Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F1996B03821 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Statutory Rules 1981 No. 359 as amended

made under the

Navigation Act 1912

This compilation was prepared on 15 January 2001
taking into account amendments up to SR 1991 No. 378

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

Page

1 Citation [see Note 1]

2 Interpretation

3 Prescribed area

5 Sailing plans

6 Position reports

7 Final reports

8 Manner of specifying position of ship

Schedule

Notes

1 Citation [see Note 1]

These Regulations may be cited as the Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations.

2 Interpretation

(1) In these Regulations, the Act means the Navigation Act 1912.

(2) Words and expressions used in these Regulations and in Division 14 of Part IV of the Act have in these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears, the same respective meanings as they have in that Division.

3 Prescribed area

The prescribed area, for the purposes of Division 14 of Part IV of the Act, is the area of sea (including the territorial sea) around Australia that is included in the area specified in the Schedule.

5 Sailing plans

(1) For the purposes of subsections 269F (1) and (5) of the Act, a sailing plan shall be furnished to a prescribed officer by means of:

(a) a telephone message;

(b) an urgent telegram;

(d) a radio message; or

(e) a written message delivered by hand;

being a message that commences with the code letters SP and the name and call-sign of the ship.

(2) The prescribed information, for the purposes of subsection 269F (1) of the Act, is the following information:

(a) the port of departure;

(b) the date upon which and the time at which the ship is to leave, or has left, the port of departure;

(c) the predicted date and time of arrival at the next port of call and, where applicable, the predicted date and time of leaving the prescribed area;

(d) the proposed course and speed of the ship from the port of departure until:

(i) if the next port of call of the ship is a port in Australia — it arrives at that port of call; or

(ii) if the next port of call of the ship is a port outside Australia — it leaves the prescribed area.

(3) In subregulation (2), the port of departure has the same meaning as in section 269F of the Act.

(4) A notification for the purposes of subsection 269F (3) of the Act shall be given by means of including in the sailing plan the code letters NOREP.

(5) For the purposes of subsection 269G (1) of the Act, the prescribed manner in which a prescribed officer shall be notified that a sailing plan has been cancelled is by means of:

(a) a telephone message;

(b) an urgent telegram;

(d) a written message delivered by hand;

stating that fact.

6 Position reports

(1) For the purposes of section 269H of the Act, a position report shall be furnished to a prescribed officer by means of a radio message that commences with the code letters PR and the name and call-sign of the ship.

(2) For the purposes of subsection 269H (5) of the Act, a position report shall include:

(a) information with respect to any matter arising during the relevant period that has caused, or may cause, the movement of the ship to be substantially different from the proposed movement of the ship disclosed in the sailing plan; and

(b) information with respect to any other matter arising in the immediate vicinity of the ship during the relevant period that, in the opinion of the master of the ship, is relevant to safety of life at sea.

(3) In subregulation (2), relevant period means:

(a) except where paragraph (b) applies — the period of 24 hours before the time at which the position report is furnished; or

(b) where the position report is furnished by the master of a ship less than 24 hours after he last furnished a sailing plan or position report — the period of time that has elapsed since the master last furnished a sailing plan or position report.

7 Final reports

(1) For the purposes of subsection 269J (1) of the Act, a report that a ship has arrived at a port in Australia shall be furnished to a prescribed officer by means of:

(a) a telephone message;

(b) an urgent telegram;

(d) a written message delivered by hand;

being a message that commences with the code letters FR and the name and call-sign of the ship.

(2) For the purposes of subsection 269J (2) of the Act, a report that a ship is to arrive at a port in Australia shall be furnished by means of a radio message that commences with the code letters FR and the name and call-sign of the ship.

(3) For the purposes of subsection 269J (3) of the Act, a report that a ship has left the prescribed area shall be furnished by means of a radio message that commences with the code letters FR and the name and call-sign of the ship.

(4) For the purposes of subsection 269J (6) of the Act, a report referred to in subregulation (1), (2) or (3) shall include:

(a) the date upon which and the time of day at which the ship:

(i) is to arrive at the port;

(ii) has arrived at the port; or

(iii) has left the prescribed area;

whichever is applicable;

(b) the name of the port (if any) to which the report relates; and

(c) information with respect to any matter arising in the immediate vicinity of the ship during the relevant period that, in the opinion of the master of the ship, is relevant to safety of life at sea.

(5) For the purposes of subregulation (4), relevant period, in relation to a report referred to in that subregulation, means:

(a) except where paragraph (b) applies — the period of 24 hours before the time at which the report is furnished; or

(b) where the report is furnished by the master of a ship less than 24 hours after he last furnished a sailing plan or position report — the period of time that has elapsed since the master last furnished a sailing plan or position report.

8 Manner of specifying position of ship

Where the position of a ship is specified in accordance with the requirements of Division 14 of Part IV of the Act or these Regulations, that position shall be specified in degrees and minutes of latitude and longitude.

