Extract from:
Version: 2.0 Issued: 16/07/2008
Work Practice – Mooring Inspection
Parks Vic(toria) is the local port manager for Port Phillip Bay and Western Port and authorises the establishment and maintenance of mooring sites in accordance with the Port Services (Local Port) Regulations 2004. Regulations 205, 206, 208 and 212 cover authorities for mooring sites.
Parks Vic authorises the establishment of a Mooring Site through a registration process. Once registered, a permit to use the Mooring Site is issued for an annual fee. You are then known as the Mooring Permit Holder.
As of 10 January 2006, Parks Vic introduced further regulations regarding moorings and their use.
Before a Mooring Permit will be issued, the ‘Terms and Conditions for Occupation and Use of a Berth or Mooring’ must be accepted by the applicant. These address things such as Fee Payment, use of Identification Tags, sub-letting, living aboard, sewage etc but, most importantly, they require the applicant to indemnify Parks Vic against all things mooring-related.
In addition, the Mooring Tackle itself is subject to an initial and cyclic inspection to ensure compliance with specifications published by Parks Vic. Permit issue and re-issue is dependent on verified compliance.
A Mooring Inspection can be undertaken by a qualified tackle inspector recognised by Parks Vic. The WNBC has been recognised by Parks Vic as having a suitable inspection capability. The club nominates a member to act as a Moorings Manager (aka Coordinator).
On acceptance, Parks Vic coordinates with the Moorings Manager to inspect the moorings owned by club members. This authorisation does not extend to moorings owned by people who are not members of the club.
Within the club, the Moorings Manager is supported by a number of members with appropriate knowledge and skills – all acting in a voluntary capacity.
Mooring records are managed by the Moorings Manager. These records include Inspection Requests made by members, the results of the inspection (s) and the final Inspection Reports provided to Parks Vic.
Guidance
This service is not a commercial service and makes no profit for the club.
It is a wet, cold and potentially dangerous service provided on a voluntary basis by dedicated club members. It takes organisation and it takes effort to mount this service and requires sufficient lead-time to be given. It is tide and weather dependent and can only be mounted when appropriate and safe access to the mooring can be obtained.
For moorings that dry at low tide, inspection and refurbishment may be undertaken in situ. For deeper water locations, the mooring will usually be lifted for inspection. Depending on the extent of any maintenance required, the mooring may be taken to shore for refurbishment before being re-laid. If grappling or diving is required, additional arrangements need to be made.
The service offered by the Moorings Manager is an Inspection and Maintenance Service. Because of the knowledge held by the club’s inspectors and their familiarity with the Parks Vic specifications and tackle availability, they can also assist with laying a mooring. However, the Moorings Manager is under no obligation to provide this assistance.
The success of this service and its continuation is also dependent on the willingness of the Mooring Permit Holder to actively participate in it and support the Moorings Manager in all his efforts.
In consultation with the club, Parks Vic has tailored its specifications to more appropriately address the conditions experienced immediately outside the club’s yard (shallow water and low-tide mud bank exposure). Tackle requirements for the deep water moorings around the South Jetty remain as originally developed by Parks Vic. Specification data may be obtained from Parks Vic and further detail on what is acceptable can be obtained from the Moorings Manager.
Moorings will only be certified if they comply with the specifications accepted by Parks Vic.
The moorings owned by club members are predominantly located in Rutherford Inlet between the South Jetty and just north of Cannon’s Creek. Inspection of moorings outside of this area is not normally undertaken.
The club has arranged with various suppliers to buy mooring tackle that meets specification at a discount. Members may supply their own tackle or may source it through the club.
Limitations
The Inspection Service offered by WNBC is available to Boat-Owning or Co-Boat-Owning members only. Such members usually own one boat and thus one associated mooring. Sporadically, a member may own more than one boat or mooring.
The Inspection Service is offered on a nominal first-come-first-served basis to each member when the annual inspection falls due. The final sequence of site inspections is left to the discretion of the Moorings Manager.
The Inspection Service is a single-point service. The Moorings Manager will endeavour to honour all inspection requests but time or circumstance may prevent a request from being satisfied. In such cases, you will be referred to a commercial contractor.
An inspection fee is charged for each mooring inspection undertaken by the Moorings Manager. This fee is used by the club to help defray the costs incurred in mounting this service for members. Incidental and material costs incurred by the Moorings Manager are paid by the Mooring Permit Holder.
Should a dispute arise that cannot be resolved between a member and the Moorings Manager, it may be referred to the Committee for final arbitration.