Water Safety - Your safety is our concern

The safe operation of rowing craft and associated vessels on Queensland's waterways is a priority for Rowing Queensland. We expect all rowers, coxswains and coaches to behave in a lawful, safe and healthy manner wherever they are boating from across our wonderful state.

If you see a rowing craft or associated vessel being unsafe or operating in a hazardous way, please click here to report it.

For Brisbane River users:

Brisbane River Code of Conduct:
The Brisbane River Code of Conduct is an initiative that was developed by Rowing Queensland in association with the Brisbane City Council, Transdev & Canoeing Queensland in 2015 and was written for the benefit of all commercial and recreational users of the Brisbane River. The Code of Conduct gives a Brisbane focused view of how commercial & tourism operators as well as passive craft should behave and interact on our river. The Code of Conduct is a guide and runs in association with The International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea as well as national and state laws and legislation.

To view the Code of Conduct, please click here.

Brisbane River Safety Video:
The Brisbane RiverShare video because we're in the same boat was put together by the Brisbane City Council, Transdev & Rowing Queensland. It is a great introduction to the Brisbane River for all users. It describes basic traffic rules, traffic flow and general river safety.

Incident Reporting:
If you witness a rowing craft or associated vessel involved in any of the following, please report it as soon as practicable to Rowing Queensland using our online incident report form by clicking here:
- Emergency
- Accident, incident or near miss
- Breaching the Brisbane River Code of Conduct

Any reports will be investigated. Rowing Queensland uses these reports to ensure all of its members are using their respective Queensland waterways safely and to educate other members of the rowing community on potential risks and hazards.

Debris in the Brisbane River:
To report any medium to large debris in the Brisbane River, contact the MSQ Brisbane office on either 07 3632 7500 or brisbane.maritime@msq.qld.gov.au. Please provide as much detail as possible about what the debris is, its location, size, direction and speed of travel as this will help in activating the required response.

Rowing Queensland presentation:
If you would like Rowing Queensland to present on river safety or regatta craft at your club or school, please contact Dave, our Safety & Operations Manager here.

For all waterways in Queensland:

Lighting:
According to maritime law, any vessel operating between sunset and sunrise is required to be lit. These lighting requirements vary depending on the size and style of your vessel. You should also have lights on your vessel in periods of low visibility such as during heavy rain or periods of vog as well as periods of low light such as heavily overcast skies.

Please remember that dawn and dusk are the hardest time for smaller passive craft to be seen by larger ships so be extra vigilant at these times. Fluorescent clothing such as caps and shirts with fluorescent tape can enhance your visibility.

Rowing craft are required to display a flashing white light visible from 360°. This is best achieved by having 2 180° lights mounted on the bow and stern of your vessel.

Depending on the size and style of your coaching tinnie, you are generally required to have a white stern light that is visible from 360° as well as port (red) & starboard (green) sidelights on the bow of the vessel.

Club / School resources & responsibilities:

Safety Management System (SMS):
An SMS clearly sets out an organisation’s approach to safety. It promotes clear understanding of the safety systems and consistency in its application at all levels of the ship’s operation. Importantly, it provides tangible evidence of the precautions and risk mitigation measures that have been taken should the SMS be brought into question following a marine incident. An SMS provides for the development of a safety culture. A safety culture means that there is a commitment to safety at all levels within an organisation.

The owner or master of an other Queensland regulated ship must implement and maintain a SMS to avoid or manage risk to their ship's operation. The SMS document as well as all vessels registered with Transport and Main Roads are auditable by Marine Safety Queensland.

For assistance with putting your SMS together or advice on best practise when it comes to implementing an SMS, please contact Dave, our Safety & Operations Manager by calling 07 3842 1200 or by clicking here. Please find following some useful documents and templates to consider when discussing, writing, implementing or reviewing your SMS document:

Queensland Regulated Ships Technical & Operational Guidelines (March 2022)
Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment (CARA) activity guidelines
Example boat information and sign in sheet
Safety Management System Template here
Licencing Requirements

Induction Process:
Every club and school rowing program is expected to have an induction process for both rowers and coaches at their club. This induction must fit in with each club or school's Safety Management Plan, Safety Management System, Critical Incident Response Plan and all relevant laws and legislation.

Rowing Queensland recommends that as part of this induction process the club or school includes a competency assessment, a knowledge assessment focused on the local waterway and operating areas of the club as well as a safety assessment of each rower. Please find following some examples that can be adapted for use at your club or school:

Competency assessment, supervision and rescue support assessment
Multi-choice safety theory assessment

Other things to consider when inducting coaches are boat licenses (RMDL), Blue Card, coaching accreditation and whether they hold a first aid qualification.

Brisbane River Community Safety Forum:
Rowing Queensland established the Brisbane River Community Safety Forum to further enhance its safety messaging for the Brisbane River. The idea of the group is that all Brisbane River users can have a centralized social media group for the sharing of safety messages to complement the Brisbane City Council & Marine Safety Queensland websites, Beacon to Beacon guides and other such resources.

Coaching Accreditation:
It is recommended that clubs and schools strongly encourage all coaches to complete a minimum Level 1 Coaching Accreditation. There are 4 levels that a rowing coach can complete. An outline of these can be found on the Rowing Australia website here.

The Level 1 course is delivered online and the cost is $180. To register please click here

The level 2 course is delivered through online learning and a one day workshop and the cost is $350. To register please click here.

The level 3 course is run as a five-day workshop every second year in Canberra. For further information, please visit the Rowing Australia website.

Any unaccredited coach wishing to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will need to follow the steps specified in the Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and Procedure document. The cost is $66 for Level 1 and $154 for Level 2.

Shed Safety Audit:
If your club or school would like assistance in completing an audit of your facility, please contact Dave, our Safety & Operations Manager by calling 07 3842 1200 or by clicking here.

BRO Presentation:
If your club or school would like a qualified boat race official to come and help educate your club or school on what to expect at a regatta, great regatta craft and handy tips and tricks, please get in contact with Rowing Queensland by calling 07 3842 1200 or clicking here.

CityCat Interaction (for Brisbane clubs and schools):
Have you ever wondered just how much you can see from the Master's wheelhouse of a CityCat? Rowing Queensland in association with River City Ferries gives new rowers at your school or club the opportunity to take a ride on a CityCat for a Masters perspective of the Brisbane River. To book in this amazing educational experience, please contact us by either calling 07 3842 1200 or sending us an email.