographers Passage
11.13 VHF channel 14 – Swain to Sandy Cape

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Table of Tables
Table 1 - Reef VTS working channels
Table 2 - Standard reporting format
Table 3 - Example ER report
Table 4 - Example FR report
Table 5 - Example DR report
Table 6 - Example IP report
Table 7 - Example IR report
Table 8 - Outer ports and anchorages
Table 9 - Example SEI message
Table 10 - Example MSI message

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1. Definitions

AIS Automatic Identification System

AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority

APR Automated Position Reporting

CPA Compulsory Pilotage Area

GNEC Great North East Channel

GBRMPA Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

IMO International Maritime Organization

IMN Inmarsat Mobile Number

JRCC Joint Rescue Coordination Centre

Length of The distance between the stern of the towing vessel and the after end of the tow
tow

MASTREP The Modernised Australian Ship Tracking and Reporting System

MSI Maritime Safety Information

MSQ Maritime Safety Queensland

Navigation The Australian Government’s Navigation Act 2012

Act

REEFREP The Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Ship Reporting System

Reef VTS The Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic Service

SEI Ship Encounter Information

TMR Department of Transport and Main Roads

UKCM Under Keel Clearance Management

VTS Vessel Traffic Service

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2. Purpose
The purpose of this guide is to assist masters of ships transiting the Reef VTS area on the
services provided by Reef VTS. The guide describes:
 The regulatory requirements for ships entering and transiting through the Reef VTS Area,
including the mandatory reporting procedures, recommended shipping routes and
compulsory pilotage areas;
 Contact and communication requirements; and
 The vessel traffic services provided by Reef VTS.
The master of a ship is responsible for the ship’s operation and is responsible for the safe
navigation of the ship under all circumstances.
The information provided in the Reef VTS User Guide is a guide only. Any ship, owner, operator,
charterer, master, or person directing the movement of a ship must still follow all relevant laws and
regulations and must take any precautions required by ordinary seamanship or by the special
circumstances of the case.

3. Introduction
The environmental and cultural significance of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait regions are
internationally recognised. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established in 1975 and was
added to the World Heritage list in 1981. In 1990, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
named the Great Barrier Reef as the world’s first Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). The IMO
also named the Torres Strait as a PSSA in 2005.

4. Reef VTS
Reef VTS is the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic Service and was established
by the Queensland and Australian Governments in 2004.
Reef VTS operates 24 hours a day from the Townsville and Gladstone VTS centres. Reef VTS
uses information from many sources to monitor the movements of participating vessels for
example, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Radar, Automated Position Reports (APR) via
Inmarsat C, VHF and the passage plans that vessels provide to Reef VTS.
The purpose of Reef VTS is to:
 Make navigation in Torres Strait and the inner route of the Great Barrier Reef safer by
working with shipping to give the best possible information on potential traffic conflicts and
other navigational information;
 Minimise the risk of maritime accidents, and therefore avoid the pollution and damage
which such accidents can cause to the marine environment in the Great Barrier Reef and
Torres Strait; and
 Assist with quick response if a safety or pollution incident does occur.
To assist with the safe navigation of ships, Reef VTS:

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  Provides timely and relevant information on factors that may influence the ships movements
and assist the onboard decision making;
 Monitors and manages ship traffic to ensure the safety and efficiency of ships transiting the
Reef VTS area;
 Responds to requests for information, such as ship traffic and maritime safety information;
and
 Responds to developing unsafe situations within the Reef VTS area.
Reef VTS is operated by Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) as the VTS Provider authorised by
the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) under Marine Order 64 (Vessel Traffic Services).

4.1 Authority
The Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Ship Reporting System (REEFREP) was established as
a mandatory ship reporting system under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS Regulation V/11). REEFREP was formally adopted by the IMO’s Maritime Safety
Committee in Resolution MSC.52(66), and later amended by Resolutions MSC.161(78) and
MSC.315(88).
The Navigation Act gives the general power to make regulations to implement SOLAS (s339) and
the related power to make Australian Marine Orders (s342). The laws about mandatory ship
reporting are based on these powers. Marine Order 63 (Vessel Reporting Systems) states that
ships which are required to report to Reef VTS must do so whether they are voyaging overseas,
between states or within one state. Reef VTS manages and operates REEFREP.

