Port Authority of New South Wales works to ensure the safe, reliable and efficient movement of cargo and passenger vessels through Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay, while providing immediate and appropriate responses to safety and environmental incidents.
The Marine Operations team operates 24/7 in the Ports of Sydney and Botany Bay where they provide maritime expertise to all Port stakeholders.
Marine Operations is the public face of Port Authority out in the field, whether on shore or on the waterways. Marine Operations liaises with both internal and external stakeholders and government agencies to assist, advise, participate and promote all Port functions necessary for the Ports to operate safely and efficiently.
Operations has a wide and varied vessel fleet equipped with a range of specialised equipment and highly skilled staff. It has the ability to respond to a number of emergency incidents in the Port areas, including pollution response, fires, salvage, navigation aid failures. Operations patrols the Port waters 24/7. Seagoing commercial shipping is also escorted into and out of the Port areas, ensuring the safe navigation, and mitigation of any hazards to their safe passage.
The PSOL (Port Safety Operating License) issued by the State government to the Port Authority of New South Wales, ensures the Ports are managed to a very high degree and worlds best practice of safety and compliance. Auditing of the safe transfer of bulk dangerous liquids in the Ports, work permits, Passenger ship gangway operations, and Pilotage vessel operations are some of the vast array of functions that Marine services provides.
Through consultation, promulgation of information pertinent to the safe operation of vessels operating in our ports, auditing of practices and intervention where appropriate mitigates the risk of incidents occurring, Port Authority prides itself on its emergency response capabilities. Through the training of our staff and the maintenance of our specialised equipment Marine Operations has built a reputation of being one of the best maritime emergency response teams in the country. This reputation is exemplified by our staff being integral members of both the National Response Team and the State Response Team. The Marine Operations team is the combat agency for fires on Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay and also work closely with Fire and Rescue NSW both training and exercising to prepare for fires both on vessels and in remote areas inaccessible by Fire and Rescue NSW land based assets.