Australian Hydrographic Service Information Bulletin

Official Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) of Australia

The Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) is Australia’s national charting authority and has an obligation to produce official nautical charting products for Australia. Official products include the AUS paper chart series, Seafarer® RNC and Australian ENC.

The AHS has recently completed the ENCs for the navigationally challenging Torres Strait and Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef. Some of these ENCs were compiled from highly detailed original surveys (rather than digitizing from existing paper charts) allowing the AHS to include one-metre contour intervals between 5 and 20 metres in depth critical areas. These ENCs have been released through the IC-ENC global distribution network and are supported by a timely and regular update service including radio navigation warnings and notices to mariners.

Captain Rod Nairn, Hydrographer of Australia, recently stated that his next priority is to expedite ENC coverage of major Australian ports and shipping routes. His strategy is to capture data from the official paper chart adding more detailed survey material as it becomes available. This will provide official ENC coverage of the majority of Australian ports within a three-year period.

The drive for this initiative is to enable the various stakeholders using electronic chart systems for harbour pilotage, VTS, AIS and ECDIS to use the same official data. This is very important when one considers the potential safety and liability issues that could ensue if shore-based systems, utilising unofficial data, conflicted with an incoming ship’s ECDIS system. It is advised that Agencies considering purchasing new electronic charting systems should ensure their systems are capable of using the official ENC product.

The AHS is aware that there is some confusion in the marine environment in relation to “S57” and ENCs. Please note that “S57” is an IHO transfer format and is not an official ENC. Anyone can produce “S57” formatted data but only the official ENC complies with SOLAS requirements and carries the warranty of a National Hydrographic Office.

The Navigation Act 1912 gives effect to SOLAS in Australia. SOLAS defines the official nautical chart as:

"Nautical chart or Nautical publication is a special-purpose map or book, or a specially compiled database from which such a map or book is derived that is issued officially by or on the authority of a Government, authorised Hydrographic Office or other relevant government institution and is designed to meet the requirements of marine navigation."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) administers the Navigation Act and recognises only the Australian ENC, Seafarer® RNC and the Admiralty (UKHO) ARCS® product as satisfying the carriage requirements for electronic charts under this definition.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the AHS Director, Charting and Information Management, Mr Mike Prince on (02) 4223 6615.