Environmental Information
All boat owners and contractors need to be aware of and adhere to the following guidelines regarding hull cleaning. The Environmental Protection Act 1986 makes it an offence to cause pollution and environmental harm and additionally the Environmental Protection (Unauthorized Discharges) Regulations 2004 identifies substances that cannot be released in to the environment. The Department of Parks and Wildlife works closely with RFBYC to continually improve environmental management, identifying risks and ensuring best management practices. Under this system we don’t recommend any abrasive in-water hull cleaning.
To view the guidelines for hull cleaning at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
The following points should be noted :
1. In-water hull scraping or any underwater process that could remove antifouling paint from the
vessels hull or create a plume is prohibited.
2. Vessels with biocide free coatings, that are designed to withstand regular in-water cleaning and
are free from fouling should be wiped with a soft cloth to maintain these finishes.
Slime, algal scum and filamentous weed may be removed by wiping down with a soft cloth
using gentle non-abrasive cleaning techniques.
Vessels with hard, polished finishes should be wiped with a soft cloth to maintain these finishes
to ensure the efficacy of the antifouling treatment.
3. If the type of antifoul coating cannot be reliably determined then it should be assumed the
coating contains biocides and other pollutants and should not be cleaned in water.
4. Low copper, hard paints and long lasting, low-toxicity paints should be used in lieu of soft
ablative paints.
5. If scraping of the hull is required, the vessel must be removed from the water and cleaning
performed where debris can be captured and properly disposed of.
6. Any detergents used to clean boats on the river must be phosphate free, biodegradable, used
minimally and are not to enter the water.
7. Detergents containing ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, chlorinated solvents, petroleum
distillates or any other noxious or poisonous substance should not be used.
8. As per Swan and Canning Rivers legislation, any commercial act or activity within the
Development Control Area or Riverpark requires approval from the Department of Parks and
Wildlife (Rivers and Estuaries)
Waterways Education
The Club’s Integrated Environmental Management System document is under regular review and demonstrates the Club’s commitment to best practice.
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club has undertaken the Clean Marina Programme.
Clean marina programme
The Clean Marinas Australia programme is a voluntary campaign to encourage environmental compliance and the use of best management practices for Australia’s marina industries. It endeavours to protect our inland and coastal waterways through an accreditation process involving three steps:
Level 1: The Clean Marina Pledge – a public commitment to improve
Level 2: Clean Marina – Self Assessment
Level 3: Clean Marina – Independent Assessment – acknowledges the achievement of rigorous environmental management systems
Operational guidelines for environmental management including processes for pumpouts, hull cleaning, turbidity, remissions, management of wastewater and accidental spills as well as staff training and education of boat enthusiasts.
How can you help the environment?
Ensure that you bring all your rubbish back to land and dispose of it appropriately. Rubbish bins are distributed throughout the grounds. Please do not put oil and other liquids in these bins.
Oil must be emptied into the waste oil containers behind the dinghy racks on the lower car park
Ensure that you recycle.
Don’t scrape your hulls when arriving back to shore
From time to time, the Bosun will provide information on the latest on new products for your boat to assist with our waterways programme. For more assistance, please contact the Bosun on (08) 9286 8200.
