Navigation Restriction – Clyde River – Batemans Bay – Bridge Works

The Batemans Bay Bridge project is proposing to implement a large exclusion zones across the Clyde River adjacent to the existing bridge. This is a large project with many challenges but it is not extraordinary and there are many previous instances of a bridge being built over a navigable waterway.

A Marine Notice SO1859 sets out the terms of the Regulated Area for the period 24 September 2018 to 6 September 2019.
See http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/…/so1859-navigation-restriction-c…

The Regulated Area is the entire width of the Clyde River for a distance of approximately 500 metres upstream and 150 metres downstream of the Batemans Bay Bridge.

The Special Restrictions set out in the notice are:
• A maximum speed of four knots; and
• A ‘minimal wash’ zone is imposed
There don't appear to be any other restrictions such as
• creating a noise
• anchoring a vessel
• excluding certain vessels.

However there are other elements in the notices that indicate that a span of the bridge may be closed which will be shown as: series of three shapes in a vertical line comprising ball–triangle–ball, and during the night or at times of restricted visibility by a series of three lights in a vertical line comprising red–green–red. The dimension of the shapes are in the international regulations. (600 mm diameter)

Vessel operators should also note that divers may be in the water and their vessel will fly the usual Alpha Flag - white beside blue flag with the blue section featuring a swallow tail. Remember you must stay below 10 knots when within 60 metres of anyone in the water, or a safe distance and speed if that is not practicable.

Vessels engaged in the bridge works may display Restricted In Ability to Manoeuvre shapes and lights indicated during the day by three shapes in a vertical line comprising ball–diamond–ball, and during the night or at times of restricted visibility by a series of three lights in a vertical line comprising red–white–red.

Now here is an unusual one for those that know their day shapes: A vessel displaying two flags ‘R’ over ‘Y flag (Romeo Yankee) which indicates all other vessel traffic must proceed at a slow speed that creates no wash when passing. An ‘R’ flag is indicated by a yellow cross (vertical and horizontal lines) on a red background, and a ‘Y’ flag is indicated by alternating red and yellow diagonal lines.

You must excuse the many spelling mistakes contained in the Marine Notice. The Notice should be published in the NSW Gazette and Maritime’s Marine Notice web site as per the Maritime Safety Act 1998 No 121 Section 12 however there does not appear to be any record in the NSW Gazette or legislation.

Frankly this Notice does not reference an Exclusion Zone and is wide open to interpretation. It may well have been covered in the Gazette. For example there is no mention of measuring devices for speed or distance off and more importantly if an person disputes an offence under this notice and his defense is that he did not know then Maritime Safety Officer or the Marine Area Command have to show evidence that the Marine Notice was on display and was published in the Gazette.
Watch this space or read the NSW Gazette.