Barges and towed vessels

A barge is a flat-bottomed vessel typically pushed or towed for the transport of heavy goods. Barges and dredges are classified by AQIS legislation as vessels and are subject to quarantine pre-arrival reporting requirements.

Towed vessels include, but are not limited to the following vessel types:

• Barges (dumb barges; jack-up barges; pipe-laying barges)
• Dredges
• Mobile offshore drilling units (semi-submersible rigs; jack-up rigs)
• Floatels (floating accommodation barges)

AQIS legislation manages these types of vessels in two streams:

• Vessels that are greater than 25 metres; and
• Vessels that are less than 25 metres.

All international vessels, including barges and dredges, that are sailed, motored or towed into Australia are subject to pratique or first port inspection on arrival.

Where vessels are towed from overseas and are transferred to an Australian vessel outside the territorial sea for delivery into a port or a tow vessel operating in an offshore installation, the master of the tow vessel (tug) is required to submit a Quarantine Pre-arrival report (QPAR).