Untreated sewage

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983 requirements for vessels that hold untreated sewage are:

• All fixed toilets on vessels need to be fitted with a macerator to reduce the sewage into a fine slurry so as to be sparsely visible and speed up the breakdown of the waste in the receiving environment. Most electric toilets contain macerators or they can be purchased separately.
• If you carry 16 or more people on your boat you will need to store your sewage and may discharge it at least 1 nautical mile or 1.852 km seawards from the nearest reef, island, mainland or an aquaculture facility.
• If you carry 15 or less people on your boat, you may discharge untreated sewage in the Marine Park if you are outside of a boat harbour or marina or more than 1 nautical mile or 1.852 km from an aquaculture facility.

Maritime Safety Queensland has introduced nil discharge requirements for untreated sewage in Queensland waters.

For more information on these and Queensland vessel-based sewage regulations for coastal waters please visit the Maritime Safety Queensland website.

Treated sewage

The requirements for treated sewage under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations

• Grade A sewage 
• All vessels - no discharge inside a harbour, canal or marine 

• Grade B sewage 
• No discharge within 0.7km of:
• seaward of the nearest reef
• any person in water 
• seaward edge of any aquaculture operation 
• all vessels - no discharge inside a harbour, canal or marine 

• Grade C sewage 
• No discharge within 0.926km of:
• seaward of the nearest reef
• any person in water 
• seaward edge of any aquaculture operation
• all vessels - no discharge inside a harbour, canal or marine 

A quick guide for the various grades of treated sewerage as listed below:

• Grade C is the lowest level of treatment
• Grade B is a higher level of treatment
• Grade A is the highest form of sewage treatment and these systems allow the greatest flexibility for vessel operators to comply with the various sewage discharge requirements.

For a definition of Grade A, B and C treated sewage, refer to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations as described in Regulation 93B and sub-regulation 135(3).

Commercial vessels in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Vessel sewage regulations for the Marine Park do not place any additional requirements on commercial vessels regarding vessel sewage. However, vessels undertaking commercial activities in the Marine Park generally require written permission from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and/or the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

These permissions or permits may stipulate additional requirements for vessels to manage their sewage in some circumstances, for example, at tourist pontoons.

Maritime Safety Queensland has different requirements for commercial vessels.

Cruise ships in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

1. The managing agencies encourage best practice waste management be undertaken by cruise ship operators and expect cruise ship operators will comply with all relevant Annexes of the International Marine Pollution Convention (MARPOL 73/78). These obligations are given effect in Australia by the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983* and in Queensland State waters by the Transport Operations (Marine Pollution) Act 1995.

* Grey water and sewage are defined in this legislation.

2. Due to the volume of cruise ship holding tanks, the managing agencies, in accordance with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) require:

• Treated sewage (from an International Maritime Organisation [IMO] approved plant) is only discharged from holding tanks when at least three nautical miles or 5.556 km seaward of a reef, island or mainland.
• Macerated and disinfected sewage (from an IMO approved plant) is not discharged in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Cruise ships must only discharge this type of sewage if located at least three nautical miles or 5.556 km from the seaward boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (which is taken as 'nearest land' by the IMO*).
• Untreated or treated sewage (from a non IMO approved plant) must not be discharged into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park or an area at least 12 nautical miles or 22.224 km from the boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

3. In addition, due to concern about the tidal range and flow between all the small bays, reefs and islands, managing agencies require through permission conditions that any waste is not discharged when operating within the Whitsunday Planning Area.

* ‘Nearest land’ boundary extends around the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef / Torres Strait region and, where MARPOL states a specific distance from land for a discharge to occur, this must be measured seaward from this boundary, and, where MARPOL does not state a distance, the discharge may be allowed, taking into consideration any additional requirements imposed by State legislation. ‘Discharge’ is at a prescribed moderate rate when the ship is en route and proceeding not less than four knots.

Ships on international voyages

All ships engaged in international voyages (including cruise ships and trading ships) have to comply with all relevant Annexes of the International Marine Pollution Convention (MARPOL 73/78).

For more details on these requirements please visit the Australian Maritime Safety Authority website.

Cruise ship operations within the Great Barrier Reef

• Why are Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requirements different?
• Vessel sewage regulations for the Marine Park were introduced on 1 January 2005. At that time, the regulations for the discharge of vessel sewage were aligned with those of Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
• Queensland legislation has progressively changed regarding vessel operating requirements, with the final phase commencing on 1 January 2010. This phase focused on vessels with more than six persons onboard and mainly applied to the discharge of untreated sewage.

• What are the differences between coastal waters and the Marine Park?
• Maritime Safety Queensland has legislation regarding discharge in Queensland coastal waters which is from the mean low water mark to an approximate distance of the three nautical mile limit that excludes Hervey Bay waters, northern Moreton Bay waters, designated prohibited discharge waters, and smooth waters.
• Legislation administered by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) also covers these waters from the mean low water mark (jointly managed with the Queensland Government) and extends to the outer boundary of the Reef. Refer to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park map which shows boundaries of the Marine Park and World Heritage Area. Vessel sewage discharge restriction maps are available on the Maritime Safety Queensland website.

• I am operating a tourism business in the Whitsundays. Which regulations do I have to abide by?
• The Whitsunday area is within coastal waters and hence falls under both the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Government jurisdiction. It is therefore necessary that all vessels operating in the Whitsundays are familiar with both sets of regulations.
• For information on the Queensland requirements visit the Maritime Safety Queensland website. For information on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority requirements refer to the commercial vessels section of this website.
• All vessels and particularly tourism vessel operations should adopt Responsible Reef Practices to protect one of the greatest natural areas under their care — The Great Barrier Reef. All operators are encouraged to use pump-out facilities.

• Where can I pump out vessel sewage?
• Tourism operators and recreational users are encouraged to use pump-out facilities as much as practicable. The number of marinas and ports offering pump-out facilities is increasing.
• Check with your regular port of call to see if they have a pump-out facility or are planning to install one in the near future. Maritime Safety Queensland has up to date information regarding marinas and ports that offer pump-out facilities and indicate planned installations for the future.

• What type of treatment system should I buy for my fixed toilet?
• A treatment system manufacturer should be able to advise you on the capabilities of a range of treatment systems and help you to determine the best one for your vessel.
• Generally, tertiary treatment systems remove at least 90 per cent of the nutrients present in the sewage.
• Grade A and Grade B systems macerate, disinfect and remove some of the nutrients in the sewage while Grade C systems tend only to macerate and disinfect the sewage.

• What are the fines for discharging vessel sewage in the wrong places?
• A penalty of A$5500 applies to person/s engaged in unlawful conduct causing the discharge of sewage in, or into, the Marine Park.
• Please contact your local Maritime Safety Queensland office for further details on the penalties for discharging vessel sewage in the wrong place within Queensland coastal waters.