Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an Australian statutory authority responsible for the operation of Australian flag state activities, domestic and international commercial vessel regulation, search and rescue coordination, beacon registration and international maritime obligations.[7] The authority has jurisdiction over Australia's exclusive economic zone which covers an area of 11,000,000 square kilometres (4,200,000sqmi).[8]
AMSA is funded largely through levies and cost recovery measures on the shipping industry, however since 2010-11 financial year levies income has decreased by just under $14 million.[13][14] Due to this and other factors, in the 2023-24 financial year, AMSA recorded expenses of just over $263 million, with revenue at just under $255 million, creating a deficit of more than $7.8 million.[14]
ensuring the seaworthiness and safe operation of Australian and foreign vessels in Australian waters, including the enforcement of compulsory pilotage[8]
administering the certification of seafarers
the provision of a maritime distress and safety communications network
It is responsible for administering MARPOL 73/78,[10] an international marine environmental convention designed to minimize pollution of the seas. AMSA can instigate prosecutions itself, but mainly works with states and territories during investigations and enforcement activities such as vessel inspections.[10]
Since its founding, AMSA has been involved with major changes in its regulatory environment such as the rewrite and replacement of the Navigation Act 1912 with the Navigation Act 2012, and the commencement and transition of all Domestic Commercial Vessels from the states and territories to AMSA under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012.[17]
Shipping registers
Regulation of pedalos is a new AMSA responsibility.
AMSA maintains two shipping registers. Ships registered on an Australian shipping register have Australian nationality for international shipping law purposes. Unless otherwise exempt, Australian owned ships are required to be registered on the general or international shipping register if it is a domestic commercial vessel, 24 metres or over in tonnage length, capable of navigating the high seas, or any vessel travelling overseas.[18] Vessels engaging in international trading that are at least 24 metres in tonnage length and wholly owned or operated by Australian residents, or by Australian residents and Australian nationals may apply to be registered on the international register. There are tax incentives for ships on the international register to make the register competitive with other registers, such as vessels being operated with mixed crews, with the majority of officers and crew not being required to be Australian citizens or residents.[19] AMSA has delegated certain survey and certification functions to a number of recognised classification societies, which are members of the International Association of Classification Societies.[20][21]
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2011 directed AMSA to work co-operatively with the states and territories to create a national system for domestic commercial vessels,[22] including any changes to Commonwealth, state and territory laws and administrative arrangements of the parties that are necessary to facilitate the reform. The new legislation[23] came into effect in 2013, and the transition to the new system was completed in July 2018.[24]
Coral Knight is an anchor handling tug supply vessel modified to fulfil the role of dedicated emergency towage vessel (ETV). It is the only ETV of its type in Australia and operates in the particularly sensitive sea areas of the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.
Coral Knight is also equipped to respond to other maritime incidents such as search and rescue or limiting the effects of ship-sourced pollution of the sea and carries oil pollution response equipment.[25]
Publications
The Authority publishes a range of materials in relation to maritime safety.[26]As of 2011[update] its maritime survival manual Survival at Sea:A Training and Instruction Manual is in its 6th edition.[27]
↑ "History: Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR)". www.amsa.gov.au. Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015. A national centre was established by the Federal Government in 1997 for coordination of Australia's civil search and rescue (SAR) activities. ... Australian Maritime Safety Authority has merged the former aviation SAR responsibilities of Air Services Australia with its own maritime SAR responsibilities
↑ "National Maritime Safety Regulator". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. Archived from the original on 14 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
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