5. Reef VTS area

The Reef VTS area is divided into two regions, Reef VTS North and Reef VTS South. The Reef
VTS areas are separated at Latitude 18° 00.00' South (see section 11.2).

5.1 Reporting to Reef VTS

5.1.1 General obligation
The following categories of ships must report to Reef VTS:
 All ships with an overall length of 50 metres or more;
 All oil tankers, liquefied gas carriers, chemical tankers or ships coming within the Irradiated
Nuclear Fuel Code, including those with an overall length of less than 50 metres; and
 Ships which are towing or pushing, or being towed or pushed, or where the overall length of
the tow is 150 meters or more (the overall length of the tow is measured from the stern of
the towing vessel to the after end of the tow).

For further information on reporting requirement to Reef VTS please see Division 1, Section 6
(Application), Sub Section 2 of Marine Order 63 (Vessel Reporting Systems).

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5.1.2 Voluntary reporting

Other vessels transiting the Reef VTS area may report on a voluntary basis as defined in this user
guide.

5.1.3 Warships, navy auxiliaries, and government ships

SOLAS Regulation V/11 does not apply to any warship, naval auxiliary, or any ship owned or
operated by Government; however, SOLAS does state that “such ships are encouraged to
participate in ship reporting systems”.
The Australian Government fully supports this approach, and all ships of the Royal Australian
Navy are encouraged to participate in REEFREP on a voluntary basis, along with other ships
owned or operated by the Australian Government.

6. Master’s responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the ship’s master while in the Reef VTS area to:
 Follow all ship reporting requirements (as per section 8);
 Confirm that information from Reef VTS has been received when asked to do so;
 Respond appropriately to all information, warnings, and advice given by Reef VTS;
 Keep a listening watch on Reef VTS VHF working channels;
 Make sure that the Inmarsat C terminal is logged into the Pacific Ocean Region (POR) at all
times;
 To ensure that the AIS is transmitting the correct data for the vessel; and
 As soon as possible, notify Reef VTS of any:
- incident/accident affecting the ship’s safety;
- incident/accident affecting safety of navigation;
- defects affecting the ships safety or navigation
- circumstances that may cause pollution;
- pollutants/containers/packages drifting;
- change to route plan.
Correct reporting is essential to enable Reef VTS to monitor the safe navigation of ships
through the Reef VTS area. A full description of reporting requirements can be found in Marine
Order 63 (Vessel Reporting Systems) and Marine Order 64 (Vessel Traffic Services).

6.1 Failure to report to Reef VTS

Any master, or officer of the watch at the time who fails to follow the required reporting
procedures, or who deliberately transmits information, which is incorrect, false, or misleading, will
have committed an offence and may be fined if convicted.

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Section 215 and 216 of the Navigation Act 2012 makes it an offence for a person to fail to report
the required information or provide false or misleading information. The penalty is up to 240
penalty units (presently A$53,280) or a civil penalty of 2,400 penalty units (presently A$532,800).

7. Communication
Communication with Reef VTS is in English, using IMO’s Standard Marine Communication
Phrases. The means of communication can be using VHF radio (voice), mobile satellite service
(Inmarsat-C) or other communications (telephone or email).

7.1 VHF radio

Reef VTS can be contacted 24 hours a day on either VHF Channel 11 or 14 (radio call sign – Reef
VTS). The VHF channel to be used will depend on the ship’s position as shown in the following
table and in section 11.8.

Latitude From: Latitude to: VHF Channel

9° 00’ S 13° 30’ S 14

13° 30’ S 18° 00’ S 11
18° 00’ S 20° 00’ S 14
20° 00’ S 21° 40’ S 11
21° 30’ S 24° 30’ S 14
Table 1 - Reef VTS working channels

VHF coverage is limited in some areas. Please use Inmarsat-C messaging and email in the areas
between:
 Inset (J) and Heath (K) – LADS Passage and Fairway Channel;
 Swain (Z1) and Archer (Z2) – Offshore from Gladstone in the SE area.

