Run of near misses prompts Darwin shipping channel crackdown
Boat owners have had to cut anchors and flee oncoming ships, prompting NT Police to actThe Northern Territory’s Water Police has cracked down on recreational fishing boats anchoring in Darwin’s deep-water shipping channels after a number of close calls with commercial boats.
Dropping anchor in the wrong spot has cost owners $350 if they were found inside the shipping lane, which has experienced an increase in commercial traffic in the wake of the Ichthys LNG Project that has started shipping bulk gas from Darwin’s Bladin Point.
NT Water Police Sergeant John Pini said if skippers of small boats were not responsible, it was only a matter of time before a tragedy occured.
“Anchoring anywhere in a shipping channel is prohibited,” Sergeant Pini said. “Even if you are drifting or using dynamic positioning, you have to clear the channel in advance of large vessels.”
Moving exclusion zone
Under maritime rules, gas tankers such as those used by the Ichthys LNG Project have a one-kilometre exclusion zone to the front, and 500 metres in other directions.
“Large vessels are unable to stop quickly won’t be able to manoeuvre around small vessels if they are in the way,” Sergeant Pini said. “This is one reason why shipping channels exist.”
A look around the Marine Safety NT website and the Darwin Port website both failed to provide easy access to information about the shipping channel anchoring exclusion zones. However, NT Water Police said notices had been posted at boat ramps warning owners about the areas they should be avoiding.
Darwin Port general manager Ian Niblock told ABC Radio Darwin that several small fishing boats had cut their anchors and fled to avoid a collision with large ships in the channel.
Close calls
"The problem is people get so intent on fishing activity they don't even notice the big ship coming down on them,” Niblock said. "We have vessels disappearing under the bow of the ships because they've decided they'll cross ahead of the ship.
"They're comfortable passing 100 metres in front of the ship, but we're not comfortable with that."
Darwin Port hosts cattle exports, numerous cruise ships, dry bulk exports including manganese and iron ore, and is the landing point for many of the cars sold in the territory.
Unlike other states and territories, Northern Territory boat owners do not need a licence to drive a “recreational” boat, nor do recreational boats need to be registered.
However, boat operators are expected to know all the NT’s on-water rules, and can be fined if they are found in breach of any of them.
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