An announcement from OZPWC provides some good news to the world of safety. New South Wales (NSW) Maritime Safety Program, introduced by Sydney’s Melinda Pavey is working. Pavey is the Minister for Roads, Maritime, and Freight. She announced $17 million dollars in funding for Boating Now Round 2 infrastructure projects and launched the Maritime Safety Plan 2017-2021.
The Safety Plan sets the strategic direction in maritime safety during the course of four years. The program is considered a Supporting Plan of the Future Transport 2056 strategy put forth by the Government of NSW. The number of confirmed boating fatalities has decreased by 70% from the time the plan was implemented.. Four fatalities were reported in June 2017, which is the lowest number of causalities recorded in 40 years.
A significant highlight of the plan is to continue the downward trend in fatalities. The long-term goal is to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries to zero on NSW’s waterways. That’s a lofty goal considering an estimated two million people hit the water every year.
NSW will adapt the internationally recognized Safe System approach to the waterways in order to reach the long term goal of zero deaths. This is the first time the use of Safe System will be used on the NSW waterways.
The four principles below make up Safe Systems:
1. People make mistakes
2. People are vulnerable
3. Safety is a shared responsibility
4. All parts of the system must be strengthened
Maritime safety in NSW is shared between many government agencies, private organizations, and individuals. The performance of the plan will be evaluated every year.
An annual report on boating incidents will be included in the evaluation. The primary goal of an annual review is to gauge the statistics of the number of fatalities and serious injuries on NSW waterways. A full progress report will be published in 2019. The details will help in determining what changes the plan may need. Adjustments will be made accordingly.
We touched on a few key points included in the NSW Maritime Plan. Our readers can digest the complete plan here, where it is available for download in pdf format.