7.2 Inmarsat-C
Reef VTS will pay the cost of messages sent by Inmarsat-C if the ship uses a Special Access
Code (SAC). Use SAC 862 for North entry exit points or SAC 863 for Southern entry/exit points
via POR LES 212. Inmarsat-C terminals must be logged into the Pacific Ocean Region (POR).

7.3 Other communications

If for any reason a ship cannot communicate via Inmarsat-C or the VHF working channel, the ship
must send the required information to Reef VTS in another way. The ship can use one of the
following:
 Telephone number: +61 1300 721 293;
 By email: [email protected] or [email protected] depending

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 on location within the Reef VTS area (see section 11.2)
If a ship’s radio equipment fails and the ship cannot send the required reports to Reef VTS, the
failure must be recorded in the ship’s radio logbook or the official logbook.

8. Mandatory reporting requirements

A ship must provide the following reports to Reef VTS:
 Entry Report (ER); and
 Final Report (FR).
Reef VTS must receive an ER at least one (1) hour before a ship:
 Enters the REEFREP area; or
 Departs from a port within the REEFREP area.
When applicable, ships must also provide the following reports:
 Route Deviation Report (DR);
 Intermediate Position Report (IP); and
 Defect Report (IR).
Reporting ships are to submit their reports by VHF radio (voice), email or mobile satellite service
(Inmarsat-C) using the following SAC for each region.
SAC 862 North region – All ports and entry/exit points north of Lat 18° 00.000S
Main Ports include – Thursday Island, Cook Town, Cape Flattery, Cairns, and Mourilyan. Main
entry/exit points include - Booby, Endeavour, Bramble, and Grafton Passage.
SAC 863 South region – All ports and reporting points south of Lat 18° 00.000S
Main Ports include – Lucinda, Townsville, Abbot Point. Mackay, Hay Point, Port Alma, and
Gladstone. Main entry/exit points include – Palm Passage Blossom, Swain, and Sandy Cape.

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8.1 Standard reporting codes reference table
ID Message Type (ER, FR, DR, IP, or IR)

A Ship name, call sign and IMO number

B Date and time (UTC)
C Current Position – (Latitude and longitude in degrees and minutes)
E Course – (True course)
F Speed – (The planned speed of the ship in knots and tenths of a knot)
G Last Port of Call / Port departing from
(If entering the Reef VTS area for the first time, state the last port of call. If departing from a
port within the Reef VTS area, the name of that port)
H Date, time (UTC) and point of entry to Reef VTS area
(Either the name of the entry point or the position (latitude and longitude) of entry of the Reef
VTS area)
I Next Port of Call – (Name of the next port of call date and time in UTC)
J Pilot company details – (Provide the pilot company name)
K Date, time (UTC) and point of exit from area
(Either the name of the point leaving the area, or the position (latitude and longitude) of exit)
L Route information – (Recommended standard route plans, taking into account vessel
draught)

M Communication methods
(Primary Inmarsat C details: IMN, manufacturer and model, ship’s satellite phone number)
O Draught – (Fore and aft and deepest draught, in meters and decimeters)
P Cargo on-board
(Give the normal name of cargo and state whether it is classified as hazardous (yes or no).
Note: If required, this information may be given by non-voice means before the first Reef VTS
report.
Q Defects, damage, deficiencies, or other limitations
(Describe details of any damage, failure or breakdown, collision, grounding, fire, explosion,
structural failure, flooding, cargo shifting; failure or breakdown of steering gear, propulsion
plant, electrical generating system, essential shipboard navigational equipment)
R Pollution/dangerous goods lost overboard
(Give brief details of the type of pollution (oil, chemicals and so on) or dangerous goods lost
overboard and state the ship’s position)
U Ship type, length (meters) and gross tonnage
(Give details of the ship, including ship type, length (meters) and gross tonnage)
X Remarks
(Give any additional information which would help the navigational safety of shipping in the
Reef VTS area, for example, abnormal weather; faulty navigational aid; or any Dangerous
Goods (DG), Harmful Substances (HS) or Marine Pollution (MP) incident reports).

