Anchorage closed to shipping

01 Jul 2025 / Port Kembla, Australia

The anchorage off the coast of Port Kembla was closed yesterday (30 June) due to forecast East Coast low and expected gale force winds from the south west today (1 July).

All ships at anchor have been advised to make their way to more than 12NM from the coast until further notice, monitoring VHF channels 11 & 16.

A Gale Wind Warning has been issued for the Illawarra coast for today with sustained winds gusts of more than 40 knots and a sharp increase in swell on Tuesday as well. The gale force winds and increased swell should last until at least Thursday (3 July).

Ships in port must drop their seaside anchor and run extra lines as necessary.

VTS, Pilots, and Harbour Master will assess conditions over the coming days to ensure the safety of the port is maintained.

The port remains open to harbour movements, but may face some disruption with pilotage during this period as shipping will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at [email protected]

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.