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Reef Pontoon Guidelines
Many tourists first experience the reef from a pontoon. Modern tourist pontoons can be the base for a range of activities on coral reefs. Dedicated access platforms are provided for scuba diving and snorkeling, and detached platforms are often provided for helicopters and seaplanes. As well as providing a berthing facility for the transit vessels, the pontoons house semi-submersible craft, glass-bottomed boats and dive tenders. Tourist pontoons are likely to have minimal adverse impact on the reef if they are appropriately designed and managed. They offer many benefits for reef-based tourism activities, effectively providing for high demand and high intensity use. They provide enhanced visitor appreciation compared with other offshore tourism operations, and an unparalleled opportunity for tourists to view and learn about the reef. The large capacity installations causes less disturbance to a 'wilderness experience' than a large number of smaller vessels or structures. Earlier pontoons were not so sophisticated. Since the 1980s, development of pontoons has been challenged with opposition from environmental groups, safety concerns and mooring problems. What are reef pontoons?Reef pontoons are semi-permanently moored floating structures supporting tourist activities, operated by shore-based tour companies, and normally located at outer-reef sites. They must withstand harsh environmental loading such as severe tropical cyclones, and meet stringent requirements for structure, function and safety. Designs must also protect the sensitive coral reef environment, mitigate environmental impacts, and protect cultural heritage. Various structures such as boat harbours, jetties and underwater observatories existed within or adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) when it was declared in 1975. Since the early 1980s, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has grappled with the need for a comprehensive policy to manage new infrastructure developments and to regulate existing facilities. CRC Reef has now developed guidelines for the design of reef pontoons in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Environmental protectionPontoon operators and marine park managers have improved practices to protect the environment near pontoon sites through monitoring programs. These programs have examined the effects of pontoons on the local coral and fish populations. The first attempts to monitor the potential impacts of pontoons were initiated by tour guide companies in the 1980s. Since then, monitoring programs have become obligatory for new pontoon projects. Improvised mooring systems on earlier installations, incorporating chains attached to miscellaneous concrete and steel anchors, are now replaced with elaborate systems, carefully configured to protect the coral substrate. Structures must provide access to the surrounding water and coral, and the facilities must be easily installed and, under present Marine Park regulations, must be able to be completely removed. Floating platforms are most suitable for this purpose as they provide good access to the water, are installed in their complete condition and can be readily removed or relocated. Choosing a siteFew sites are available in a particular area on the Great Barrier Reef that meet the strict criteria for suitability for pontoon installations. Protection of these sites is vital to the continued viable operation of the facility. Site selection criteria for pontoons are based on Marine Park policy and management provisions as well as operational, safety and customer considerations The characteristics of the pontoon site not only affect operational viability, but also constrain the design and construction of the installation. Sites may differ markedly in exposure to winds, waves, currents, water depth, foundation conditions and coral cover and condition. These affect, for example, mooring type, configuration and capacity. The type and configuration of the pontoon moorings and anchors are governed not only by the site characteristics, but also by the need to withstand tropical cyclonic loadings and to satisfy operating conditions Pontoons are normally located in shallow water, typically less than 20 metres deep. Prevailing weather conditions are predominantly calm, but severe conditions occur during tropical cyclones. The pontoons are moored over and adjacent to corals, hence the moorings and anchors must be strategically placed. Coral is sometimes relocated to provide clearance for mooring lines and anchors. This is a fragile environment, which may be subject to damage during installation and operation. Infrastructure Guidelines: Tourist PontoonsGuidelines for pontoon design have been developed by CRC Reef to meet the needs of tourism operators who own and operate tourist pontoons in the Marine Park, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) which manages and regulates development activities in the region. An interdisciplinary approach has been used, embracing the fields of coastal and ocean engineering, environmental science and conservation management. The Guidelines provide the framework and procedures for development of a tourist pontoon project from the concept phase, through feasibility, design and installation, to monitoring and operation. The Guidelines provide:
The Guidelines help users to:
The Guidelines apply both to new tourist pontoon developments and to existing facilities that are to be upgraded or retrofitted to meet updated requirements. The Guidelines may also be used for other, smaller pontoon-type structures, such as swim platforms, helicopter pontoons, and floating decks for reef and jetty access, which are often used in the Reef environment in conjunction with tourist pontoons. Although developed for tourist pontoons on the Great Barrier Reef, much of the Guideline material will be relevant to other Reef facilities and coastal developments, and to other areas in the wider Pacific region and beyond. Contents of GuidelinesChapter 1: Introduction provides the purpose and scope of the project, the history of pontoon development in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, information on modern tourist pontoon installations. It advises how to using these Guidelines in tourist pontoon planning, design and implementation and gives recommended reading. Chapter 2: Sustainable infrastructure development on the Great Barrier Reef provides tourism operators/proponents, designers and environmental managers with an overview of sustainability as it applies to tourist pontoon projects in the GBR. The core principles for sustainable development are presented, and the current policy, legislative and management regime for the GBR is outlined. The desired approaches to multiple objective planning and design, project management and stakeholder consultation are presented. Chapter 3: Project planning, design and implementation presents a 10-Step procedure, incorporating four phases from (1) Concept, through (2) Feasibility and (3) Implementation, to (4) Operation, monitoring and review. Chapter 4: Site investigation and characterisation is an integral part of project planning, design and implementation, providing a framework for assessment of site conditions, and outlining site investigations that the proponents and designers may undertake. Chapter 5: Design environmental loads outlines the environmental loading conditions that apply for a pontoon facility, and provides designers with a basis for determining design load components resulting from waves, winds and water levels. Chapter 6: Pontoon siting, layout and configuration provides the basis for proponents, designers and managers to determine the site, layout and configuration of the pontoon facility, which must meet multi-purpose requirements related to function, safety, environmental protection and amenity. Chapter 7: Mooring design presents detailed procedures for designers to use in the selection and design of the pontoon mooring systems, which is one of the most technically demanding and complex tasks covered in these Guidelines. Chapter 8: Anchor design is to be used by the designer in the selection and design of the anchors to be incorporated into the pontoon mooring system. Site data, design loading, siting, layout, configuration, and mooring design information from Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 are used to determine anchor loads and to assess capacities for various anchor types and configurations. Chapter 9: Pontoon body and ancillary facilities provides basic information for the proponent and designer to use in the configuration, design and specification of the pontoon body and other miscellaneous aspects of the pontoon facility. Chapter 10: Pontoon installation, operation, maintenance and monitoring provides a guide for operators, designers and managers to use in post-design aspects of the pontoon project installation, operation, maintenance and monitoring are presented. This information has been adapted from Reef Infrastructure Guidelines: Tourist Pontoons which was published by CRC Reef in 2002. For more information on this project contact For a copy of the guidelines, contact info@crcreef.com |
