The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) encourages Marine Park vessel operators to use moorings wherever possible, as they are an important step in minimising anchor damage and providing for ecologically sustainable use.

There are three types of moorings in the Marine Park:

• Public moorings
• Privately owned moorings
• Dedicated use moorings.

Public moorings

Public moorings are available to all vessel operators and have been installed by the managing agencies at popular locations. Buoys attached to the moorings are blue in colour with a Marine Parks label explaining the class (vessel length), time limits and maximum wind strength limits that apply to the mooring.

The following public mooring and anchoring brochures contain information about moorings in the Marine Park, including their locations and conditions of use:

• Protecting coral in the northern Great Barrier Reef [  Acrobat Format 1092.97KB ]
• Protecting coral in the Whitsundays [  Acrobat Format 1119.17KB ]

Private moorings and Moorings Register

Privately owned moorings have been installed by regular users of an area, including commercial tourism operators and local residents. The GBRMPA's Moorings Register will help you identify privately owned, permitted moorings at a reef or particular site. You can also search by a mooring’s Reference Number (which will be displayed on each buoy), its location and the person responsible for the mooring (permit holder).

Many mooring owners would rather you pick up a mooring than anchor on coral. Please remember that the moorings are private property and you must have the owners formal permission to use them. In particular, you need to check with the owner to make sure that the mooring is capable of holding your vessel and that your vessel will not move the mooring – potentially causing significant environmental damage as well as damage to the mooring itself.

If you wish to install a mooring of your own, please contact the GBRMPA or email us at permits@gbrmpa.gov.au to obtain the necessary permission. 

Dedicated use moorings initiative in the Whitsundays

The GBRMPA and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) were requested by the Whitsunday Local Marine Advisory Committee, the Tourism and Recreation Reef Advisory Committee, key tourism industry representatives and community groups to investigate a funding contribution mechanism that delivers additional public moorings in the Whitsundays Planning Area, in return for dedicated periods of use of those moorings.

Dedicated use moorings would deliver a high level of operational certainty by improving access to a specific mooring at a regularly visited site, and provide additional safe access for recreational users at other times. Such moorings also create a unique opportunity for increased access for all reef users, and support the existing Reef Protection Program.

In January 2006, the GBRMPA called for registrations of interest to gauge community response to the concept and to help guide the moorings locations and implementation models.

Two working groups have investigated the registrations of interest received and recommendations were summarised in a proposal for public comment on the implementation of dedicated use moorings in the Whitsundays. The proposal was made available for public comment from September to December 2007. Comments received are summarised in the report below. A map with sites requested during public comment is also available. Options and recommendations for the final implementation model are presently being investigated by the managing agencies.

• Summary of public comment on the dedicated use moorings initiative  [  Acrobat Format  215KB ]
• Map of dedicated use mooring sites requested during the public comment phase [  Acrobat Format 1935KB ]

 If you would like more information on dedicated use moorings please contact the Tourism and Recreation Section on (07) 4750 0700 or email tourrec@gbrmpa.gov.au. 

Permit details

If you would like to view the details of a permit relating to a particular mooring please:

1. Note the permit holders name and permit number from the Moorings Register
2. Access Permit Application and Decision Information
   
3. Type the name in the permittee field
4. Search
5. Select the appropriate permit number from the returned list.

If you find any errors or there is information missing, or you would like to provide comment on this service, please email tourrec@gbrmpa.gov.au.

Mooring reference numbers

It is mandatory to display the mooring reference number on all private permitted moorings. If you have a private permitted mooring and are unsure of your mooring reference number, contact the Permits Unit on (07) 4750 0700 or email: permits@gbrmpa.gov.au.

Illegally installed, unpermitted moorings can restrict access by other legitimate users of the Marine Park. The regulations allow the GBRMPA to identify legal, permitted moorings from unpermitted moorings in the Marine Park.

Legal requirements

• You must not remove, misuse or damage a public mooring
• Time limits apply to the use of public moorings
• Mooring reference numbers must be displayed on private permitted moorings
• In general, you must not anchor within 50 metres of moorings or 200 metres of pontoons in the Cairns Planning Area.

I think I’ve found an illegal mooring – who should I tell?

Most structures in the Marine Park, including moorings, require the permission of the GBRMPA and QPWS to be installed and operated. If you suspect a mooring is not legally permitted (for example, if no mooring reference number is displayed on a private mooring), you can use the Incident Reporting form to inform the GBRMPA or local Marine Parks office of the details of the structure.

Alternatively, please contact any of the offices listed at the bottom of the form.

I’ve found a damaged mooring or loose buoy – who should I tell?

If you have found a damaged mooring, please make a note of any markings and it’s GPS position so it can be reported. If you have found a buoy that has come adrift, please report it as below:

Who to contact?

• If it’s a blue Public Mooring, please advise your local Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Office
• If it’s any other colour, it’s a Private Mooring. You can use the online Moorings Register to search for the owner and advise them or email us at permits@gbrmpa.gov.au
• Moorings usually have a number either moulded or engraved into them for example GM0123.

Responsible reef practices

• Where possible always try to use moorings instead of anchoring
• When picking up a mooring:
  • motor into the wind toward the buoy
  • take care to avoid running over the pick up line when approaching the mooring
  • use a boat hook to retrieve the pick-up line
  • attach the pick-up eye to a cleat or strong point on the vessel
• On public moorings read and follow the advice given on an information disc attached to the mooring pick-up line
• Always contact the owner of a private mooring for their permission to use the mooring.

Related links

• Responsible reef practices for tourism operators
• Responsible reef practices for recreational users