Saving lives along the treacherous Western Australian coastline is an important function of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure in Western Australia (WA). The coastline of WA measures over 12,500 kilometers (7,000 miles) and state waters cover nearly 100,000 square kilometers (32,000 square miles).
A large stretch of this coastline is known as the "shipwreck coast" and so the provision of nautical charts drawn to International Hydrographic Office (IHO) standards is one function carried out to improve maritime safety for commercial and recreational boat users in coastal waters.
The department produces 55 charts that cover all significant recreational boating areas for the state. The production of a nautical chart at Albany was a necessary resource in the provision of safety for the local boating community and was achieved using Bentley CADscript.