Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Functions

Marine safety activities of AMSA include:

• the provision, operation and maintenance of a network of marine aids to navigation, for example, lighthouses
• ensuring the seaworthiness and safe operation of Australian and foreign vessels in Australian waters, including the enforcement of compulsory pilotage
• administering the certification of seafarers
• the provision of a maritime distress and safety communications network
• the operation of Australia's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and coordination of search and rescue (SAR) operations for civilian aircraft and vessels in distress and
• the development of a maritime safety commercial vessel legislative framework and operating system.
• representing Australia at international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization, International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation, International Civil Aviation Organization and Asia-Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies.

AMSA aims to protect the marine environment by administering programs to prevent and respond to the threat of ship-sourced marine pollution; and together with the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre, managing Australia's National Plan to combat pollution of the sea by oil and other noxious and hazardous substances.

It is responsible for administering MARPOL 73/78, 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.

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.

Shipping registers

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. 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. 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.

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, 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 came into effect in 2013, and the transition to the new system was completed in July 2018.

Emergency towage vessel capability

• 2× variable pitch bow thrusters

• Load capacity: 150 tonne line pull

• Brake capacity: 200 tonne brake holding

• 2× 1,000 metre 56 millimetre steel wire ropes

• 2× 40 metre Plasma pennats

• 2× 20 metre Dyneema pennats

• 2× 2 metre v-thane wire rope chafe sleeves

• 2× 88 millimetre akwaflex stretchers}} 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.

Publications

The Authority publishes a range of materials in relation to maritime safety.{{as of|2011|} } its maritime survival manual Survival at Sea: A Training and Instruction Manual is in its 6th edition.

Notes

References

1. "AMSA Seafarer Certifications - Australian Maritime Safety Authority".
2. "Australian Maritime Safety Authority Annual Report 2023-24".
3. "Australian Maritime Safety Authority Annual Report 2023-24".
4. "Australian Maritime Safety Authority Annual Report 2023-24".
5. "New CEO takes the helm at AMSA".
6. "Flipchart 1 October 2025 FINAL".
7. "Australian Maritime Safety Authority". [[Department of Infrastructure and Transport]].
8. (2001). "AMSA's first decade". Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
9. White, M. W. D.. (2007). "Australasian Marine Pollution Laws". Federation Press.
10. (23 September 2025). "PGPA legislation, associated instruments and policies".
11. "Australian Maritime Safety Authority".
12. Ornitz, Barbara E.. (2002). "Oil Spills First Principles: Prevention and Best Response". Elsevier.
13. "AMSA Annual Report 2010-11".
14. "Annual Report 2023-24". Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
15. "History: Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR)". Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
16. "Our international engagement {{!}} Australian Maritime Safety Authority".
17. "National Maritime Safety Regulator".
18. AMSA, [https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/ship-registration/register-vessel Register a vessel]
19. AMSA, [https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/ship-registration/australian-international-shipping-register Australian international shipping register]
20. [https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/flag-state-administration/how-flag-state-administration-works-australia How flag State administration works in Australia]
21. [https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/3508/download?token=2dE3vGLs The Navigation Act and National Law – Documents issued by recognised classification societies]
22. [https://www.coag.gov.au/content/intergovernmental-agreement-commercial-vessel-safety-reform Intergovernmental Agreement on Commercial Vessel Safety Reform%]
23. [https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00377 Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012]
24. [https://www.amsa.gov.au/domestic/ Vessels & operators]
25. "Emergency towage vessel Coral Knight".
26. "Publications". Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
27. (2011). "Survival at Sea: A Training and Instruction Manual". Australian Maritime Safety Authority.