Mooring access

Why is this project important?

Boating activity will increase in the future. We need to accommodate this increase while managing the marine estate's social, economic, and environmental benefits.

This project aims to meet the demand for safe and sustainable boating access to our waterways.

What are we doing?

We are working to review and modernise the strategy for mooring management and administration to improve access to moorings.

• Continued implementation of policies for processing and issuing of moorings
• Optimise mooring density in mooring fields to better meet demand
• Working with the Department of Planning to streamline approval pathways for moorings under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021
• Ongoing investigation of mooring standards and progressing options to install environmentally friendly moorings (EFMs), where appropriate, will inform a review of numbers available at every mooring field in the state

What have we achieved so far?

• Stage 1 and 2 of the CSIRO EFM trial have been completed and in water trials of EFMs have commenced.
• Regular mooring audits have been incorporated in business-as-usual practices, with each mooring being audited every 2 years, with high-risk moorings being the priority.
• Completed development and public consultation on Policy Options to improve management of recreational vessels that are reaching or have reached the end of their useful life.
• Public consultation included livestream events and concluded 20 January 2023. Public submissions and survey responses are being analysed.

Statewide

Department of Transport NSW, Maritime

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCCEEW)