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 City of Melbourne, persons and vessels involved in the 2025 Moomba Festival are exempt from the following requirements:

State Rules made under the Marine Act 1988

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 metres 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 14(a) – vessels must travel in an anticlockwise direction on inland waters

6. Claude 19(a) – an observer must be used when towing a person

7. Clause 19(b) – the master of a vessel must not tow more than 3 persons

8. Clause 19(c) – the master of a vessel must not tow a person between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise

Waterway Rules made under the Marine Safety Act 2010 / Marine Act 1988

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

10. Clause 3.3(a) of Schedule 3 – Prohibition of swimmers on the waters of the Yarra River upstream of port waters of the Port of Melbourne

11. Clause 3.3 (b) of Schedule 3 – Prohibition of personal watercraft on the waters of the Yarra River upstream of port waters of the Port of Melbourne 

12. Clause 3.3(c)(i) of Schedule 3 – Areas of the Yarra River upstream of port waters of the Port of Melbourne to Dight’s Falls where berthing and mooring is prohibited

Marine Safety Regulations 2023

13. Regulation 60 – Master must not engage in towing unless an observer is on board

14. Regulation 61(5) – Master requirement to carry listed safety equipment on vessel on inland waters (waterproof buoyant torch)

15. Regulation 61(6) – Master requirement to carry lifejacket on vessel on inland waters for each person onboard (or being towed)

16. Regulation 66(3) – persons on vessels must wear a lifejacket of type specified at all times when underway on inland waters

17. Regulation 69 – a person being towed must wear a lifejacket

18. Regulation 70(1) – vessel master must not operate the vessel unless persons on board when underway or being towed wear a lifejacket

19. Regulation 70(2) – vessel master must not tow person unless wearing lifejacket

Marine Safety Regulations 2023 Modification

20. A lifejacket of a type described in Part 4 & 7 of “Schedule 1 - Types of Lifejackets”, of the Marine Safety Regulations 2023 (MSRs) is modified to include a lifejacket is deemed a Level 50S lifejacket or a Type 3 lifejacket if it is a purpose designed wetsuit with impact protection and built-in buoyancy to float the wearer as per International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation rules.

Subject to the conditions detailed below:

• Masters of rescue vessels (including PWCs) are exempt from items 1-5 and item 9 only when undertaking a rescue operation to retrieve persons in distress and provide for their initial medical or other needs and deliver them to a place of safety.

• Masters of Moomba Masters course vessels are exempt from items 3-5 & 9 when conducting course sweeps that are part of safety preparation for the events, provided they are conducted by one vessel only at a time and all other vessels are positioned at the edge of the river.  

• Masters of tournament/ski show vessels are exempt from items 2-5, 8-9, 12 & 14 when actively involved in 2025 Moomba Masters events.

• Masters of tournament/ski show vessels are only exempt from items 7, 15, 18 & 19 when towing and retrieving water skiers who are participating in trick skiing events and exempt from items 16 & 17 in accordance with these conditions.

• Only skiers participating in the following trick skiing activities are exempt from items 16 & 17 during the below events, wear a strobe light and or a good quality glow stick that is visible from shore:

o A 3-person high pyramid on the second or third tier

o The rope held by the toe manoeuvres

o Swivel acts; and

o Double couple acts

• Competitors involved in 2025 Moomba Masters and participants of the Birdman Rally events are exempt from item 10 during the event only.

• Masters of PWC vessels are only exempt from items 5-6, 11 & 13 during event times.

• Masters of Vessels involved in the clown comedy act are exempt from items 6 & 13. 

• All event vessels (including PWCs) must adhere to state and scheduled waterway rules during designated Transit Times, including 5 knot speed restrictions. 

• Ski Show participants being towed must wear a flotation device that complies with item 20 Modification that is a purpose designed wetsuit with impact protection and built-in buoyancy to float the wearer as per International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation rules.

• All persons on vessels and skiers associated with these events must wear a lifejacket (unless exempt from items 16 & 17 in accordance with these conditions), and vessels must have all prescribed safety equipment (unless exempt from items 14 in accordance with these conditions), including rescue vessels.

• In the event of any injuries which result in hospitalisation, a fatality or an incident involving a person or vessel not involved in the event, these must be immediately reported to Victoria Police and Safe Transport Victoria (ST Vic). In the case of all other incidents ST Vic requires incident reports within seven (7) days and a finalised report within 30 days. 

• The exemptions only apply within the exclusion zones for the location, time and date as specified in Table 1 and 2, below.

• The exemptions apply provided the stated safety controls and undertakings detailed in the application form and associated documentation are adhered to.