30 | WATERLINE July 2026 GOLD ANCHOR The Gold Anchor Global Marina Accreditation program has long been the international benchmark for marina quality, jointly stewarded by the Marina Industries Association (MIA) and British Marine through The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA). The 2026 revision of the assessment criteria, developed in close consultation between the two partner organisations, represents the most considered update to the framework in several years. Crucially, it is not a reinvention. The bones of the program, six assessment sections spanning ambience, policies, customer service, environment, on-water and on-shore facilities, remain firmly in place. What has changed is the precision, relevance and clarity of the criteria within them. Four themes run through the revision: optimisation, environmental stewardship, modernisation and the removal of ambiguity. Together they reflect a program maturing in step with the industry it serves. The most visible work has been in optimisation, the careful pruning and merging of criteria that had grown overlapping or redundant over time. Several assessment items measured essentially the same thing from slightly different angles, creating unnecessary duplication for both operators and assessors. Navigation Aids and Fairway Navigation, for instance, have been combined into a single 'Navigation and Fairway' criterion, removing considerable overlap. On the environmental side, 'Waste Properly Managed' has been folded into 'Waste Facilities Provided', and the closely related Sewage Management and Sewage Pump Out criteria — long assumed by many to be one and the same — have been merged into a single, clearer item. On shore, Lift Out and Boat Yard Services, which addressed the same operational scope, are now unified under 'Lift Out, Repair and Maintenance Services', while Hard Standing and Dry Berthing have been brought together as the two effectively describe the same land-based storage. The intent throughout is a leaner, more logical document that is faster to navigate and easier to apply consistently. Optimisation has also meant deciding what no longer belongs. Criteria such as Marina Aesthetics and Destination Attractions have been retired because principles of beauty and artistic taste are subjective and not measurable in an assessment context. Visitor Berthing and Charter/Boat Hire have been removed too, in recognition that their provision varies enormously by region and is shaped by factors outside a marina's control, from local authority provision to the dominance of permanent berthing contracts. Perhaps most notably, the Availability of Chandlery criterion has been removed entirely, acknowledging that physical chandlery stores have largely given way to online and mail-order provision and are no longer a realistic differentiator of marina quality. Environmental stewardship is the second clear thread, and here the bar has been deliberately raised. Environmental management is now a minimum standard at four Gold Anchor rather than at lower levels, signalling that proactive environmental practice is the baseline expectation for any serious facility. Landscaping criteria now explicitly recognise the use of indigenous and environmentally sustainable planting that supports local biodiversity and minimises resource use. Waste criteria now incorporate recycling as a minimum, batteries have been added throughout as named examples of hazardous materials requiring secure storage and certified disposal. Even laundry facilities at the upper levels now call for environmentally friendly detergents and chemicals. Modernisation forms the third theme, ensuring the criteria reflect how marinas and their customers actually operate today. References to physical noticeboards and published communication methods have given way to language recognising websites, apps and digital display boards; the 'Marina Website' criterion is now the broader 'Digital Communications'. Internet Access has been repositioned from Customer Service into the On-Water section as a berth-side infrastructure provision, with mobile coverage added to its scope. Food and beverage operating-hours expectations have been updated to accommodate demand-based and seasonal models, recognising that extended peak-period hours and reduced off-season midweek trading are now standard industry practice. New smart-metered and monitoring pedestals are now recognised in scoring, and disabled parking has been made an explicit requirement at all accreditation levels, a sensible correction to a previous omission. The fourth theme, removing ambiguity, threads quietly through almost every page. Where 'Design' proved difficult for assessors to evaluate objectively, 'Appearance' now takes its place. The criterion once labelled 'Overall Quality and Application of PPP Systems' is now simply 'Management of PPP Systems', a more concise and objectively assessable measure. These refinements may appear minor in isolation, but collectively they make for more consistent scoring and fewer points of dispute between operator and assessor. For marinas weighing the value of accreditation, the 2026 revision reinforces what Gold Anchor has always offered: an internationally recognised, independently verified mark of quality that customers, boat owners and captains trust. Accreditation provides a structured framework for continual improvement, benchmarks a facility against global best practice, and signals a genuine commitment to safety, service and environmental responsibility. A clearer, more relevant and more modern set of criteria makes that journey more straightforward to undertake and the resulting accolade more meaningful to hold. For both established marinas and those considering the program for the first time, the message is consistent, Gold Anchor remains the standard worth striving for. For more information, contact: Chris Stone, Operations Manager, MIA manager@marinas.net.au or visit: marinas.net.au REFINING THE STANDARD WHAT'S CHANGED IN THE 2026 GOLD ANCHOR CRITERIA By Chris Stone, MIA Operations Manager Reliable Barriers for demanding marine environments i i i i i engineered to protect i built to last i Reliable Barriers for demanding marine environments engineered to protect built to last www..marriinaquiip..com
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