The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO)

Australian Hydrographic Office

The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) is responsible for providing Australia’s national charting service under the terms of SOLAS and the Navigation Act 2012 (Cth).

About us

Top tasks

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AusENC

AusENC is the official vector Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) service tailored to meet Australian, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands domestic operations.

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Notices to Mariners

The Notices to Mariners (NtM) service provides timely updates on changes to navigational information to support the safe and accurate use of paper nautical charts and publications.
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AHO Chart Explorer

Discover and select official Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC), AusENC packs and paper charts through an intuitive, map-based interface.

Planning

A strategic overview of the AHO's annual planning for maritime data collection and product release.

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HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program

HIPP is the commercial acquisition program that undertakes focused hydrographic survey activities to contribute to supporting national charting priorities.
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ChartScheme

ChartScheme is our yearly roadmap that details planned activities within Australian waters and in waters of countries for which the AHO is the Primary Charting Authority (PCA).

Resources

Factsheets

Managing your AusENC Service

This factsheet provides detailed information about how to install, update, and renew the AusENC Service.
Factsheets

Reporting Maritime Activities

Factsheet providing information on how mariners can report maritime activities that may affect navigational safety.
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Latest news

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IPAA ACT 2026 Spirit of Service Awards - Finalist

Together with Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, The AHO have been nominated in the Collaboration category for the AusSeabed: Mapping Australia’s Seabed, Together initiative.

IPAA ACT’s Spirit of Service Awards recognise and celebrate the people and initiatives making a meaningful difference for communities across Australia.
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ChartScheme 2027

The Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) has released ChartScheme 2027, outlining the priorities for planned charting of hydrographic survey activities for the year ahead.
ChartScheme 2027
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World Hydrography Day

Celebrated on 21 June, World Hydrography Day is designed to raise awareness about hydrography and how it plays a role in improved knowledge of the seas and oceans.
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Useful links