Updated in 2026 to include the latest standards and technology
Overview
The Australian Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Handbook August 2026 edition provides comprehensive guidance on maritime distress alerting and safety communications within Australia's declared sea area A3. It details Australia's GMDSS operational framework and related regulatory requirements.
It explains carriage requirements for SOLAS and non-SOLAS vessels, qualifications for marine radio operation, and mandatory 406 MHz emergency beacon registration.
The handbook outlines Australia's Search and Rescue Region managed by Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Australia, distress alerting coverage areas and systems, monitoring of distress alerts, and the role of search and rescue transponders.
It describes Maritime Safety Information dissemination through NAVAREA X and METAREA X, including schedules and frequencies for navigational and meteorological warnings via Enhanced Group Calling and HF broadcasts.