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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.
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