Many of its actions have become part of everyday operations across government and industry.
This plan has closed.
Overview
AMSA has maintained a strong strategic focus on protecting the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, recognising their global environmental significance and the complexity of shipping risks in these waters. The North-East Shipping Management Plan (NESMP) has been central to this effort.
AMSA has also delivered important achievements beyond the plan, including strengthening national maritime environmental protection standards. Building on this foundation, AMSA’s will continue to prioritise maritime safety, environmental protection, and proactive risk management across the region, ensuring shipping activities are conducted responsibly in one of the world’s most sensitive marine environments.
Key achievements
- Added important parts of the Coral Sea to the international ‘Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas’ to keep ships away from reefs and shoals.
- Delivered a national strategy to reduce vessel strikes on whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
- Established a $50 million fund to help AMSA respond quickly to major pollution incidents.
- Introduced new rules and port surveillance programs to reduce the risk of marine pests entering Australian waters.
- Implemented international ballast water requirements and set clearer rules to protect the Reef.
Lessons learned
- Agencies, industry and environmental groups built strong relationships that will continue beyond the plan.
- Regular feedback helped shape practical, targeted actions.
- Shipping patterns and environmental risks change quickly, so regular reviews were essential.
Next steps
The NE SMP has successfully concluded but the North-East Shipping Management Group will continue working. This group will now focus on maintaining cross-agency collaboration and managing new challenges in this highly sensitive region.
Read the final report
Read the North-East Shipping Management Plan (NE SMP): Final report.