Mariner's Handbook for Australian Waters

The Mariner’s Handbook for Australian Waters (AHP20) is an official nautical publication providing mariners with important regulatory, procedural and environmental information affecting the planning and conduct of a voyage to or from Australian ports, or within Australian waters. It includes a summary of all relevant information from various Australian government agencies under the cover of one combined reference, with links to further information if required.

The publication includes:

• Major Australian maritime legislation and regulations, and responsible agencies
• Marine Protected Areas, regulations and responsible agencies
• Coastal Pilotage arrangements
• Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef shipping routes, accident and incident reporting
• Maritime Safety Information, meteorological broadcasts, Warnings, search and rescue
• Ship Reporting Systems - AUSREP and REEFVTS
• Maritime security, Customs, biosecurity, quarantine and immigration
• Australian trading ports – Pilots, boarding arrangements, arrival and departure notification requirements, VHF Channels and port contact details
• Mariners guide to interpreting the accuracy of depth information in Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)
• The regional climatic environment
• Key contact information for each relevant government agency and links to further information
• Important information relating to the accuracy of charts, zones of confidence and effects of over-scaling in ECDIS (this can also be downloaded as a separate supplement).

CARRIAGE REQUIREMENT

It is expected that all commercial vessels operating in Australian waters carry and refer to the publication, updated to the latest Notice to Mariners.