Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Proclamation under section 7(1) (04/02/1983)

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au F2007B00735 In force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

PROCLAMATION

Commonwealth of Australia

N. M. STEPHEN

Governor-General

By His Excellency the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

WHEREAS it is provided by sub-section 7(1) of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 that the Governor-General may, from time to time, by Proclamation, declare, not inconsistently with Section II of Part I of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, the limits of the whole or of any part of the territorial sea:

AND WHEREAS it is provided by sub-section 7 (2) of that Act that, for the purposes of such a Proclamation, the Governor-General may, in particular, determine either or both of the following:

(a) the breadth of the territorial sea:

(b) the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea, or any part of the territorial sea, is to be measured:

NOW THEREFORE I, Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, in pursuance of section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 and with effect on and from 14 February 1983, hereby declare as follows:

1. (1) In this Proclamation, “mile” means international nautical mile, being a distance of 1,852 metres.

(2) Where for the purposes of this Proclamation it is necessary to determine the position on the surface of the Earth of a point, line or area by reference to the Australian Geodetic Datum—

(a) that position shall be determined by reference to a spheroid having its centre at the centre of the Earth and a major (equatorial) radius of 6,378,160 metres and a flattening of and by reference to the position of the Johnston Geodetic Station in the Northern Territory; and

(b) the Johnston Geodetic Station shall be taken to be situated at Latitude 25° 56′54.5515″ South and at Longitude 133°12′30.0771″ East and to have a ground level of 571,2 metres above the spheroid referred to in paragraph (a).

2. The outer limits of the territorial sea adjacent to certain islands comprised within the State of Queensland are as follows:

(a) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the islands known as Aubusi, Boigu and Moimi is the limit described in Schedule 1;

(b) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the islands known as Dauan, Kaumag and Saibai is the limit described in Schedule 2;

(c) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the islands known as Anchor Cay and East Cay is the limit described in Schedule 3;

(d) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the islands known as Black Rocks and Bramble Cay is the limit described in Schedule 4;

(e) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the islands known as Deliverance Island and Kerr Islet is the limit described in Schedule 5;

(f) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the island known as Turnagain Island is the limit described in Schedule 6:

(g) the outer limit of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the island known as Turu Cay is the limit described in Schedule 7.

3. The outer limit of so much of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to the island comprised within the State of Queensland and known as Pearce Cay as lies north of the parallel of Latitude 9°33′00″ South is the limit described in Schedule 8.


4. The inner limit of that part of the territorial sea of Australia adjacent to Pearce Cay that lies south of the parallel of Latitude 9°33′00″ South is the low-water line of Pearce Cay at Lowest Astronomical Tide.

______________

SCHEDULE 1

THE ISLANDS OF AUBUSI, BOIGU AND MOIMI

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of Aubusi, Boigu and Moimi is a continuous line—

(a) commencing at the point of Latitude 9°15′43″ South, Longitude 142°03′30″ East;

(b) running thence along the geodesics successively joining the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°15′43″

142°03′30″

(ii)

9°12′50″

142°06′25″

(iii)

9°11′51″

142°08′33″

(iv)

9°11′58″

142°10′18″

(v)

9°11′22″

142°12′54″

(vi)

9°11′34″

142°14′08″

(vii)

9°13′53″

142°16′26″

(viii)

9°16′04″

142°20′41″

(c) running thence along a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°15′53″

142°17′39″

(ii)

9°16′26″

142°17′36″

(iii)

9°16′28″

142°17′36″

(iv)

9°16′31″

142°17′30″

(v)

9°17′06″

142°17′30″

(vi)

9°17′15″

142°17′30″

(vii)

9°17′26″

142°17′15″

(viii)

9°17′50″

142°16′46″

(ix)

9°17′55″

142°16′39″

(x)

9°17′56″

142°16′30″

(xi)

9°17′53″

142°16′11′′

(xii)

9°17′52″

142°16′07″

(xiii)

9°17′44″

142°14′52″

(xiv)

9°17′45″

142°14′49″

(xv)

9°17′44″

142°14′38″

(xvi)

9°17′44″

142°14′30″

(xvii)

9°17′38″

142°14′06″

(xviii)

9°17′38″

142°13′59″

(xix)

9°17′36″

142°13′47″

(XX)

9°17′34″

142°13′31″

(xxi)

9°17′33″

142°13′20″

(xxii)

9°17′32″

142°12′56″

(xxiii)

9°17′32″

142°12′46″

(xxiv)

9°17′33″

142°12′26″

(xxv)

9°17′38″

142°11′56″

(xxvi)

9°17′39″

142°11′51″

(xxvii)

9°17′38″

142°11′34″

(xxviii)

9°17′37″

142°11′30″

(xxix)

9°17′33″

142°10′20″

(xxx)

9°17′30″

142°10′13″

(xxxi)

9°17′15″

142°09′08″

(xxxii)

9°17′13″

142°09′00″

(xxxiii)

9°17′02″

142°08′35″

(xxxiv)

9°16′56″

142°08′23″

(xxxv)

9°16′52″

142°08′15″

(xxxvi)

9°16′47″

142°08′01″

(xxxvii)

9°16′46″

142°07′58″

(xxxviii)

9°16′21″

142°06′52″

(xxxix)

9°16′19″

142°06′51″

(xl)

9°15′08″

142°06′28″

to the point of commencement.


