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Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Maritime Ship Licence) Determination 2025
Schedule 9Maintaining watch
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Schedule 9—Maintaining watch
(section 16)
| Item | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of ship | Kind of listening watch | Requirements | |
| 1 | Ship equipped in accordance with GMDSS, and fitted with a VHF DSC radio installation | Continuous watch on VHF DSC channel 70 (156.525 MHz) using a watchkeeping receiver | No requirement |
| 2 | Ship equipped in accordance with GMDSS, and fitted with an MF radio installation | Continuous watch on 2187.5 kHz (a distress and safety DSC frequency) using a watchkeeping receiver | No requirement |
| 3 | Ship equipped in accordance with GMDSS | (a) Continuous watch on 2187.5 kHz and 8414.5 kHz (distress and safety DSC frequencies) using a watchkeeping receiver(b) Continuous watch using a watchkeeping receiver on at least one of the following distress and safety DSC frequencies, as appropriate to the time of day and the ship’s geographical position:(i) 4207.5 kHz(ii) 6312 kHz(iii) 12,577 kHz(iv) 16,804.5 kHz | No requirement |
| 4 | Ship equipped in accordance with GMDSS | Continuous watch for satellite shore-to-ship distress alert relays | No requirement |
| 5 | Every ship | Radio watch for broadcast of maritime safety information | The watch must be kept on the appropriate frequency on which the information is broadcast for the area where the ship is located |
| 6 | Every ship | Continuous (where practicable) listening watch on VHF channel 16 (156.8 MHz) | The watch must be kept at the position from which the ship is normally navigated |
Note 1: The Australian Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Handbook provides further information regarding the GMDSS and is available, free of charge, from AMSA’s website at www.amsa.gov.au.
Note 2: The Marine Operators Handbook and the Marine VHF Radio Operators Handbook provide further information regarding marine radio use. Both Handbooks are available, free of charge, from the Australian Maritime College’s website at www.amc.edu.au/industry/omc.