On 3 April 2010, the Shen Neng 1 was traversing a well-known shipping route south of the Douglas Shoal when it ran aground 38 nautical miles east of Great Keppel Island at about 5.30 pm.

These general exemptions are now superseded or repealed. Superseded and repealed exemptions may affect how the national system works for you.

The type of EPIRB you need depends on vessel class, length, flotation and operating area.

Under Marine Order 503 a transitional vessel is an existing vessel that has: 

Our privacy policy tells you how we protect and handle your personal information.

Guidance for VTS providers on the qualifications and training of VTS personnel in Australia.

If you own or operate a domestic commercial vessel in Australia, you are required to obtain a certificate of operation before you operate the vessel.

Guidance on crewing of domestic commercial vessels as per Schedule 1 Clause 6 - Appropriate crewing and Clause 8 - Minimum crewing of Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation - national law) 2024. Schedule 1 applies to all vessels other than class 4 vessels.

These guidelines aim to assist small1 DCV operations to undertake a risk assessment as part of the vessel’s safety management system.

The oil spill from the Oceanic Grandeur in Torres Strait in March 1970 highlighted Australia’s lack of preparedness at the time to deal with a major oil spill in the marine environment.

Chemical dispersants are one of the response tools available during oil spill responses.

From 1 July 2018, new survey requirements for domestic commercial vessels apply. This includes changes to marine order 503 to apply the new periodic survey requirements to all vessels required to be in survey—existing, transitional and new vessels.

Read a summary of results from the consultation on Exemption 24 - Marine Safety (Emergency service vessels) and download a copy of the full report.

Small uncrewed autonomous vessels operating in C, D, or E waters.

In this edition, learn more about careers at AMSA and maintenance plan essentials.