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Intergovernmental agreements

AMSA has intergovernmental agreements with Australian state and territory governments. These agreements support national arrangements for maritime emergency response, search and rescue, and marine pollution preparedness and response.

National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangement

Signed in 2008, this intergovernmental agreement establishes the National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangement.

It provides a cooperative framework between the Australian Government and state and Northern Territory governments to prevent, or mitigate, the impacts of ship-sourced pollution arising from maritime shipping casualties.

Download the National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangement

National Plan to combat pollution of the sea by oil and other noxious and hazardous substances

Signed in 2002, this intergovernmental agreement formalised cooperative arrangements between the Australian Government and state and Northern Territory governments.

The agreement sets out roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents involving oil and other noxious and hazardous substances.

Download the National Plan to combat pollution of the sea by oil and other noxious and hazardous substances.

National Search and Rescue Response Arrangements

The 2017 Inter-Governmental Agreement on National Search and Rescue Response Arrangements was signed by all jurisdictions in late 2017 and published in February 2018.

It sets out Australia’s cooperative arrangements for national search and rescue response.

Download the 2017 Inter-Governmental agreement on National Search and Rescue Response arrangements on our Inter-governmental agreement page.

Last updated: 19 August 2026