Schedule

(regulation 3)

The area bounded by an imaginary line commencing at the intersection of the coastline of the Antarctic Continent and the meridian 75 east longitude; thence along that meridian to its intersection with the parallel 6 south latitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 2º south latitude and the meridian 78 east longitude; thence along that parallel to its intersection with the meridian 92 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 12º south latitude and the meridian 107 east longitude; thence along that parallel to its intersection with the meridian 123 20 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 9 20 south latitude and the meridian 126 50east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 7 south latitude and the meridian 135 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 9 50 south latitude and the meridian 139 40 east longitude; thence along that parallel to its intersection with the meridian 141 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 9 37 south latitude and the meridian 141 02 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 9 08south latitude and the meridian 143 53 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 9 24 south latitude and the meridian 144 13 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 12 south latitude and the meridian 144º east longitude; thence along that parallel to its intersection with the meridian 155 east longitude; thence along that meridian to its intersection with the parallel 14 south latitude; thence along that parallel to its intersection with the meridian 161 15 east longitude; thence in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel 17 40 south latitude and the meridian 163 east longitude; thence along that meridian to its intersection with the coastline of the Antarctic Continent; thence along that coastline to the point of commencement.

Notes to the Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations

Note 1

The Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations (in force under the Navigation Act 1912) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1981 No. 359 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Statutory Rules

Year and number	Date of notification in Gazette	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
1981 No. 359	18 Dec 1981	1 Apr 1982 (see Gazette 1982, No. G13)
1991 No. 378	27 Nov 1991	27 Nov 1991	—

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
R. 4.................	rep. 1991 No. 378

Overview

The Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations, Statutory Rules 1981 No. 359, were enacted under the Navigation Act 1912 to address the need for systematic reporting of ships' movements in Australian waters. These regulations aim to enhance maritime safety by requiring ships to submit detailed reports on their sailing plans, positions, and final reports. The enacting body was the Commonwealth Parliament, and the policy objective was to ensure that maritime authorities have the necessary information to monitor and manage ship movements, particularly in areas where maritime incidents are more likely to occur. The regulations were updated in 1991 to reflect changes in maritime communication technology and practices. These regulations outline specific requirements for the submission of sailing plans, position reports, and final reports, including the methods and content of these reports. They also define the prescribed area around Australia where these reporting requirements apply. The regulations mandate that ship masters provide detailed information to prescribed officers through various communication methods, ensuring that maritime authorities are kept informed of ship movements and any incidents that may affect safety at sea.

Scope and Application

The Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations, made under the Navigation Act 1912, apply to ships entering or leaving specific maritime areas around Australia. The regulations mandate that ships must furnish sailing plans, position reports, and final reports to prescribed officers to ensure maritime safety and the safety of life at sea. These reports must be submitted via specified means such as telephone, telegram, telex, radio, or written messages, each commencing with designated code letters followed by the ship's name and call-sign. The prescribed area for these reporting requirements includes the sea around Australia as detailed in the Schedule to the Regulations. The regulations do not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions but rely on subordinate instruments to extend or modify their application. The Regulations were initially made in 1981 and have since been amended in 1991, with the current compilation reflecting these changes.

Key Provisions

The Navigation (Ship Reporting) Regulations, made under the Navigation Act 1912, contain several key provisions that govern ship reporting within Australian waters. Section 3 defines the prescribed area as the sea around Australia, including the territorial sea, specified in the Schedule to these Regulations. Section 5 mandates that a sailing plan must be provided to a prescribed officer using specific communication methods and must include detailed information about the ship's departure, course, and expected arrival times. Additionally, if a ship does not wish to report, it must include the code letters "NOREP" in its sailing plan. Section 6 requires ships to submit position reports to prescribed officers via radio, including any significant changes to the ship's movement or any incidents that may affect maritime safety. Section 7 outlines the requirements for final reports, which must be made when a ship arrives at an Australian port, is expected to arrive, or leaves the prescribed area. These reports must also be made via radio or other specified means and must detail the ship's arrival or departure times and any relevant safety information. These Regulations impose several obligations on the parties they govern. Ship operators must provide accurate and timely sailing plans, position reports, and final reports as required. These reports must be communicated using the specified methods and must include all the prescribed information. Moreover, if a ship opts not to report, it must clearly state this in its sailing plan. Compliance with these requirements is essential to ensure maritime safety and to assist in the monitoring and management of ship movements within Australian waters. Failure to comply with the obligations set out in these Regulations can result in civil or criminal penalties. Specifically, under the Navigation Act 1912, non-compliance with ship reporting requirements can lead to fines and potential imprisonment. The exact penalties can vary depending on the severity of the breach and the specific circumstances, but they can include substantial fines and imprisonment terms for serious or repeated violations. These penalties underscore the importance of adhering to the Regulations to maintain safety and order in Australian maritime zones.

Area of Law: Maritime Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations; Regulatory Standards

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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