The conditional rules for waterways are described in detail in the Guide to Vessel Operating and Zoning Rules for Victorian waters.

Schedules for waterways detailed in this document are a reproduction of official notices published in the Victoria Government Gazette and cannot be used for legal purposes.  Each Schedule as reproduced is referenced with the relevant Gazette number(s) in a table at the end of the Schedule.

Water Level – Lake Charlegrark Refer to Schedule 145 Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 1.8m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 1.8m AHD (5 knots all waters)

Water Level – Lake Hume Refer to Schedule 095 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 11%, 171.2m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 11%, 171.19m AHD (Speed restrictions apply)

If you want to conduct boating activity or hold an on-water event and need an exemption or a modification from a rule to do so a boating activity exemption is required for the duration of the event.

Water level – Cairn Curran Refer to Schedule 052 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 200.0 m AHD (27%) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 13% and Less than 27% Vessel Operating Rules Less than 13% 5 knots all waters

The waters of Goulburn River beneath Chinamans Bridge and immediately upstream and downstream of the bridge as marked by lines of yellow buoys are prohibited to vessels, excluding Span 6 of the bridge that remains open for vessels to transit under the bridge.

The WSMS will gather important information about the operation of vessels on Victorian waterways, help ST Vic to understand the risks associated with waterway usage, and help improve the safety of all waterway users.

The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.

Information collected by the WSMS will include vessel attributes (registration number, type, length, colour), vehicle and vessel trailer registration (as a by-product within the field of view of the cameras), and photographic/video information of vessel operators and passengers. This information will only be used if it is determined that waterway rules have been breached. All information will be stored in accordance with Victorian Government data security requirements.

Note: Waterway manager the Department of Sustainability and Environment is now the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

Water Level – Lake Narracan Refer to Schedule 130 Water Level Southern Rural Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 55%, 46.50 AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 54.99%, 45.499 AHD (5 knots all waters)

However, in future phases of the program, infringement notices may be issued to registered vessel owners where breaches of established waterway rules have been detected

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Once operational, if breaches to Waterway Rules are detected by the WSMS, it will generate a report for independent review by ST Vic Transport Safety Officers.

Water Level – Melton Reservoir Refer to Schedule 150 Water Level Southern Rural Water Vessel Operating Rules Less than (15%)74 AHD (5 knots all waters) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than (15%) 74 AHD & Less than (20%) 75.0m AHD (Speed restrictions apply) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than (20%) 75.0m AHD

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The WSMS uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to determine if specified criteria (based on Waterway Rules) are breached including:

A 5 knot speed restriction applies to the waters of Lake Eppalock upstream of The Strait including Metcalfe Pool and Madden Reach when the water level is 185.0 AHD or less.

Follow the links to view the following new or amended rules on the Victoria Government Gazette website. Links will open in a new window.

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Water level – Lake Boga  Refer to Schedule 074 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 67.5m Vessel Operating Rules Less than 67.5m 5 knots all waters

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The waterway rules as detailed in Schedule 49, Lake Eppalock, Clause 49.6 and 49.2(b)(i) as published in the Victoria Government Gazette, S221 on 28 June 2012 are temporarily revoked for the term of this Urgent Safety Rule.

Waterway rules are designed to provide a safe operating environment, to cater for the wide range of boating and water activities, to separate different activities where needed on the basis of safety, and to reflect local conditions.

Water Level – Lake Eppalock Refer to Schedule 049 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 180.0m Vessel Operating Rules Less than 180.0m (5 knots all waters)

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Waterway managers, port management bodies and local port managers publish their own boating activity exemption declarations and activity exclusion zone and works notices for waters under their control, on their websites.

Below is information about proposed new or amended waterway rules and the reasons Safe Transport Victoria has made or changed a waterway rule.

The Guide to Vessel Operating and Zoning Rules (VOZR) details the operating rules in place for Victorian waterways. There are general State Rules that apply for all waters in the State and Scheduled waterway rules that reflect local conditions for specific waterways

These conditional rules are to address safety risks and often significantly change what activities can be performed on the waterway.

The Schedules reproduced in this section are Notices made under either the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) (MSA) or the preceding Marine Act 1988 (Vic) (MA).  The table at the end of each Schedule also details the legislation that the waterway rule has been made under.

Water Level – Waranga Basin Refer to Schedule 085 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 114.38 m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 114.38 m AHD (5 knots all waters)

Water Level – Lake Lonsdale Refer to Schedule 071 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 1.499m Vessel Operating Rules Less than 1.499m (5 knots all waters)

Placing the WSMS at different locations will allow the system to “learn” how to accurately detect different vessel types and waterway environments, and assess whether waterways rules have been breached.

Water Level – Lake Glenmaggie Refer to Schedule 111 Water Level Southern Rural Water Vessel Operating Rules Less than 25% (5 knots all waters) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 25% and Less than 44% (5 knots some sections) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 44%

The Victorian Government acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging.

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Based on an approach used in other Australian jurisdictions, the Waterway Safety Monitoring System (WSMS) will use a mobile trailer mounted camera system to capture footage of vessel operations and then process that footage (video and photographic) to determine if vessels have breached established waterway rules.

An exclusion zone is a form of control measure that can help keep other persons and vessels away from a higher risk activity or event or works and help control an activity/event by keeping the participants in the specified area for the duration of an event(s). They are typically used for high risk or high-speed events or for works activity.

Waterway rules identify: speed limits and safety distances, vessel prohibited zones, exclusive use and special purpose areas, prohibition of specific activities.

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Water Level – Lake Nagambie Refer to Schedule 091 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Less than 123.9m (5 knots all waters) Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 123.9m

Safe Transport Victoria is continuing to pilot a waterway safety camera system, called the Waterway Safety Monitoring System (WSMS), at various locations across Victoria.

Water Level – Lake Wendouree Refer to Schedule 042 Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 450.4m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 450.4m AHD (Powered vessels prohibited)

Below is a list of current emergency waterway closures, emergency operating rules and urgent safety rules on Victorian waterways.

Water Level – Lake Fyans Refer to Schedule 71 Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 1.5m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 1.5m AHD (5 knots all waters)

Below is a list of declarations and notices relating to temporary rule exemptions and/or waterway closures for boating activity, special events or works on, over or under waters we manage and unmanaged waters.

Water Level – Laanecoorie Refer to Schedule 065 Water Level GM Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than (31.5%) 158.4 m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than (31.5%) 158.4 m AHD (Speed restrictions apply)

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Water Level – Pykes Creek Refer to Schedule 041 Water Level Southern Rural Water Vessel Operating Rules Greater than 385.5m AHD Vessel Operating Rules Less than 385.5m AHD (5 knots all waters)

The following documents outline our reasons for making or not making a requested waterway rule. The rule is not current until published in the list above.

The table provides an alphabetical list of Victorian waterways, alongside the name of the associated waterway manager and schedule number.

Water Level – Hazelwood Refer to Schedule 110 Vessel Operating Rules Less than 200mm below spillway Vessel Operating Rules 200mm or more below spillway (5 knots all waters)

Follow the links to view current requests from waterway managers to propose waterway rules on the Victoria Government Gazette website. Links will open in a new window.

Water Level – Lake Wartook Refer to Schedule 047 Vessel Operating Rules Water release of 500 mega litres or less Vessel Operating Rules Water release of 500 mega litres or more (Vessels Prohibited)