Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) is a Queensland government

Government of Queensland

The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...

 agency of the Department of Transport and Main Roads

Department of Transport and Main Roads

The Department of Transport and Main Roads is a department of the Queensland Government. The department manages Queensland's approximately 33,000 km state-controlled road network, which includes more than 6,500 bridges and major culverts...

. The agency is responsible for the safety of all water vessels in Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 waterways. It deals with marine pollution and provides pilotage

Maritime pilot

A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....

 for Queensland port

Port

A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....

s. The agency also maintains boating infrastructure including harbours

Harbor

A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...

 and channel

Channel (geography)

In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...

s.

Maritime Safety Queensland was established on 1 October 2002. The agency's main offices are located at Mineral House in George Street

George Street, Brisbane

George Street is a main street located in the Brisbane CBD in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. A major thoroughfare, George Street connects to the Queensland University of Technology as well as the state Botanical Gardens, to the commercial centre of Brisbane, Queen Street and Queen Street Mall.The...

, Brisbane

Brisbane central business district

The Brisbane central business district , sometimes referred to as the city, is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and is located on a point on the northern bank of the Brisbane River. The triangular shaped area is bounded by the Brisbane River to the east, south and west...

. MSQ has a number of pilotage office located across the state. It publishes charts and beacon directories.

Oil spills

Maritime Safety Queensland has had to respond to a number of oil spills. These are the 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill

2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill

The 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill occurred on 3 April 2010, when the Chinese bulk coal carrier, ran aground east of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, Australia. The vessel is owned by Shenzhen Energy Transport Co. Ltd....

 and the 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill

2009 southeast Queensland oil spill

The 2009 southeast Queensland oil spill occurred on 11 March 2009 off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia, in which 230 tonnes of fuel oil, 30 tonnes of other fuel and 31 shipping containers of ammonium nitrate spilled into the Coral Sea, north of Moreton Bay during Cyclone Hamish after...

. In 2006, response teams from MSQ coordinated cleanup efforts after the Global Peace leaked oil from damaged fuel tanks into Gladstone Harbour.