SCHEDULE 2

THE ISLANDS OF DAUAN, KAUMAG AND SAIBAI

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of Dauan, Kaumag and Saibai is a continuous line—

(a) commencing at the point of Latitude 9°22′04″ South, Longitude 142°29′41″ East;

(b) running thence along the geodesies successively joining the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°22′04″

142°29′41″

(ii)

9°21′48″

142°31′29″

(iii)

9°22′33″

142°33′28″

(iv)

9°21′25″

142°35′29″

(v)

9°20′21″

142°41′43″

(vi)

9°20′16″

142°43′53″

(vii)

9°19′26″

142°48′18″

and

(c) running thence along a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°22′24″

142°47′49″

(ii)

9°22′28″

142°47′53″

(iii)

9°22′39″

142°47′57″

(iv)

9°22′48″

142°48′00″

(v)

9°22′58″

142°48′01″

(vi)

9°23′02″

142°48′01″

(vii)

9°23′06″

142°47′59″

(viii)

9°23′12″

142°47′55″

(ix)

9°23′28″

142°47′46″

(x)

9°23′44″

142°47′41″

(xi)

9°25′46″

142°46′36″

(xii)

9°25′48″

142°46′36″

(xiii)

9°25′53″

142°46′29″

(xiv)

9°26′05″

142°46′12″

(xv)

9°26′10″

142°46′03″

(xvi)

9°26′15″

142°45′47″

(xvii)

9°26′15″

142°45′34″

(xviii)

9°26′12″

142°45′25″

(xix)

9°26′09″

142°45′12″

(xx)

9°26′06″

142°45′07″

(xxi)

9°25′57″

142°44′39″

(xxii)

9°25′48″

142°43′07″

(xxiii)

9°25′54″

142°42′42″

(xxiv)

9°25′53″

142°42′13″

(xxv)

9°25′52″

142°41′59″

(xxvi)

9°25′51″

142°41′51″

(xxvii)

9°25′48″

142°41′15″

(xxviii)

9°25′47″

142°41′04″

(xxix)

9°25′46″

142°40′55″

(xxx)

9°25′43″

142°40′20″

(xxxi)

9°25′44″

142°40′04″

(xxxii)

9°25′50″

142°39′30″

(xxxiii)

9°25′51″

142°39′22″

(xxxiv)

9°25′50″

142°39′13″

(xxxv)

9°25′48″

142°39′03″

(xxxvi)

9°25′35″

142°38′05″

(xxxvii)

9°25′31″

142°37′46″

(xxxviii)

9°25′28″

142°37′36″

(xxxix)

9°25′23″

142°37′22″

(xl)

9°25′22″

142°37′19″

(xli)

9°25′04″

142°36′35″

(xlii)

9°24′50″

142°36′03″

(xliii)

9°25′25″

142°33′03″

(xliv)

9°25′27″

142°32′58″

(xlv)

9°25′54″

142°32′17″

(xlvi)

9°26′11″

142°33′00″

(xlvii)

9°26′15″

142°31′55″

(xlviii)

9°26′17″

142°31′52″

(xlix)

9°26′17″

142°31′48″

(l)

9°26′15″

142°31′46″

(li)

9°26′06″

142°31′47″


 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(lii)

9°25′38″

142°31′35″

(liii)

9°25′28″

142°31′34″

(liv)

9°25′24″

142°31′33″

(lv)

9°25′05″

142°31′27″

(lvi)

9°24′39″

142°31′18″

(lvii)

9°24′37″

142°31′17″

(lviii)

9°24′32″

142°31′24″

to the point of commencement.