Table 2 - Standard reporting format

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8.2 Reef VTS reporting
8.2.1 Entry Report (ER)
The following information must be provided to Reef VTS at least one hour before a vessel enters
the Reef VTS area or departing from a port within the Reef VTS area (* denotes mandatory
requirement for ER).

ID Information Required Example

ID Message Type ID/ER

A* Ship name, call sign and IMO number A/HAPPY SAILOR/ABCD/1234567
B* Date and time (UTC) B/010200UTC
C* Current Position C/1120S/14430E or Cairns
F* Speed F/13.5
Ships planned average speed
G* Last Port of Call / Port Departing from G/Singapore, or, G/Hay Point
within the Reef VTS area
H* Date, time (UTC) and point of entry to Reef H/010400UTC/BOOBY or H/1030S14120E
VTS Area
I* Next Port of Call and ETA UTC I/Gladstone/050500UTC NOV 16
J Pilot Company Details J/Torres Pilots or J/Auriga
Give the pilot company name
K* Date, time (UTC) and point of exit from area K/042100UTC/SANDY CAPE or
K/042100UTC/2420S 15110E
L* Route information L/INNER ROUTE DEEP DRAUGHT
See section 11 of this guide for or L/ALPHA NORTH VIA VARZIN
recommended route plans PASSAGE/HANNIBAL
M* Communication methods M1/423456789/JRC/JUE- 85C or
Inmarsat C details, IMN, manufacturer, M2/870773123456
mode, and ship’s satellite phone number
O* Draught O/Fore 11.6/Aft 11.8/Deepest 11.8
P* Cargo on-board P/BULK CHEMICALS/ DG YES
Q* Defects, damage, deficiencies, or other Q/Include details as required
limitations
U* Ship type, length (meters) and gross U/TANKER/180/28000
tonnage
X Remarks X/Include details as required

Table 3 - Example ER report

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8.2.2 Final Report (FR)
The following information must be provided to Reef VTS immediately on exiting the Reef VTS area
or arriving at a port in the Reef VTS area (* denotes a mandatory requirement for FR).

ID Information Required Example

ID Message Type ID/FR
A* Ship name, call sign and IMO number A/HAPPY SAILOR/ ABCD/1234567
K* Date, time (UTC) and point of exit from K/042100UTC/Hay Point, or
area K/042100UTC/2420S 15110E

Table 4 - Example FR report

8.2.3 Route Deviation Report (DR)

If the ship needs to deviate from the Route Plan which was given to Reef VTS on entry to the Reef
VTS area, this should be reported to Reef VTS before the deviation is made. In situations where a
deviation is made without much warning, a DR report should be sent to Reef VTS within 15
minutes after the deviation made (* denotes mandatory requirement for DR).

ID Information Required Example

ID Message Type ID/FR
A* Ship name, call sign and IMO number A/HAPPY SAILOR/ ABCD/1234567
B* Date, time (UTC) B/010200UTC
I Next Port of Call and ETA I/Gladstone/050500UTC NOV 16
K* Date, time (UTC) and point of exit from K/042100UTC/Hay Point, or
area K/042100UTC/2420S 15110E
L* Route information L/INNER ROUTE DEEP DRAUGHT
See section 11 of this guide for or
recommended route plans L/ALPHA NORTH VIA VARZIN PASSAGE/
HANNIBAL
O* Draught O/Fore 11.6/Aft 11.8/Deepest 11.8

Table 5 - Example DR report

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8.2.4 Intermediate Position Report (IP)
Where Reef VTS advises that the ship’s position is being tracked by sensors then an IP is not
required. If the ship’s position is not being tracked by sensors, then a brief position report must be
provided to Reef VTS. Where required, provide the following information for an IP (* denotes
mandatory requirement for IP).

ID Information required Example

ID Message Type ID/IP
A* Ship name, call sign and IMO number A/HAPPY SAILOR/ ABCD/1234567
B Date and time (UTC) B/010200UTC
C* Current Position C/1120S/14430E
F* Speed – ships planned average speed F/13.5

Table 6 - Example IP report

8.2.5 Defect Report (IR)

Provide the following information for an IR immediately if a ship suffers damage, failure or
breakdown which affects the ship’s safety, or, immediately if there is pollution or cargo lost
overboard, or, special reports as defined by the IMO for incidents involving dangerous goods,
harmful substances or marine pollutants (* denotes mandatory requirement for IR).

ID Information Required Example

ID Message Type ID/FR
A* Ship name, call sign and IMO number A/HAPPY SAILOR/ ABCD/1234567
C* Current Position C/1120S/14430E
F* Speed - Ships planned average speed F/13.5
Defects, damage, deficiencies, or other Q/Include details as required
Q* limitations

Table 7 - Example IR report

8.2.6 Route Information

Provide standard route plan details as set out in section 10.4. Any pre-planned variation from the
standard route should be provided to Reef VTS when entering the Reef VTS area.

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8.3 Passenger ship reporting requirements.
Passenger ships routinely depart the Reef VTS area into ports and anchorages. They also depart
and enter the Reef VTS area via passages either to reach offshore destinations, or to access
waters beyond the Territorial Sea for discharging black and grey water. Masters of passenger
ships must comply with the below:
 Ships entering the Reef VTS area from a port or anchorage are to provide an ER on each
occasion. Similarly ships departing the Reef VTS area are to provide a FR.
 Ships anchored within the Reef VTS area and outside of port limits will be considered to be
still on a reef voyage. The ship will not receive Ship Encounter Information (SEI) whilst at
anchor and will be required to notify Reef VTS when underway,
 Ships entering the Reef VTS area on a northerly or southerly track between Swains Reef
and Sandy Cape will be exempt from providing an Entry Report and Final Report providing
their intention is not to re-enter the Reef VTS area, such ships will not be provided with SEI.
 Multiple legs or advice of voyage intentions may be provided to Reef VTS in a separate
email.

8.4 Outer ports and anchorages

Vessels that depart and arrive at ports and anchorages outside of the main Ports Cairns,
Townsville, Hay Point and Gladstone which sit within the Reef VTS area must provide an ER and
FR to Reef VTS and call the following VTS centres on arrival and departure.
All reports are to be sent to Reef VTS by Inmarsat-C, email or on the VHF working channels.

Port Channel VTS centre

Port Alma 13 Gladstone VTS

Mackay 10 Hay Point VTS
Whitsundays 10 Hay Point VTS
Abbot Point 12 Townsville VTS
Lucinda 13 Townsville VTS
Mourilyan 13 Cairns VTS
Cape Flattery 13 Cairns VTS
Table 8 - Outer ports and anchorages

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9. Ship encounter information
Reef VTS predicts ship encounters and sends this information to individual ships as Ship
Encounter Information (SEI), usually through Inmarsat C messaging. The SEI provided is specific
for each individual ship. There are no general broadcasts for SEI.
Reef VTS advises individual ships of SEI:
 When the ship enters the Reef VTS area;
 When a ship enters an SEI calculation area; and,
 At any other time when requested by a vessel.
Reef VTS can provide SEI in different ways:
 Inmarsat-C;
- The ship must give Reef VTS the make, model and IMN of the ship’s Inmarsat C
terminal,
- Please make sure messages from Reef VTS are read when they are received. If a
problem exists in receiving electronic messages, then contact Reef VTS to arrange
for SEI to be provided by VHF communications,
 VHF communications;
- Ships must keep a listening watch on the Reef VTS VHF working channels. Reef
VTS uses VHF channels 11 and 14, and
 Email.

