The Harbour Control Tower is located in Kent St at Millers Point and is operated by the Sydney Ports Corporation.
Some 2,300 cargo and passenger ships visit Sydney each year and their movements interact with a variety of smaller vessels, such as sailing, powerboats, ferries and charter vessels.
Sydney Ports Corporation is responsible for ensuring the navigational safety of all ships entering and leaving its ports of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay.

It also coordinates shipping movements within the ports, liaises with shipowners, stevedores, service providers and statutory authorities.
The Harbour Master, has powers to direct and control the navigation of any vessel within the ports and to investigate marine incidents.

Sydney Ports provides and maintains navigation aids, or guides, in all shipping channels and approaches to its ports and berths. These aids are checked daily and malfunctions rectified immediately. Performance standards are strict, with main harbour navigational aids requiring 99.8 per cent availability.
It also provides pilots for navigating the harbour who are assessed and audited each year for their ship handling skills while using Sydney's ports.

Port communications are coordinated by the Harbour Control Centre which is staffed 24 hours a day by a superintendent with Master Class 1 certification and extensive sea-going experience, and a port officer who possesses a radio operator's certificate.
Mariners are provided with relevant shipping information, warnings and reports related to the ports on a regular basis.
The Harbour Master has the authority to direct and control the navigation of any vessel within the port.

An Integrated Vessel Surveillance System operates from the tower, tracking every commercial ship by radar and visual contact through linked camera surveillance.

Sydney Ports works closely with the Waterways Authority and other organisations to safely coordinate events including New Year's Eve celebrations, Australia Day aquatic activities and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
There are regular meetings with the Waterways Authority, the Navy, the Pilots and other service providers to discuss issues related to the recreational use of Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay.
The navigation team works closely with these bodies to ensure that recreational boats do not jeopardise the safe passage of commercial and Naval ships.

The Corporation will:

• Ensure that shipping operations within the ports are undertaken with the highest possible level of safety
  
• Maintain safe and efficient pilotage services
  
• Ensure the maintenance and functioning of navigation aids to support safe navigation 24 hours a day
  
• Ensure that information on relevant marine issues is available to mariners using our waterways
  
• Ensure that shipping channels and berthing boxes are maintained at depths which facilitate safe navigation, and
  
• Ensure that the movement and scheduling of ships is managed in a way which supports efficient movement of cargoes across our wharves.