News
East Australia Region (EAR)
As scheduled, the EAR held a General Meeting at the Australian Hydrographic Office, Wollongong, New South Wales. Captain Bruce Kafer, RAN, The Hydrographer of Australia, brought those present up to date with activities and achievements related to the Hydrographic Office, the six hydrographic surveying ships and the Hydrographic Office Deployable Surveying Unit (HODSU) under his direction. Captain Robert Ward, RAN, Director of Hydrographic Operations, briefed us on his work in the international field, particularly with reference to progress with the Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS) and furthering the production of Electronic Navigational Charts. It was most interesting to learn from the Hydrographer of the quite outstanding success of the recent Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) surveys of Swain Reefs, at the southernmost extremity of the Great Barrier Reef, and the upgrading of the laser units intended in the near future. The next EAR General Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 11th May 2004.

New Zealand Region (NZR)
NZR is currently working on organising a seminar consisting of presentations on projects undertaken during the preceding twelve months by hydrographic companies and individuals. This seminar will be run in conjunction with the NZR AGM and the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) Hydrographic Users' Group in November 2004. Exact date and venue to be promulgated shortly, so members and visitors watch this space!

Papua New Guinea (PNG)
An interesting and praiseworthy new development is currently taking place in that PNG will soon have its own National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA), which will include a hydrographic component. The new hydrographic organisation will be quite small and will not possess its own surveying and charting capabilities. However, its staff will manage contracts or agreements with service providers, who will gather and process hydrographic data for upgrading the suite of navigational charts covering PNG. This new regime will also generate a new relationship between the PNG NMSA and the Australian Hydrographic Service, which has been undertaking surveying and charting of PNG waters for almost thirty years. PNG is currently part of the Australian Area of Charting Responsibility and its waters are depicted on AUS charts. The PNG NMSA might wish to engage other agencies for surveying and charting purposes and maintain its own database of Hydrographic Information. Representatives from the Australian Hydrographic Service and PNG NMSA are currently in liaison over the relationship they might have in future.

Solomon Islands
A three-person section of HODSU has recently returned from a most successful and cost-effective six weeks in the Solomon Islands. During December 2003 and January 2004 they undertook important hydrographic surveys in support of military operations in the region, surveying narrow reef-strewn passages, the approaches to wharves and landings, cyclone anchorage and small bays. This was to enable ships of the Royal Australian Navy to continue their important patrol activities in the island chain. The surveys were generally undertaken from small craft, with portable echosounders and sonar strapped to the gunwales. This successful deployment of HODSU once again demonstrated the utility and flexibility of a small, mobile team of specialist surveyors, together with the critical advantages of enhanced freedom of manoeuvre and navigation safety.

Contact
Australasian Hydrographic Society
Att. E.R. Whitmore
4/6 Carrington Street
Wahroonga,
New South Wales 2076
Australia
T: +61 2 94892091
F: +61 2 94892048
E: seacon@sydpcug.org.au