Anchoring restrictions in New South Wales

[Jim Cate]

I was recently reminded that there are now some regulations regarding anchoring in NSW. They have been on the books for a while, but apparently are gradually being enforced in some areas, with some cruisers being told to move on from an anchorage where they had lingered "too long".

These are the relevant statutes:


MARINE SAFETY REGULATION 2016 - REG 17A Restrictions on time at anchor
17A Restrictions on time at anchor

(1) The operator of a vessel must not allow a vessel to be at anchor in NSW waters for more than 90 days in any calendar year.
(2) The operator of a vessel must not allow a vessel to be at anchor in any one place in NSW waters for more than 28 days in any calendar year.
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.


The definition of "any one place" is apparently kinda arbitrary. Two specific areas that are each considered "one place" are Sydney harbour, including Middle harbour, and the Pittwater area, including all of Broken Bay up to the bridges near Brooklyn. Damn big "one places" in my eyes.

I have had personal communications with a friend at the management level in the Maritime organization. He said that the rules had been established to provide a means of getting rid of derelicts and squatters, not to harass cruisers (he's a cruiser himself). Unfortunately, it seems that patrol officers are individually applying it to whatever boat attracts their attention. One of those officers told me that they were developing a statewide data base to help with enforcement. How nice...

I don't have a clue how this will develop over time, but all who cruise on the NSW coast should be aware of the restrictions. Ever more pitfalls in paradise...

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

Scary stuff, I was always told they tended to go after aussie flagged boats more than international. When I was cruisng and living aboard in sydney my boat was UK registered to get out of NZ and I had no issues when other aussie boats where getting "move on" orders. But that was a fair few years ago.

[ozsailer]

Wow, thats gettting a tad restrictive for liveaboards although technically laws already exist where you can live on a mooring or on the pick full time in NSW already.
If you are cruising full time its easy to be at anchor for 90 days in any calender year. I understand that you are resticted to being anchored in any one spot for 28 days in a row but to restrict your time in total to 90 days will force many onto commercial moorings or into marinas which are either full or way to expensive.
I understand why it is happening as here on Lake Macquarie there is a growing issue of small element of liveaboards who are using public jetties as their own personal marina's. At the moment I am on my mooring at Wangi and I can see 6 liveaboard boaters hogging the local jetty. They do not contribute to the local ecomomy and stop many weekend boaters using the facilities nearby.
If they bring that rule into Queensland that will have a severe impact not only on our future cruising but I imagine many others.

Greg H
Sunshine
Lagoon 410 S2
Lake Macquarie NSW Oz.

[Jim Cate]

If you are cruising full time its easy to be at anchor for 90 days in any calender year. I understand that you are resticted to being anchored in any one spot for 28 days in a row but to restrict your time in total to 90 days will force many onto commercial moorings or into marinas

Greg, it's worse that that! You are not restricted to 28 days in a row, but to 28 days in a calendar YEAR in "any one spot"..

The thought that commercial mooring/marina operators might profit from this ruling couldn't have factored in the decision... could it???

If they decide to enforce these rules rigorously, it will drive cruising sailors out of NSW waters to a large degree. I dunno if that is what they want to happen.

Jim

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Greg, it's worse that that! You are not restricted to 28 days in a row, but to 28 days in a calendar YEAR in "any one spot"..

The thought that commercial mooring/marina operators might profit from this ruling couldn't have factored in the decision... could it???

If they decide to enforce these rules rigorously, it will drive cruising sailors out of NSW waters to a large degree. I dunno if that is what they want to happen.

Jim

Speeding though NSW waters

I reckon they simply don't care one way or the other. I would think very few cruising folk vote in NSW and even less donate to NSW political parties. Perhaps if the cruising folk were a major business generator, it might be different but again my feeling is that the cruisers don't make a big financial impact in NSW.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Wotname

I reckon they simply don't care one way or the other. I would think very few cruising folk vote in NSW and even less donate to NSW political parties. Perhaps if the cruising folk were a major business generator, it might be different but again my feeling is that the cruisers don't make a big financial impact in NSW.

wottie, you are probably correct in that thought. Australia has a reputation amongst international cruisers of being unwelcoming and expensive. This sort of legislation will do nothing to improve that view. I doubt if anyone in any position of power gives a rat's ass about what we think!

We still like it here, but will amend our transit schedule to avoid NSW as much as possible. It's a shame, for we have many friends in the state and will miss seeing them.

Jim

[daletournier]

Jim, as you know I had been overseas cruising for six years. Late last year I purchased my current yacht in Queensland and sailed to my home port the Tweed river to refit for the trip I'm now doing.

All I can say is, absolutely disgusting and embarrassing. Keep in mind I pay two lots of rates in the Tweed shire, and owned a business for many years and pumped 100's of thousands into that the areas economy over the weekend years, I'm on no form of ss.

