Waterway management and navigation
Maritime Safety Victoria assists port and waterway managers to ensure safety on Victorian waters.
We are also an appointed waterway manager for some of Victoria's waterways, as well has having oversight for unmanaged waterways.
Boaters should familiarise themselves with the general State and local scheduled vessel operating and zoning rules (VOZR) for specific waterways, and how to stay safe around ships.
Waterway managers
The role of waterway managers is to:
- Manage vessel activities on waters under their control
- Allocate and manage moorings and berths
- Provide and maintain navigation aids, appropriate signage of water levels, hazards, and rules applying to the waters
- Control navigation and vessel movement
- Designate areas in which anchorage of vessels is, or is not permitted
- Alter or dredge channels for navigation
- Remove or mark obstructions.
See a full list of waterway managers.
Unmanaged waterways
Unmanaged waterways do not have an appointed manager to ensure navigational safety. On these waters, the State waterway rules detailed at the start of the VOZR apply. In terms of applying for temporary waterway rule exemptions or exclusion zones these waterways are treated like MSV-managed waterways.
Resources for port and waterway managers
As a waterway manager, port management body or local port manager you can apply for rules to be made for waterways under your control.
Our waterway managers' portal has everything waterway managers, port management bodies and local port managers need in order apply for rules to be made for waterways under your control, including permanent waterway rules, and emergency or urgent waterway rules.
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