APEC Restrictions -Sydney Harbour

by NSW Maritime on 30 Aug 2007 The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2007 ('the Event') will take place in Sydney from Sunday 2 September 2007 to Sunday 9 September 2007. The Event will involve the use of vessels on parts of the navigable waters of Port Jackson and restrict the availability of those navigable waters for normal use by the public.

The Maritime Authority of NSW (trading as NSW Maritime) has issued APEC Australia 2007 with an Exclusive Use Aquatic Licence for the Event which authorises Exclusive Use of navigable waters identified as Exclusive Use Security Exclusion Zones (more fully described below).

NSW Maritime declares the Event to be a Major Event and a Special Event under the Water Traffic Regulations – NSW.

The navigable waters comprising the Special Event Area and the specified times are:

Port Jackson – navigable waters bounded in the West by an imaginary straight line between Manns Point and Long Nose Point, including Darling Harbour and waters to Anzac Bridge, and in the East by an imaginary straight line between Robertsons Point Light, Bradleys Head, Point Piper, Clark Island and Garden Island, during the period from 9.00AM Tuesday 21 August 2007 to 7.00pm Tuesday 11 September 2007.

The Aquatic Licence authorises APEC Australia 2007 to have Exclusive Use of Security Exclusion Zones marked by a perimeter of yellow lit buoys within the Special Event Areas between Tuesday 21 August 2007 and Tuesday 11 September 2007 located as follows:

In Darling Harbour off Wharves 7 and 8 between 9.00AM on 21 August 2007and 7.00PM on 11 September 2007 as sign posted;

In Cockle Bay Darling Harbour, South of a line from the Southern end of Convention Jetty to a point opposite on the Eastern side of Cockle Bay between 9.00AM on 2 September 2007and 9.00AM on 10 September 2007;

Around Bennelong Point including Man o’ War Steps and In Farm Cove between Bennelong Point and Mrs Macquaries Point from 12.00PM on 4 September 2007 to 7.00PM on 10 September 2007; and 200 metres around any vessel identified by the attendance of a Police Vessel or Maritime Vessels operating flashing blue and / or red beacon lights.

The Security Exclusion Zone areas apply to Vessel Operators of the following vessels:
(a) all recreational vessels;

(b) commercial vessels operating in pursuance of their ordinary or commercial activities of the navigable waters concerned; and

(c) passenger ferries on their usual route or time table for the day.

The General Manager Recreational Boating of NSW Maritime directs that in relation to the Special Event and Security Exclusion Zone areas Vessel Operators must:

maintain a speed of six knots or less within an area bounded in the West by the imaginary line from Blues Point to Millers Point on the Western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the East by an imaginary line from Kirribilli Point to the Westernmost point of Pinchgut Island (Fort Denison) thence to the Northernmost point of Mrs Macquaries Point, excluding the area covered by the Port of Sydney (Sydney Cove) Sydney Cove Area and Darling Harbour where the current speed limit of eight knots will be unchanged from 9.00AM Wednesday 5 September until 9.00AM Monday 10 Sept unless the Vessel Operator is operating a public passenger ferry on a public passenger service conducted according to regular routes and timetables,

not enter a Security / Exclusion Zone area;

not stop or anchor within 200 metres of a Security Exclusion Zone area; unless authorised to do so by a NSW Maritime Officer or a Police Officer; and
comply with any directions given by a NSW Maritime Officer or a Police Officer in relation to the Special Event or marine safety.