9.1 Provision of SEI

SEI is calculated throughout the Reef VTS area for all participating vessels that have been placed
on an active voyage in our VTS systems. The SEI is calculated from the time a vessel enters the
Reef VTS area from sea or from an adjacent port within the Reef VTS area for the next nominated
hours of the ships transit. Further SEI updates are provided to a vessel when the vessel crosses
one of the predefined SEI lines marked (see sections 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5). Additionally, SEI can
be provided at any time on request to Reef VTS.
VTS systems use the data from a ships AIS to calculate the encounter information within an SEI
message. The system cannot present SEI for vessels that are:
 Not a participating vessel (for example, warships);
 Not required to have an AIS (for example, a recreational vessel);
 Sailing with a defective AIS (must be declared to Reef VTS); and
 Vessels with a Class B AIS (these are presented in the SEI message as 'vessels in area').

9.1.1 SEI message

A ship will receive SEI about predicted ship encounters for the next nominated hours of its transit
depending on the SEI calculation area. SEI messages are separated into two sections:

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  Ship Encounter – the situation that two participating vessels on a route are (predicted) to
pass each other as they transit the Reef VTS area. For these vessels, the SEI message will
present a distance to and the approximate time that they will encounter the vessel.
 Ships in the Area – includes any vessels being tracked by AIS with no route that are in the
predicted area around a participating vessel for which an SEI message is calculated. The
predicted area is a 3nm radius around the SEI ship along the path the vessel will travel for
the next configurable hours (default set at 6hrs).

9.1.2 How to interpret SEI

Upon entry into the Reef VTS area, the VTSO will assign a route to a vessel according to their ER.
Once the vessel is assigned, it is deemed as a participating vessel. It is important that Reef VTS
are advised of any changes to routes in line with this guide for any route deviations. If the ship
does not advise Reef VTS of a change of route, it will impact the accuracy of SEI calculations.
The SEI message is to be read as follows.
Ship details:
 Name of the ship for which SEI calculated for;
 Speed of the ship at time of calculation; and
 Time of calculation.
Encounter information:
 Name of ship to be encountered;
 Location of the predicted encounter (latitude / longitude);
 Date and approximate time of encounter;
 Course and speed (at time of the calculation) of the ship to encounter; and
 Distance to CPA / TCPA (distance to encounter / time to encounter).
Within the message, letter indicators will be displayed to provide additional information such as:
 (P) – ship is piloted;
 (NP) – ship has no pilot;
 (DD) – deep draught >= 10 metres; and
 (T) – towing vessel.
Ships in the area:
 Lists the vessel name;
 Vessel location (latitude / longitude) at the time of the calculation; and
 Vessel course and speed (at the time of the calculation).

19
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 Generated at 05:48, 19:06:2024 (AEST)

Encounters:

RAINBOW WARRIOR (NP) in the vicinity of 13 31S 143 59E at 19 0553 (Course 152
Speed 7.0 Dist to CPA/TCPA 1.3/00:05:18)

HANYANG (P)(DD) in the vicinity of 13 00S 143 44E at 19 0817 (Course 152 Speed 10.9
Dist to CPA/TCPA 35.6/02:29:25)

GOLDEN DEB (P)(DD) in the vicinity of 12 28S 143 23E at 19 1057 (Course 141 Speed
12.2 Dist to CPA/TCPA 73.8/05:09:31)

Vessels in the Area:

STORM BAY at 13 23S 143 55E (Course 286 Speed 12.1)

STELLA RANE at 12 54S 143 40E (Course 286 Speed 0.5)

FV KW at 12 28S 143 23E (Course 115 Speed 7.0)

Additional information:

Table 9 - Example SEI message

9.1.3 New or changed information

Reef VTS monitors the transit of a ship to identify any significant changes to the traffic information
which Reef VTS has previously provided. This could be when a new ship is identified or there is a
change in the estimated time of arrival (ETA) because of an increase or decrease in speed. If
deemed necessary, Reef VTS may recalculate SEI for a vessel.

9.1.4 SEI updates

During a ships transit through the Reef VTS area the ship may receive multiple SEI messages
depending on the size of the SEI calculation area or if the ship is transiting through multiple SEI
calculation areas. A ship may contact Reef VTS at any time to ask for an SEI update.
For areas where SEI is calculated and provided to ships see sections 11.3, 11.4 and 11.5.

