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Environmental Performance 2002-2003
Report pursuant to section 516A of the
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 specifies, inter alia, that AMSA's main objects are to:
- promote maritime safety;
- protect the marine environment from pollution from ships and other environmental damage caused by shipping;
- provide a national search and rescue service; and
- promote the efficient provision of services by the Authority.
AMSA's outputs reflect these primary responsibilities and include:
Output 1.1: Safety and environmental protection standards for responsible operation of ships.
Output 1.2: An infrastructure for monitoring compliance with safety and environmental protection standards.
Output 1.3: Capability to respond to marine pollution incidents.
Output 1.4: Systems that aid safe marine navigation.
Output 2.1: A capability to detect, locate and rescue persons in maritime and aviation distress situations.
Major Activities in 2002-2003
International
AMSA is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of a number of International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions promoting ecologically sustainable development of the oceans.
The role of IMO in ecologically sustainable development relates to:
- improving the safety and efficiency of maritime transport, thereby increasing global trade and improving economic well-being;
- enhancing marine environment protection to facilitate integrated coastal management and greater access to protein through improved fisheries catches; and
- promoting sustainable livelihoods and poverty eradication by encouraging improved standards of employment for seafarers in the global shipping and fishing industries.
The Conventions specifically aimed at the prevention, reduction and control of marine pollution from ships to which Australia is a signatory are:
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage 1992;
- International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage 1992;
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973/78 (MARPOL);
- International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties 1969;
- International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990.
Australia also signed two new IMO Conventions, subject to ratification:
- The International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships 2001 (signed on 19 August 2002); and
- The International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001 (signed on 23 September 2002).
These Conventions are expected to reach the required level of international acceptance to enable entry into force within the next few years.
During 2002-2003, AMSA participated actively in the IMO's consideration of environmental issues. Major activities in this regard included:
- Preparation of a joint submission by Australia and Papua New Guinea to the IMO seeking its declaration of Torres Strait, which separates the two countries, as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). This requires special protection through action by the IMO because of its significance for recognized ecological, socio-economic and scientific reasons and may be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities.
- Development of an IMO strategy to address greenhouse gas emissions from ships, with a view to adoption by the IMO Assembly in late 2003.
- Ongoing work in developing a new convention to address problems associated with the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ship's ballast water, with a view to adoption of a final text at an IMO Diplomatic Conference in 2004.
- Development of technical guidelines to support the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships 2001, likely to enter into force internationally within the next few years;
- Agreement to establish a permanent IMO technical group to address the ongoing implementation of the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation 1990.
- Development of the Protocol on the Establishment of a Supplementary Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage agreed at an IMO diplomatic conference in May 2003. The aim of the Protocol is to supplement the compensation available under the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Convention with an additional, third tier of compensation. The total amount of compensation payable for any one incident will be limited to a combined total of $A1.5 billion, including the amount of compensation paid under the existing Civil Liability and Fund Convention.
National
Ship Safety and Environment Standards
The international maritime conventions are implemented in Australia by the following Commonwealth legislation, for which AMSA has administrative responsibilities:
- Protection of the Sea (Civil Liability) Act 1981.
- Protection of the Sea (Oil Pollution Compensation Fund) Act 1993.
- Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983.
- Navigation Act 1912 .
- Protection of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981.
Some of these convention requirements are given effect by State and Northern Territory legislation. AMSA maintains an ongoing consultation with State and Territory marine administrations on an individual basis and through the Australian Marine Group and the National Marine Safety Committee on the implementation and administration of ship safety and environment protection regulatory standards.
During 2002-2003, AMSA contributed to two major legislative changes:
- The Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 2003 amended marine pollution legislation to reflect the increase in limits of compensation set out in the Civil Liability Convention and Fund Convention, which will come into force on 1 November 2003.
- Maritime Legislation Amendment (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 2003 gives effect to the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships set out in Annex IV of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
AMSA also promulgated an amendment to Marine Orders made pursuant to the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 to give effect to new IMO regulations under Annex II of MARPOL requiring ships of 150 gross tonnage and above certified to carry noxious liquid substances in bulk to carry a shipboard marine pollution emergency plan for noxious liquid substances.
Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response
AMSA manages Australia's National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances. The National Plan is a cooperative arrangement between the Commonwealth, State and Northern Territory Governments and the oil, chemical, exploration and shipping industries on a range of preparedness and response capabilities and activities.
In May 2003, the Commonwealth and State/Territory Ministers comprising the Australian Transport Council ratified National Maritime Place of Refuge Risk Assessment Guidelines for the provision of places of refuge for damaged and disabled ships. The Guidelines will assist Australian maritime administrations, ship masters and owners and the maritime industry in identifying places of refuge in circumstances where an emergency cannot be dealt with at sea and following appropriate procedures to access a place of refuge. A place of refuge is a place where a ship in need of assistance can find favourable conditions enabling it to take action to stabilise its condition, protect human life and reduce the hazards to navigation and to the environment.
National Network of Aids to Navigation
AMSA also has responsibility for providing the national network of marine navigational aids and safety communications to meet Australia's commitments under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS). These functions are specified in the Commonwealth Lighthouses Act 1911.
AMSA is responsible for:
- Managing technical, maintenance and engineering services supporting the provision of the Commonwealth aids to navigation network.
- Strategic planning to ensure that the aids to navigation network is meeting navigational safety and shipping industry requirements.
- Liaison with stakeholders such as the commercial shipping industry and Commonwealth and State bodies, mainly through the Navigation Services Advisory Committee.
- Liaison and participation in regional and international standard-setting organisations, such as the IMO and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
The AMSA network comprises 337 lights, 43 radar transponder beacons (racons), four radar, 15 auxiliary lights, eight unlit beacons, four tide gauges, 14 Differential Global Positioning Systems at over 368 locations and a Ship Reporting System. The network includes 58 lighthouses of historical significance. Many are located in highly remote areas of Australia requiring specialised environmental and heritage management strategies.
AMSA is accountable for the efficient and effective use of resources used for the navigational network, which are provided by the shipping industry through the Marine Navigation Levy. It is important therefore that AMSA clearly demonstrates the transparent and cost effective application of these funds.
AMSA's management system has third party accreditation to ISO 9001 standards and is in the process of adopting a certified ISO 14001 environmental management system in future.
In modernising and maintaining the existing aids to navigation network, AMSA's environmental strategies include the application of:
- Low maintenance equipment and systems.
- Renewable energy power systems. Solar power supplies were first introduced in 1981 to operate remote aids to navigation. They now account for almost 80 per cent of the powered aids with the remainder using mains electricity.
- Increased maintenance intervals to minimise environmental impacts and environmentally sensitive maintenance policies to remove noxious vegetation and clean-up waste on sites.
- Innovative maintenance and construction techniques. As most sites are leased from State Governments, remote site designs tend to use lighter weight structures with pier or pile connections to the ground to minimises disturbance to the environment and simplify future removal tasks.
- Revised maintenance and construction transport arrangements.
Environmental Management System
AMSA is continuing implementation of its Environmental Management System. It has adopted an environmental policy, undertaken an environmental risk assessment for each Division and commissioned a gap analysis between its ISO9001.2000 compliant management systems and the ISO14001.1996 standards for environmental management. The aim is to have accredited at least one major site to the ISO 14001.1996 standard by end 2003. This will meet the requirements of the Commonwealth Government's decision to encourage Commonwealth agencies to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) and have one site accredited by end December 2003.