| No current Berths Avaliable |
FAQ
Berthing
Where do you have berths and swing moorings?
Mallacoota, Lakes Entrance area, Nicholson River, Paynesville area, Port Albert, Port Welshpool have berthing and swing moorings, whilst sites for swing moorings only are available at Metung & Yanakie.
How do I get a berth or swing mooring?
Contact head office to obtain an application form, or use the enquiry form by clicking this link.
Is there a waiting list?
Waiting lists vary depending on location requested. Indicative waiting time can be up to 2 years for Paynesville and 6 months for Lakes Entrance & Nicholson. Swing moorings areas are generally exhausted, and only become available when the permit holder no longer requires the mooring.
Are there any temporary berthing areas?
There are a number of jetties available for temporary berthing. The use of these facilities is time limited to ensure that waterway users are able to access the popular destination jetties and associated recreation areas. All jetties have colour coded areas that conform with the State-wide colour coded berthing zones. Any jetties that are painted with white (Temporary berthing zone – maximum time limit 48 hours) or blue (short term zone, time limit as indicated on signs) paint are time restricted. There are signs explaining time limits on all Gippsland Ports jetties.
Are there any public swing moorings?
Gippsland Ports will have 7 swing moorings available for public use for a mooring period maximum of 48 hours. These are located in the Gippsland Lakes near Paynesville at Duck Arm and Picnic Arm and further West at Waddy Point. A further 4 moorings are schedule for installation by July 2008.
Navigation
Does Gippsland Ports have any boating guides?
The only guide currently available covers the Gippsland Lakes. Boating guides covering Lake Tyers and Anderson Inlet are planned for production during 2008/09. Further guides will be developed during the 2009/10 financial year. The Gippsland Lakes boating guide is available from all Gippsland Ports’ offices for $10.00; or by telephone via the mail for an additional $1.80 to cover postage and handling.
Are the boating guides available from other places?
The guide is available in Melbourne from Map Land or in St Kilda at Boat Books.
In and around the Gippsland Lakes, the guides are available from Information centres in Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance; newsagencies in Bairnsdale and Paynesville; and several other business entities in Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Metung and Loch Sport.
To whom should I report navigation hazards?
Waterway users should report all hazards obstructing safe navigation to Gippsland Ports Marine Department on 03 51500500. Depending on the nature of the hazard, Gippsland Ports will investigate and correct the problem or advise the responsible agency.
What facilities are available?
The Gippsland Lakes boating guide provides excellent detail on the facilities available across the waterway. The “Boating Facilities” pages within each Port area of this website also provide information and images on many of the facilities within the waterways.
How do I find the tide information?
Limited stocks of the tide table booklet are available from Gippsland Ports Head Office, local sports stores or electronically via the Bureau of Meteorology website. A link to the tide table (referenced to Rabbit Island) is available from this website, with adjusting factors relating to several locations across Gippsland Ports area of responsibility also detailed.
Services
What services do Gippsland Ports provide?
Gippsland Ports can provide a private jetty inspection service that satisfies the Department of Sustainability & Environment’s inspection requirements at cost. Quotations are available by contacting Gippsland Ports Works Inspector on 03 51500500.
Do I need to apply for a permit to conduct an event or do works on or over the water?
Any event (or works) proposed to be conducted on the waterway requires a permit from Gippsland Ports. To assist this process for events and the like, please refer to the “Request a Permit” page within each of the Ports of this website. The request will be forwarded to the responsible officer for action.
Construction activities will generally be submitted to your local Council, who will then refer the application to Gippsland Ports for comment.
What services are available at the boatyards?
The services provided are wide and varied, depending on the facility. Please refer to the detailed pages under the “Boatyards & Slips” section of the website.
Boat Licences and Vessel Safety
Where can I obtain a boating licence?
Vicroads is the licensing agency for boat licences in Victoria.
Are the rivers classed as “inland waters” or “enclosed waters”?
Waters are classified into four categories – Coastal Offshore, Coast Inshore, Enclosed and Inland. Rivers, apart from the lower reaches of the Snowy and Brodribb Rivers are classified as “inland waters”.
Coastal Offshore Waters refer to all waters further than 2 nautical miles (nm) from the coast. Coastal Inshore Waters refer to all coastal waters within 2 nm along the Victorian coastline. Enclosed Waters refer to bays, inlets, estuaries and waterways that open into the coastal inshore waters. Inland waters refer to all other waterways further inland than the enclosed waters, which includes most rivers and streams. For a full list, please refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.
Do we need a marine radio and what type do we get?
A marine radio is required on all vessels, with the exception of personal watercraft and kayaks/canoes, when venturing into Coastal Offshore waters. It is recommended that a VHF marine radio is used, as the 27Mhz type are being phased out. Refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.
Do we have to wear life jackets (PFD’s)? If so, what type?
Under the new regulations, you may be required to wear a specified type of PFD when in an open area of a recreational vessel when the vessel is under way. Refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.
Do we need flares, if so what type?
Many recreational vessels are required to carry 2 hand held red flares and two hand held orange smoke flares of an approved type when operating on coastal and enclosed waters. Red star parachute distress rockets are required by many vessels when venturing greater than 2 nm from the shore. Refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.
Do we need EPIRBs? Where do I buy them?
All recreational vessels venturing more than 2 nm from the coast are required to carry an approved current Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). It is recommended to purchase a digital 406MHz type EPIRB, as the analogue 121.5Mhz type will not be detected after January 2009. It is also recommended that vessels venturing into inland coastal waters carry an EPIRB. Refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook.
Do the rules and regulations apply to me if I have come from interstate?
While you are operating in Victoria waters, you must adhere to Victorian requirements. The exception is that holders of interstate vessel operating licences are automatically recognised in Victoria. Refer to Marine Safety Victoria’s Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook
