THE AUSTRALIAN REEFREP SYSTEM - A COASTAL VESSEL TRAFFIC INFORMATION-SERVICE AND SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM FOR THE TORRES STRAIT REGION AND THEINNER ROUTE OF THE GREAT-BARRIER-REEF

The new Australian ship reporting system, identifier 'REEFREP', Will b e the core component of a Vessel Traffic Information Service (VTIS) co vering the Torres Strait region and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). It i s the first such system to be considered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the terms of the new SOLAS 74 regulation V/8 -I, which entered into force on I January 1996 and allows for ship rep orting systems adopted by the Organization to be made mandatory for al l, or certain categories of vessels. The REEFREP system, planned for i mplementation on I January 1997, extends for some 900 n.m. or about 15 00 km along the Queensland coastline. It will be a VHF radio-based sys tem with radars covering three selected focal points in the Torres Str ait, off Cairns and in the southern approaches to the inner route. The system will provide a capability for a single Ship Reporting Centre t o interact with shipping, enabling the provision of improved informati on on the presence, movements and patterns of skipping in the area and the ability to respond more quickly to an incident or pollution shoul d this occur. An interesting feature and a major factor in the system design is the remoteness of most equipment sites and the limited infra structure available to support communications and data transmission re quiring the application of advanced technology and video transmission, solar power generation and software engineering skills of a high orde r.