STATUTORY RULES.
1926. No. 102.
REGULATIONS UNDER THE NAVIGATION ACT 1912-1926.
I, THE DEPUTY OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Navigation Act 1912-1926, to come into operation on the first day of August, 1926.
Dated this twenty-first day of July, 1926.
SOMERS,
Deputy of the Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
H. E. PRATTEN,
Minister of State for Trade and Customs.
Navigation (River Murray Traffic) Regulations
Short title.
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Navigation (River Murray Traffic) Regulations.
Definitions.
2. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—
“Steamship” includes every vessel propelled by steam and every vessel over 5 tons gross register propelled by other mechanical power;
“Surveyor” means a person appointed under the Navigation Act 1912-1926, to survey ships and their equipment, and includes a person appointed by the Minister to inspect ships; and
“Under way” in relation to a steamship, covers all times when she is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground.
Application.
3. These Regulations shall apply to all steamships used in navigation on the River Murray, or any of its tributaries.
Lights to be exhibited.
4. Every steamship, when under way, shall carry and exhibit from some conspicuous place on each side of the vessel a bright white light. The glass of the lantern shall be, in the case of steamships under 20 tons gross register, not less than 8 inches in diameter, and, in the case of other steamships, not less than 12 inches in diameter, and the construction and position of the lantern shall be at all times subject to the approval of the surveyor.
Additional light for steamer towing barge.
5. Every steamship towing a barge or barges, whether astern or alongside, shall, in addition to the lights prescribed in the last preceding regulation, carry and exhibit on the fore part of the funnel or steam pipe, or in the case of a motor vessel in a position corresponding thereto, a bright white light in a globular lantern of not less than 6 inches in diameter.
Light on barge.
6. The master of every steamship having a barge or barges in tow shall cause a bright white light to be carried and exhibited from a conspicuous place on the fore part of each barge.
C.9283.—Price 3d.
Steamships meeting to reduce speed.
7. Steamships meeting in narrow waters shall keep out of the way of each other, and reduce speed until well clear of each other.
Steamships meeting and passing.
8. Each steamship meeting another shall keep on her own right-hand side of the river.
Up-going steamship to give way.
9. A steamship bound upstream shall give way to a steamship bound downstream.
Steamships overtaking and passing.
10. A steamship overtaking another shall in passing keep the overtaken steamship on her own right hand side.
Use of whistle at bends in river.
11. On approaching a bend in the river a steamship shall, if bound upstream, give one sharp blast, or, if bound downstream, two sharp blasts on the steam whistle or siren.
Steamship at anchor or moored to a bank.
12. A steamship at anchor or moored to a bank, but not in port, shall carry and exhibit in a position at least 10 feet above the deck, and so arranged as to be visible in all directions, a bright white light in a globular lantern not less than 6 inches in diameter.
Steamship aground or disabled.
13. If aground or disabled, a steamship shall, on the approach of another steamship, give three sharp blasts on the steam whistle or siren, or, if steam be not available, then three sharp blasts with a fog-horn.
Lights to be exhibited every night
14. The lights prescribed by these Regulations, and no others, shall be carried and exhibited by a steamship every night from sunset to sunrise:
Provided that, when a steamship is under way, an electric searchlight may also be used from a position between the two white lights prescribed in regulation 4 of these Regulations, but it must be shut off or screened off on approaching, or being approached by, another vessel in sufficient time to prevent inconvenience to that vessel.
All other proper precautions to be taken.
15. Nothing in these Regulations shall exonerate any vessel or her owner or master from the consequences of any neglect of any precaution required by the ordinary practice of navigation on the River Murray or its tributaries, or by the special circumstances of the case.
Reservation of rules of local authority.
16. Nothing in these Regulations shall interfere with the operation of any special rule, duly made by any competent authority, as to navigation in any lock, or in the immediate vicinity of any lock or bridge on the River Murray, or any of its tributaries.
Regulations as to collisions, lights and signals.
17. (1) These Regulations shall, for the purposes of section 258 of the Navigation Act 1912-1926, be the regulations to be observed for the prevention of collisions, and as to the lights and signals to be used by steamships to which these Regulations apply.
(2) The owner or master of any steamship to which these Regulations apply who contravenes any of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to the penalties provided in section 258 of the Navigation Act 1912-1926.
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.