Victorian ports
Victoria’s commercial trading ports provide critical transfer points in the state’s transport network and connect Victoria to international markets.
There are five Harbour masters in Victoria. They regulate the way vessels conduct their navigation in port.
- Warwick Laing: Port of Melbourne
- Nicholas Ellul: Port of Hastings
- Nicholas Ellul: Port of Geelong
- Bevis Haywood: Gippsland Ports
- Andrew Hays: Port of Portland
For further information about licensing harbour masters, please contact stqualifications@safetransport.vic.gov.au.
- Port of Melbourne – Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) – now Ports Victoria
- Ports of Geelong and Hastings – Victorian Regional Channels Authority – now Ports Victoria
- Gippsland Ports
- Port of Portland
Visit the Department of Transport website to learn more: About Victoria’s commercial ports
Port managers are responsible for the operation and maintenance of local ports, including:
- Planning
- Issuing permits and licences
- Allocating moorings
- Maintaining wharves, jetties and navigation aids
- Dredging
- Operating facilities such as slipways
- Constructing new facilities.
- Gippsland Lakes
- Corner Inlet and Port Albert
- Snowy River
- Mallacoota
- Anderson Inlet
- Port Phillip and Western Port
- Port Fairy
- Apollo Bay
- Warrnambool
- Port Campbell
- Lorne
- Barwon Heads
- Portland Bay.
Visit the Department of Transport website to learn more: About Victoria’s local ports.
Maritime emergencies
Levels of emergency
We are the control agency for level 1 maritime casualties (not search and rescue) of all vessels in coastal waters, but not in commercial and local port waters. We are also a support agency for level 2 and level 3 maritime emergencies.
Incident | Typical features |
---|---|
Level 1 | The region and/or state tiers are not activated for control:
The region and/or state tiers are not activated for coordination:
The regional and state tiers are not activated for recovery coordination: there is little or no impact on the community and infrastructure. |
Level 2 | The region and/or state tiers are activated for control:
The region and/or state tiers are activated for coordination:
|
Level 3 | The region and/or state tiers are activated for control:
The region and/or state tiers are activated for coordination:
|
Categories of emergency
For the purpose of delineating roles and responsibilities, maritime emergencies are divided into four categories: maritime casualty, oil spills, hazardous and noxious substance spills, and wildlife affected by marine pollution events.
Compliance and investigations
We regularly conduct audits of safety duty holders and monitor compliance with the Marine Safety Act 2010, Port Management Act 1995,
- Port managers
- Towage providers
- Pilotage providers
- Line boat providers
Audits help us ensure:
- Duty holders understand their legislative obligations
- Duty holders voluntarily comply with such obligations consistently
- Positive safety culture among all participants, including continuous improvements in safety management, best practice safety standards and capacity building for risk management across the industry.
Audits are scheduled on a risk basis. However, it is understood that the requirement for unscheduled audits may be conducted.
Fatigue management was the target of our compliance audits across the pilotage and towage industries, and with positive results. However, a common area of concern that was identified related to document version control.
We investigate maritime incidents, complaints and breaches of law and safety duty holder requirements.
Investigations may be systemic to identify systemic problems and recommend resolutions.
Investigations may also be undertaken into the actions of a safety duty holder such as pilots, pilotage service providers and port management bodies. The Safety Director can also conduct marine inquiries.
Other agencies conduct their own separate investigations into maritime incidents. These agencies include: