South West notices

Mariners are advised that diving operations are scheduled to take place along the submarine trunkline cable offshore from Storm Bay Augusta from Tuesday 12 December 2023 to Saturday 16 December 2023. Works will take place from vessel ‘Workboat Noel’ during daylight hours.

Operational diving area: Starting at the beach cable waterline landing area in Storm Bay and then following the submerged trunkline cable out along the route for approx. 100m. The diving workboat will be moored in various positions along the route of the cable.

Pipeline shoreline start point: 34: 20.869S, 115: 10.113E

The international code flag “A” will be exhibited whilst diving operations are in progress.

Operators will monitor marine VHF channel 16 during the above operations.

All vessels taking part in these works will exhibit shapes and lights in accordance with the Prevention of Collisions at Sea Regulations 1983 at all times.

Mariners are advised to navigate with caution when transiting the area and keep well clear of the above diving operations

Mariners are advised that dredging and seaweed / wrack removal operations will take place at the Port of Bunbury from Monday 20th November until around 5th December 2023.

The dredge vessel 'Trud R' will be operational 24 hours per day, trawler Amanda Verne K during daylight hours.

These vessels have equipment on the seabed and are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre. The vessels will display lights and symbols as required by the Prevention of Collisions at Sea Regulations.

All vessels are required to give these vessels a wide berth, are not to approach the vessels and to pass at slow speed so as not to create a wash.’

Acting pursuant to Section 66 of the Western Australian Marine Act 1982, I Mark Briant, Authorised person of the Department of Transport hereby close the following area of water to all vessels from 4:30 AM to 10:30 AM on Sunday 3rd December 2023.

Busselton Jetty, Geographe Bay:
Area of Closure: - All the waters within Geographe Bay bounded by a line commencing at a point on the beach at approximately 33° 38.582’S, 115° 20.966’E (adjacent to Milne Street) thence 750 metres northwest to approximately 33° 38.224’S, 115° 20.738’E (approximately 450 metres northeast of the Busselton Jetty) thence southwest to approximately 33° 38.534’S, 115° 19.843’E (approximately 1048 metres southwest of the Busselton Jetty), thence southeast to the shore at approximately 33° 38.893’S, 115° 20.071’E, thence along the shoreline to the point of commencement.

Providing however that bona fide support vessels and competitors associated with the event are exempt from the above closure.

This area is set aside for the approved “IRONMAN Western Australia & IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia” events.

A directional wave buoy (DWRB) has been deployed approximately 12 nautical miles west of Cape Naturaliste at the location below. The DWRB is yellow in colour, approximately 700mm in diameter, and equipped with a 2m whip antenna and flashing yellow light.

Flash rate: Fl (5) Y 20s

Mariners are requested to maintain a minimum distance of 100 meters from the DWRB, including any associated fishing equipment at all times so as to not interfere with or damage the DWRB.

Mariners are advised that maintenance dredging works at the entrance to the Port Geographe Marina will commence in September 2023 and will proceed until approximately early March 2024.

Dredging will mainly occur Monday to Friday between the hours of 0700 and 1800hrs, with provision to take place during hours of darkness if required.

The works are being carried out by the 18m cutter suction dredge “Mudlark I”, equipped with floating & submerged pipelines to a length of 1.2km and marked with yellow buoys with flashing orange lights. The dredge has no self-propulsion and uses anchors and spuds to move. The dredge and connected pipeline will remain unmanned in the area of operation after normal operating hours for the duration of the works.

The dredge will exhibit shapes and lights in accordance with the Prevention of Collisions at Sea Regulations 1983 at all times. Please see link below for a schematic.

If mariners are unsure of where to safely pass the dredge vessel, they are requested to contact the operators who will be monitoring the following radio frequencies:

VHF Channel 16
Marine 27
MHz Channel 88

Mariners are advised that offshore disposal is being undertaken for the maintenance dredging period. The offshore spill area is demarcated by yellow buoys, approximately thirty (30 cm) in diameter, equipped with flashing yellow lights.

