Australian Maritime Safety Authority
AMSA
1 January 1991 – present
Statutory authority responsible for maritime safety, protection of the marine environment from ship-sourced pollution, and aviation and maritime search and rescue in Australia's search and rescue region.
How it came into existence
Established on 1 January 1991 under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990, taking over the maritime safety, marine navigation aids, marine pollution and maritime search and rescue functions of the Department of Transport and Communications.
- Maritime safety regulation
- Marine navigation aids
- Marine pollution response
- Maritime search and rescue
Legislation: Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990
Changes during its life
- 1 July 2013The Navigation Act 2012 replaced the Navigation Act 1912, and under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 AMSA became the national regulator of domestic commercial vessels.
- 1 July 2018Took over full service delivery for domestic commercial vessels from the state and Northern Territory maritime agencies.
- Aviation search and rescue
Combined with maritime search and rescue as Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR); exact date not confirmed.
Main functions
- Regulation of ship safety and seafarer qualifications
- Port state control inspections of foreign ships
- Marine aids to navigation, including lighthouses
- Marine pollution prevention and response
- Aviation and maritime search and rescue
- National regulation of domestic commercial vessels
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
- Type of body
- Corporate Commonwealth entity
- Portfolio
- Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
- Accountable authority
- AMSA Board – Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 section 5 with reference to section 21(2) note (membership section 13)
- ABN
- 65 377 938 320
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to the latest release (30 June 2026))