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9.2 Maritime safety information
Reef VTS provides ships Maritime Safety Information (MSI) that is relevant to their location and
intended movement. If a ship encounters any hazards that may affect the safe navigation of other
ships, it should contact and report to Reef VTS. MSI is also provided in broadcasts from JRCC in
the form of navigational warnings (AusCoast Warnings).
Reef VTS may not be aware of all the hazards in the Reef VTS area. If a ship encounters any
hazard which is not already included in an MSI message (for example, a faulty navigational aid), it
should advise Reef VTS immediately.

Table 10 - Example MSI message

9.3 Responding to developing unsafe situations

Responding to developing unsafe situations involves support to the navigational safety of the ship
through the provision of essential navigational information to assist on board decision-making. It
may also involve the provision of navigational advice and/or instruction. If Reef VTS has
information which may help decision-making on-board a ship, Reef VTS may contact that ship.
If Reef VTS believes that the ship is heading into an unsafe situation (entering shallow water or
deviating from a planned route), Reef VTS may contact a ship in response to a developing unsafe
situation.
The master remains responsible for the safe navigation of the ship at all times and should not rely
on the availability of navigational support from Reef VTS.

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10. Other rules and regulations
10.1 Coastal Pilotage
Under Australian law all ‘regulated ships’ must carry a licensed coastal pilot when transiting
through:
 The Inner Route (from Cape York to Cairns);
 The Great North East Channel;
 Hydrographers Passage;
 Whitsundays (Whitsunday Passage, Whitsunday Group and Lindeman Group); and
 The Torres Strait.
The Queensland Coastal Passage Plan (QCPP) has been developed as a guide for the conduct of
coastal pilotage in these areas. More information on coastal pilotage and QCPP is available on the
AMSA website – www.amsa.gov.au

10.2 Under Keel Clearance Management

The Under Keel Clearance Management (UKCM) system helps large ships navigate through the
Torres Strait. AMSA has implemented the UKCM system to assist in the planning and safe
conduct of ships transiting through the Torres Strait. More information on the UKCM system is
available on the AMSA website – www.amsa.gov.au

10.3 Designated Shipping Areas

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has put in place a Designated Shipping
Area (DSA) and General Use Zones (GUZ) within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park as part of
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan. More information is available from GBRMPA by
phoning +61 7 4750 0700, emailing [email protected] or on the GBRMPA website
www.gbrmpa.gov.au

10.4 Standard route plans

The Queensland Coastal Passage Plan (QCPP) provides details on routes, waypoints, and
navigation aids in the pilotage areas (outlined in section 11.1 of the QCPP). The QCPP can be
accessed from the AMSA website www.amsa.gov.au

10.5 Pollution Reporting

The MARPOL 73/78 definition of “nearest land” prohibits operational discharges in the Great
Barrier Reef and Torres Strait regions. The following should be reported to Reef VTS:
 any quantity of oil (including diesel fuel, petrol, and oil products);
 any discharge from a ship of chemicals or chemical residues; or
 garbage (food waste, glass, plastic etc.).
More information on reporting ship sourced pollution is available on the MSQ website
www.msq.qld.gov.au/Marine-pollution and the AMSA website www.amsa.gov.au

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11. Chartlets
11.1 Reef VTS area

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11.2 Reef VTS areas North and South

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11.3 SEI North

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11.4 SEI South

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This document is intended for digital use only. Please refer to the Maritime Safety Queensland website for the latest version. 27
11.5 SEI Central

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11.6 AMSA Coastal pilotage and designated shipping area

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11.7 VHF coverage

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11.8 VHF channel overview

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11.9 VHF channel 14 – Torres Strait to Cape York

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11.10 VHF channel 11 – Cape Flattery to Mourilyan

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11.11 VHF channel 14 – Lucinda to Abbot Point

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11.12 VHF channel 11 – Whitsundays and Hydrographers Passage

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11.13 VHF channel 14 – Swain to Sandy Cape

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