New qualifications for VHF use
Australian Waters Qualification could become mandatory by later this yearFollowing a review of the current certificate arrangements for the use of very high frequency (VHF) radios in Australia, a new qualification for operators of marine VHF radios has been proposed.
The proposal is that a new Australian Waters Qualification (AWQ) will be added for VHF marine radio users specifically in Australian waters. Australian waters are generally designated as up to 12 nm off the coast.
The proposed AWQ will become a new mandatory qualification for users of VHF marine radios in Australian Territorial Waters. However, the MROVCP and MROCP certificates will remain, as they are international qualifications. So radio users can decide which is the most appropriate qualification for them to obtain.
Senior Policy Officer at the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Mick Owens told BoatPoint and Boatsales that it was hoped that this will become policy later this year.
The object of the proposal is to make the process of obtaining the AWQ easier and more streamlined than the current MROCP or MROVCP qualification.
During the review process which began in 2009, it was revealed that only around 29 per cent of radio operators held the appropriate qualification. The introduction of the AWQ is looking to significantly raise that percentage.
The proposal suggests that boaters can get the AWQ at registered training organisations (RTOs) in a similar manner to getting a boating licence. The syllabus will include how to use a VHF radio, which channels to use, how to send a distress message, how to cancel a distress message, a basic understanding of Australian search and rescue procedures, the phonetic alphabet, and importantly the use and maintenance of EPIRBS.
Mr Owens said that the training and assessment would be designed to take less than three hours.
He added that the AWQ was not designed as an impediment to boaters, merely to ensure that the users of VHF radios are aware of the correct procedures and channels to use in case of emergency. Also that if there is a problem on the water, the emergency channels were not blocked and were clear for use by the safety authorities.
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