Public Notices

Parks Victoria as the declared waterway manager for the Yarra River upstream of the port waters of the Port of Melbourne, makes the following declaration under section 203(3) of the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic).

For the purposes of boating activity conducted by Rowing Victoria, persons and vessels involved in the Australian Henley Regatta are exempt from the following requirements:

1. Clause 2(a) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of a person in the water; 

2. Clause 2(c) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 meters of another vessel;

3. Clause 3(a) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of the water’s edge;

4. Clause 3(b) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of a fixed or floating structure;

5. Clause 3.1 of Schedule 3 – 5 knot speed restriction on the Yarra River;

6. Clause 3.4(a) of Schedule 3 – Vessels proposing to berth at the boathouses must approach the berthing area from downstream and after passing through the southern arch of the Princes Bridge.

Subject to the conditions detailed below:

• Masters of competing vessels are only exempt from 2 to 6 in the above list when competing in the event. 

• Masters of rescue vessels are only exempt from items 1 to 5 provided they do not exceed the speed of a competing rowing vessel unless undertaking a rescue operation to retrieve persons in distress, provide for their initial medical or other needs and deliver them to a place of safety on shore.

• Occupants of rescue and official vessels involved in the event must wear a personal floatation device at all times.

• The event is operating under the auspices of Rowing Victoria, including the Rowing Victoria Safety Management Plan, which meets the criteria of Clause 3 of the Exemption Notice made under the Marine Regulations 1999 in respect of the exemption for rowing vessels to not carry or wear a personal flotation device.

• The exemptions apply from 6.00 am to 7.00 pm on Saturday 26th February within the exclusion zone waters on the Yarra River from the rowing pavilion number 5 Boathouse Drive to the upstream end of Federation Wharf extending to Church St Bridge, provided the stated safety controls and undertakings detailed in the application form and associated documentation are adhered to.