Port Procedures and Information for Shipping – Port Alma

Port Alma is situated approximately 60km by road from the city of Rockhampton on the southern end of the Fitzroy River delta. The principal cargoes handled are class 1 explosives, ammonium nitrate, bulk tallow and military equipment for exercises held regularly at Shoalwater Bay to the north of Rockhampton.

Port Procedures and Information for Shipping – Port of Port Alma (PDF, 2.71 MB) (last updated April 2012).

This document has also been split into sections for easy download (as a result some links within the sections may not work).

• Table of contents (PDF, 212 KB)
  • List of tables
  • Table of amendments
• Section 1 – Introduction (PDF, 123 KB) 
  • General
  • Port description
  • Purpose
  • Datum
  • Definitions
  • Contact information
  • Rules and regulations
• Section 2 – Arrival and departure procedures (PDF, 120 KB)
  • General
  • Arrival checklist
  • Departure checklist
  • Quarantine
  • Customs
  • Arrival/departure report
  • Dangerous goods
  • AUSREP
  • REEFVTS
  • Security
• Section 3 – Movement and traffic procedures (PDF, 124 KB)
  • General
  • Harbour control centre
  • Prior notification of movements
  • QSHIPS
  • Reporting defects
  • Schedule changes
  • Pilotage delays and cancellations
  • Movement clearance notification
  • Anchoring
  • Reporting requirements
• Section 4 – Port description (PDF, 95 KB)
  • General
  • Pilotage area
  • Load lines
  • Maximum vessel size
  • Time zone
  • Working hours
  • Charts and books
  • Shipping announcements
• Section 5 – Port infrastructure (PDF, 113 KB)
  • Port Alma berth information
  • Anchorage areas
  • Lighthouses and leading lights
  • Buoys and beacons at Port Alma
  • Channel and berth depths
• Section 6 – Weather information (PDF, 112 KB)
  • General
  • Cyclone procedures
  • Tidal information
  • Water density
• Section 7 – Port navigation and movement restrictions (PDF, 123 KB)
  • General
  • Speed
  • Arrival movement criteria
  • Departure movement criteria
  • Passing criteria
  • Under keel clearances
  • Dangers approaching pilot boarding ground
• Section 8 – Pilotage (PDF, 111 KB)
  • Vessels that require a pilot
  • Pilotage area
  • Night pilotage
  • Request for pilot
  • Pilot boarding position
  • Pilotage requirements for Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef (GBR)
• Section 9 – Tug procedures (PDF, 100 KB)
  • General
  • Tug requirement guidelines
  • Ships anchors
• Section 10 – Work permits (PDF, 102 KB)
  • General
  • Work permits
• Section 11 – Dangerous cargo (PDF, 108 KB)
  • General
  • Dangerous cargo information
  • Dangerous cargo events
• Section 12 – Port safety (PDF, 129 KB)
  • Emergency contact numbers
  • Authorities
  • Fire
  • Emergency procedures for vessels carrying explosives and ammonium nitrate
  • Port evacuation
  • Marine pollution
  • Marine incidents
• Section 13 – Security (PDF, 89 KB)
  • General
  • Port security contacts
  • National security
• Section 14 – Port state control inspections (PDF, 93 KB)
• Section 15 – Port services (PDF, 88 KB)
  • Bunkering
  • Fresh water
  • Waste
  • Shipping agencies
  • The Missions to Seamen (Port Office)
• Section 16 – Appendices (PDF, 2.32 MB)
  • Port Alma port layout (PDF, 131 KB)
  • VTS vessel booking application form (PDF, 106 KB)
  • Exempt movement report (PDF, 93 KB)
  • VTIS A3 vessel details form (PDF, 185 KB)
  • Port Alma pilotage area (PDF, 188 KB)
  • Dangerous cargo report (PDF, 148 KB)
  • Dangerous cargo report event report (form F3220) (PDF, 100 KB)
  • Arrival/departure report (PDF, 408 KB)
  • Pilot boarding grounds (Port Alma) (PDF, 260 KB)
  • Pilot boarding ladder arrangements (PDF, 481 KB)
  • Marine pollution report form (PDF, 102 KB)
  • Marine incident report (PDF, 202 KB)
  • Defects report form AMSA 355 (PDF, 156 KB)
  • Example – gas-free status declaration (PDF, 82 KB)
  • Example – permission to immobilise main engines (PDF, 92 KB)
  • Pilotage passage plan (PDF, 150 KB)
  • Cyclone tracking chartlet – eastern Australia (PDF, 541 KB)

Contact information

• Regional Harbour Master (Gladstone)
  Phone: +61 7 4973 1200^z
  Fax: +61 7 4972 5520^w
  Email: RHMGladstone@msq.qld.gov.au
• Harbour control
  Phone: +61 7 4973 1208^z
  Fax: +61 7 4972 5520^w
  Email: VTS-Gladstone@msq.qld.gov.au
  VHF radio: channels 13 and 16
• Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited
  Phone: +61 7 4976 1333^z
  Fax +61 7 4972 3045^w
• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
• Customs
• Bureau of Meteorology