Recovery date for disposal site buoys: 6 March 2024

Disposal Site Buoy Locations:

• 33° 37.4460728’ S, 115° 23.4991987’ E
• 33° 37.3676302’ S, 115° 23.6668772’ E
• 33° 37.3682340’ S, 115° 23.8803013’ E
• 33° 37.4599606’ S, 115° 23.8785488’ E
• 33° 37.4599606’ S, 115° 23.6101875’ E
• 33° 37.4885671’ S, 115° 23.5630877’ E

Mariners are advised to use caution when transiting the area and keep well clear of the above operations.

Mariners are advised that environmental monitoring equipment will be temporarily deployed from mid August 2023 in the Port Geographe vicinity at the following six (6) sites:
Site Lats (DDM) Longs (DDM)
Impact 1 33° 37.339' S 115° 23.671' E
Impact 2 33° 37.328' S 115° 23.861' E
Ref_B1 33° 37.773' S 115° 22.470' E
Ref_B2 33° 37.780' S 115° 22.516' E
Ref_A1 33° 36.635' S 115° 24.921' E
Ref_A2 33° 36.630' S 115° 24.905' E

Each site will be marked with a yellow surface buoy approximately 20 metres from the monitoring equipment. Each float will be approximately thirty (30 cm) in diameter, equipped with flashing yellow lights.

Recovery date: April 2024
Mariners are advised to use caution when transiting the areas and keep well clear of the above buoys.

Mariners are advised that the Australind Jetty Refurbishment works are scheduled to commence on 13 February 2023 and are expected to be completed by Friday 15 December 2023.

The jetty is closed to vessel access. The T-Jetty on the end is marked by a lit yellow special marker buoy indicating the closure.

Please navigate with caution and keep clear of the above jetty during the refurbishment.

Mariners are advised that three wave buoys are scheduled to be deployed in Geographe Bay as follows:

Locations:

-33.5915S, 115.1165E (Dunsborough)
-33.6001S, 115.2499E (Abbey)
-33.628S, 115.338E (Busselton Jetty)


Deployment date: 08/09/2022
Provisional recovery date: 08/09/2024

The above wave buoys are yellow in colour, approximately 420mm in diameter, and equipped with a flashing yellow light.

Flash rate: Fl Y 2.5s

No vessel is to moor to, or interfere with, the above wave buoys at any time.

Mariners are advised to navigate with caution when transiting the area and keep well clear of the above wave buoys at all times.

Mariners are advised that a port lateral marker at Hardy Inlet is missing. Navigate with caution when passing directly east of Thomas Island.

Port Geographe harbour entrance channel
Mariners are advised that mobile seagrass wrack may be present in the vicinity of the Port Geographe Harbour entrance channel.

This material can vary significantly in thickness and position over short time frames, reducing depths and restricting navigation in the channel.

The affected area includes the full extent of the entrance channel, with the worst affected area being in the entrance channel directly adjacent to the lagoon rock-wall.

Mariners are advised to navigate with caution in the entrance channel, allowing for changing conditions when traversing the area. Vessels may be at risk of grounding when navigating through this area.

Mariners are advised that the Marlston Waterfront Jetty (adjacent to the Dome Café, Bonnefoi Boulevard Bunbury) has been closed until further notice due to storm damage.

A boom and yellow marker buoys have been deployed around the jetty.

Mariners are advised to remain east of the yellow marker buoys and exercise caution when towing skiers in the adjacent Koombana Bay water ski area.

Mariners are advised that shallowing has occurred at the northern entrance to the Pelican Point Canals (immediately downstream of the mouth of the Collie River, Bunbury) reducing depths and restricting navigation in the vicinity.

The shallowest area of the canals, outside the edges of the canals, is reported to be on the southern side of the approach channel, about 20m upstream of the pedestrian bridge into the northern canal entrance