Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011

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

Legislation au C2011A00176 In force Act

Legislation content

Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011

Act No. 176 of 2011 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 22 December 2011
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 167 of 2011

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
AttorneyGeneral’s Department, Canberra

 

 

Contents

1 Short title [see Note 1]

2 Commencement [see Note 1]

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments

Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983

Notes

 

An Act to amend the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, and for related purposes

1  Short title [see Note 1]

  This Act may be cited as the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011.

2  Commencement [see Note 1]

  This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983

1  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

engage in conduct has the same meaning as in the Criminal Code.

2  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

heavy grade oil means:

 (a) crude oil having a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/m3; or

 (b) oil, other than crude oil, having a density at 15°C higher than 900 kg/m3 or a kinematic viscosity at 50°C higher than 180 mm2/s; or

 (c) bitumen, tar and their emulsions.

5  After section 10

Insert:

10A  Prohibition of carriage or use of heavy grade oil on Australian ships in the Antarctic Area

 (1) A person commits an offence if:

 (a) the person is the master or owner of an Australian ship; and

 (b) the person engages in conduct; and

 (c) the conduct results in heavy grade oil:

 (i) being carried as cargo in bulk; or

 (ii) being used, or carried for use, as fuel;

  on the ship in the Antarctic Area.

Penalty: 2,000 penalty units.

 (2)  A person commits an offence if:

 (a) the person is the master or owner of an Australian ship; and

 (b) the person engages in conduct; and

 (c) the conduct results in heavy grade oil:

 (i) being carried as cargo in bulk; or

 (ii) being used, or carried for use, as fuel;

  on the ship in the Antarctic Area.

Penalty: 500 penalty units.

 (3) An offence against subsection (2) is an offence of strict liability.

Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

 (4) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to heavy grade oil that is carried or used as fuel on an Australian ship for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (4): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

 (5) If, at any time (whether before or after this section commences) before an Australian ship enters the Antarctic Area, heavy grade oil is carried or used as fuel on the ship, subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to any residue of the oil that is not cleaned or flushed from a tank or pipeline of the ship.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (5): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

10B  Prohibition of carriage or use of heavy grade oil on foreign ships in the Australian Antarctic Territory

 (1) A person commits an offence if:

 (a) the person is the master or owner of a foreign ship; and

 (b) the person engages in conduct; and

 (c) the conduct results in heavy grade oil:

 (i) being carried as cargo in bulk; or

 (ii) being used, or carried for use, as fuel;

  on the ship in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Penalty: 2,000 penalty units.

 (2)  A person commits an offence if:

 (a) the person is the master or owner of a foreign ship; and

 (b) the person engages in conduct; and

 (c) the conduct results in heavy grade oil:

 (i) being carried as cargo in bulk; or

 (ii) being used, or carried for use, as fuel;

  on the ship in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Penalty: 500 penalty units.

 (3) An offence against subsection (2) is an offence of strict liability.

Note: For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.

 (4) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to heavy grade oil that is carried or used as fuel on a foreign ship for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (4): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

 (5) If, at any time (whether before or after this section commences) before a foreign ship enters the Australian Antarctic Territory, heavy grade oil is carried or used as fuel on the ship, subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to any residue of the oil that is not cleaned or flushed from a tank or pipeline of the ship.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (5): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

6  Subsections 17(4), 21(1A), 26AB(2), 26BC(2), 26D(2) and 26F(2)

Repeal the subsections.

7  Subsection 26FEF(1) (definition of engage in conduct)

Repeal the definition.

Notes to the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011

Note 1

The Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 176, 2011 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011

176, 2011

5 Dec 2011

6 Dec 2011

 

Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 2011

167, 2011

4 Dec 2011

Schedule 1 (item 18): (a)

(a) Subsection 2(1) (item 7) of the Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 2011 provides as follows:

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provision(s)

Commencement

Date/Details

7.  Schedule 1, item 18

Immediately after the commencement of the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011.

However, if the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011 commences on or before this Act receives the Royal Assent, the provision does not commence at all.

6 December 2011

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Schedule 1

 

Items 3, 4................

rep. No. 167, 2011

 

Overview

The Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011 was enacted to address the problem of pollution from ships, specifically the carriage and use of heavy grade oil in the Antarctic Area. This Act amends the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, reinforcing Australia's commitment to environmental protection in the Antarctic region. The enacting body for this Act is the Parliament of Australia, with the policy objective being to prevent pollution from ships by prohibiting the carriage and use of heavy grade oil in designated Antarctic waters. This legislation is aimed at safeguarding the Antarctic environment from the potential hazards associated with heavy grade oil, which includes crude oil and other oil products with high density or viscosity, as well as bitumen, tar, and their emulsions.

Scope and Application

The Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011 amends the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, with the primary objective of preventing pollution from ships by restricting the carriage and use of heavy grade oil in the Antarctic Area and the Australian Antarctic Territory. The Act applies to the master or owner of both Australian and foreign ships, imposing strict prohibitions on the carriage or use of heavy grade oil in these areas, which includes crude oil with a density higher than 900 kg/m3, other oils with specific density or viscosity criteria, and bitumen, tar and their emulsions. The Act establishes significant penalties for violations, including up to 2,000 penalty units for deliberate actions and 500 penalty units for strict liability offences. Notably, exemptions exist if heavy grade oil is used for the safety of the ship or for saving life at sea, and for any residue of oil not cleaned or flushed from a tank or pipeline before entering the Antarctic Area or Australian Antarctic Territory. The Act's geographic reach is defined by its application to ships operating in the Antarctic Area and the Australian Antarctic Territory, with its provisions taking effect from 6 December 2011.

Key Provisions

The Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Act 2011 introduces several amendments to the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, with a focus on prohibiting the carriage or use of heavy grade oil in the Antarctic Area and the Australian Antarctic Territory. Section 10A of the amended Act prohibits Australian ship masters or owners from engaging in conduct that results in heavy grade oil being carried as cargo in bulk or used as fuel in the Antarctic Area. This is to prevent pollution that could harm the unique Antarctic environment. Similarly, section 10B applies to foreign ships, prohibiting their masters or owners from similar conduct in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Heavy grade oil is defined in the Act as crude oil or other oil with specific density or viscosity characteristics, or bitumen, tar and their emulsions. The Act imposes strict obligations on ship masters and owners to ensure that heavy grade oil is not carried or used as fuel in the specified areas. There are two levels of offences under these sections: engaging in such conduct without exception results in a penalty of 2,000 penalty units, while an offence of strict liability, where the defence of due diligence is not available, incurs a penalty of 500 penalty units. Notably, the Act does not apply to the use of heavy grade oil for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea, nor to any residue of such oil that was carried or used before the Act commenced and has not been cleaned or flushed from the ship’s tanks or pipelines. This provides some leeway for operational necessities that might otherwise be constrained by the Act’s primary objectives. Breach of these provisions can lead to significant civil penalties. For the more serious offence outlined in subsection 10A(1) and 10B(1), the maximum penalty is 2,000 penalty units, which, as of the most recent amendments, equates to AUD 342,000. The lesser offence under subsection 10A(2) and 10B(2), which is an offence of strict liability, carries a maximum penalty of 500 penalty units, or AUD 85,500. These penalties are intended to deter non-compliance and underscore the seriousness with which the Act regards the protection of the Antarctic environment from oil pollution.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Environmental Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Offence Provisions
Licensing & Registration
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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.