I had not been at anchor for an hour before maritime were on to me. They explained I had 28days, I couldn't use my outboard (15hp) unless I registered the dinghy, I needed to wear a life jacket to go the 30m to shore etc.... He even gave me anchor chain length advice!! In the end I went into the Ivory marina due to harassment.

Seriously this is out of control, Australia has many things going for it but the nanny state mentality combined with over regulation is crazy and will end bad. They want deros out? well move them out, but cruisers that spend their money in the local community? Wake up.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by ozsailer

Wow, thats gettting a tad restrictive for liveaboards although technically laws already exist where you can live on a mooring or on the pick full time in NSW already.

Ozsailer, this is a rather important issue to me at the moment. Can you point me in the directions of those laws? (I am seriously considering living at anchor in NSW in a couple of years, and it would be good to understand any subtleties beforehand.)

Matt

Edit: Hmmm... found this, which seems to rule out moorings anyway.

http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/...conditions.pdf

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by GILow

Ozsailer, this is a rather important issue to me at the moment. Can you point me in the directions of those laws? (I am seriously considering living at anchor in NSW in a couple of years, and it would be good to understand any subtleties beforehand.)

Matt

Edit: Hmmm... found this, which seems to rule out moorings anyway.

http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/...conditions.pdf

From my experience in NSW you cant live on your mooring.

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Jim, as you know I had been overseas cruising for six years. Late last year I purchased my current yacht in Queensland and sailed to my home port the Tweed river to refit for the trip I'm now doing.

All I can say is, absolutely disgusting and embarrassing. Keep in mind I pay two lots of rates in the Tweed shire, and owned a business for many years and pumped 100's of thousands into that the areas economy over the weekend years, I'm on no form of ss.

I had not been at anchor for an hour before maritime were on to me. They explained I had 28days, I couldn't use my outboard (15hp) unless I registered the dinghy, I needed to wear a life jacket to go the 30m to shore etc.... He even gave me anchor chain length advice!! In the end I went into the Ivory marina due to harassment.

Seriously this is out of control, Australia has many things going for it but the nanny state mentality combined with over regulation is crazy and will end bad. They want deros out? well move them out, but cruisers that spend their money in the local community? Wake up.

We were shocked when we went to Oz at the incredible number of regulations that were everywhere. Sign makers seem to have done very well as anywhere you look there is a sign telling you what you could not do and what the fine was if you did it. When we went to Darwin after having been in Oz for something like none months we wanted to to into a marina for a week while we went off with a camper van. Before we could enter the marina we had to have a biosecurity clearance certificate - didn't need one if we were only anchored. A three person team - a diver and two blokes who did not seem to do much, showed up to inspect our bottom and inject some chemical into through hulls. Apparently it was not a problem to import nasty beasties from Queensland unless you were in a marina.

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.

Jim

What is a penalty unit?

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by AiniA

We were shocked when we went to Oz at the incredible number of regulations that were everywhere. Sign makers seem to have done very well as anywhere you look there is a sign telling you what you could not do and what the fine was if you did it. When we went to Darwin after having been in Oz for something like none months we wanted to to into a marina for a week while we went off with a camper van. Before we could enter the marina we had to have a biosecurity clearance certificate - didn't need one if we were only anchored. A three person team - a diver and two blokes who did not seem to do much, showed up to inspect our bottom and inject some chemical into through hulls. Apparently it was not a problem to import nasty beasties from Queensland unless you were in a marina.

I saw them doing that in Darwin when i was there in 2011. Its a strange one.

[Zep]

Hi
The new regulation maybe not as restrictive as the old one. Of course they can enforce it. I'm not particularly worried.
Pop into Parsley Bay Brooklyn and you'll find a 40ft Cat tied up on the public pontoon for the past 5 weeks. Won't move, living on board. The council can't seem to get him out of there.
A bigger problem in NSW is the number of "abandoned" boats on moorings that are never serviced. The boats are often uninsured and of course when they break off and damage other vessels. Unless there's a witness there's no hope of taking any action at all. I love it! Not!
This mooring failure, see photo, caused about $30k damage to other vessels nearby in 2015. No he owner was not prosecuted.
It's about time they started enforcing annual mooring inspections. Also to occupy a mooring in NSW a vessel "must" be insured. The Nanny State slips a bit there too.

[billgewater]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I saw them doing that in Darwin when i was there in 2011. Its a strange one.

G'day.
I believe the Darwin issue is based on concerns over the Black stripped mussel.
This beastie has caused major damage to the ecosystems in many places around the world.

However, I totally agree about the cruising fraternity being not made welcome. in Aus. It is near idiotic and I am convinced that this has come about because vested interests want it that way. marina pens are grossly overpriced so any red blooded marina owner will do his/her best to ensure mooring are simply not viable. Simple.

[Djarraluda]

28 days in a year is very tight for weekend cruisers in the Pittwater/Broken Bay type area alone - does not seem to be aimed at "tourists" but also at locals !
Roger