This consultation closed on 18 December 2025
About Marine Order 15 and Marine Order 49
Marine Order 15 (Construction – fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction) sets standards for the construction and installation of fire equipment on:
- regulated Australian vessels (RAVs)
- foreign vessels operating in Australian waters.
It ensures these standards align with international fire safety rules for fire protection, detection, and extinguishing systems.
Marine Order 49 (High speed craft) sets out safety, certification and reporting requirements for high speed craft (HSC). It includes provisions related to fire systems and applies to HSC that are either RAVs or foreign vessels.
Key dates
- 17 November 2025 - Consultation opens
- 18 December 2025 - Consultation closes
- 1 April 2026 - Amendments come into force
Who the changes apply to
Owners and operators of:
- Regulated Australian vessels
- foreign vessels
- high speed crafts.
What changes did we seek feedback on?
AMSA is proposing amendments to Marine Orders 15 and 49 to align Australia’s regulations with mandatory changes to:
- the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
- the 1994 and 2000 International Code of Safety for High Speed Craft (HSC Code).
These changes introduce restrictions on the use, storage, and disposal of fire-extinguishing media that contain perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) for both new and existing vessels.
Key proposed changes:
- Align these marine orders with relevant IMO Maritime Safety Committee resolutions including:
- mandatory restrictions on PFOS in fire-extinguishing systems
- requirements for storage and disposal.
- Clarify definitions and terminology associated with these restrictions.
Proposed changes and draft marine orders
You can review the full draft orders and supporting documents below.