Marine safety agencies deliver essential services across Australia, including local waterways management, environmental oversight, pilotage, navigation aids, ports, harbours and mooring operations, and recreational boating support.

Serious injury to pilot on class 2 vessel in poor weather conditions

A safety management system (also referred to as an SMS) is a systematic approach to managing safety.

Generic equivalent solutions (GES) support national standards by allowing the use of new technology and other solutions.

This page contains a list of past changes to Marine Orders and International Maritime Organization (IMO) resolutions.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention for addressing ship sourced pollution.

All regulated Australian vessels must have a minimum safe crewing determination (MSCD). Find out how to prepare your crewing arrangement, check qualifications, and submit your application or renewal.

This page outlines the types of survey reports and details an AMSA assessor looks for when reviewing an application for approval.

The Sylvan Arrow was found guilty of discharging an oily mixture into the sea west of Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria on 18 December 1999.

Read previous AMSA update editions from 2025

The information you provide in your incident report plays an important part in guiding the way we improve maritime safety for everybody on the water. By reporting marine incidents to us, you are also meeting your reporting obligations under Australian laws.

We have approved these courses if you want to qualify for a certificate under international training conventions.

You need full ownership history to register a vessel. If you don’t have this information, you must submit a notice of intention to register a vessel to AMSA.

The information you provide in your incident report plays an important part in guiding the way we improve maritime safety for everybody on the water.

Following a report to AMSA, and subsequent investigation, the Pax Phoenix was fined for illegally discharging oily water into the marine environment near Holbourne Island, Queensland on 2 September 2001.

A hire vessel capsized after it was beached on a sandbank in a designated no-go area. The incident shows why hirers and participants must follow safety briefings and emergency plans.