____________

SCHEDULE 3

THE ISLANDS OF ANCHOR CAY AND EAST CAY

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of Anchor Cay and East Cay is the continuous lined formed by a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively, so as to enclose the islands, from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°21′27″

144°07′30″

(ii)

9°21′25″

144°07′28″

(iii)

9°21′25″

144°07′38″

(iv)

9°21′26″

144°07′44″

(v)

9°21′29″

144°07′50″

(vi)

9°21′31″

144°07′55″

(vii)

9°21′44″

144°08′24″

(viii)

9°21′45″

144°08′27″

(ix)

9°21′49″

144°08′33″

(x)

9°21′54″

144°08′37″

(xi)

9°23′09″

144°12′43″

(xii)

9°23′02″

144°12′55″

(xiii)

9°23′02″

144°13′23″

(xiv)

9°23′04″

144°13′29″

(xv)

9°23′06″

144°13′33″

(xvi)

9°23′09″

144°13′40″

(xvii)

9°23′13″

144°13′44″

(xviii)

9°23′30″

144°13′59″

(xix)

9°23′40″

144°14′11″

(xx)

9°23′44″

144°14′18″

(xxi)

9°23′50″

144°14′25″

(xxii)

9°23′59″

144°14′30″

(xxiii)

9°24′05″

144°14′31″

(xxiv)

9°24′19″

144°14′33″

(xxv)

9°24′29″

144°14′37″

(xxvi)

9°24′40″

144°14′40″

(xxvii)

9°24′44″

144°14′40″

(xxviii)

9°24′49″

144°14′35″

(xxix)

9°24′53″

144°14′33″

(xxx)

9°24′57″

144°14′27″

(xxxi)

9°24′57″

144°14′20″

(xxxii)

9°24′56″

144°14′14″

(xxxiii)

9°24′44″

144°13′19″

(xxxiv)

9°24′40″

144°13′02″

(xxxv)

9°24′36″

144°12′58″

(xxxvi)

9°24′31″

144°12′56″

(xxxvii)

9°23′47″

144°12′34″

(xxxviii)

9°22′06″

144°08′38″

(xxxix)

9°22′07″

144°08′31″

(xl)

9°21′59″

144°07′57″

(xli)

9°21′47″

144°07′32″

(xlii)

9°21′44″

144°07′29″

(xliii)

9°21′40″

144°07′26″

(xliv)

9°21′35″

144°07′24″

 

SCHEDULE 4

THE ISLANDS OF BLACK ROCKS AND BRAMBLE CAY

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of Black Rocks and Bramble Cay is the continuous line formed


by a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively, so as to enclose the islands, from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°10′28″

143°49′59″

(ii)

9°08′40″

143°52′19″

(iii)

9°08′33″

143°52′22″

(iv)

9°08′26″

143°52′32″

(v)

9°08′24″

143°52′41″

(vi)

9°08′23″

143°52′48″

(vii)

9°08′24″

143°52′54″

(viii)

9°08′27″

143°53′06″

(ix)

9°08′32″

143°53′12″

(x)

9°08′43″

143°53′19″

(xi)

9°08′48″

143°53′19″

(xii)

9°08′52″

143°53′17″

(xiii)

9°09′00″

143°53′13″

(xiv)

9°09′04″

143°53′07″

(xv)

9°09′08″

143°53′00″

(xvi)

9°09′07″

143°52′49″

SCHEDULE 5

DELIVERANCE ISLAND AND KERR ISLET

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to Deliverance Island and Kerr Islet is the continuous line formed by a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively, so as to enclose the islands, from the following points

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9″32′39″

141°32′15″

(ii)

9°32′35″

141°32′11″

(iii)

9°32′07″

141°31′50″

(iv)

9°32′02″

141°31′54″

(v)

9°31′56″

141°31′58″

(vi)

9°31′51″

141°32′02″

(vii)

9°31′29″

141°32′17″

(viii)

9°31′27″

141°32′19″

(ix)

9°31′24″

141°32′21″

(x)

9°30′40″

141°33′32″

(xi)

9°30′08″

141°34′01″

(xii)

9°30′01″

141°34′05″

(xiii)

9°29′57″

141°34′08″

(xiv)

9°29′51″

141°34′14″

(xv)

9°29′51″

141°34′19″

(xvi)

9°29′58″

141°36′13″

(xvii)

9°30′04″

141°36′16″

(xviii)

9°30′12″

141°36′16″

(xix)

9°30′28″

141°36′18″

(xx)

9°30′47″

141°36′18″

(xxi)

9°31′00″

141°36′15″

(xxii)

9°31′11″

141°36′10″

(xxiii)

9°31′29″

141°36′02″

(xxiv)

9°31′38″

141°35′55″

(xxv)

9°31′47″

141°35′46″

(xxvi)

9°31′50″

141°35′42″

(xxvii)

9°32′02″

141°35′21″

(xxviii)

9°36′21″

141°34′33″

(xxix)

9°36′24″

141°34′34″

(xxx)

9°36′35″

141°34′33″

(xxxi)

9″36′49″

141°34′26″

(xxxii)

9°36′56″

141°34′21″

(xxxiii)

9°37′05″

141°34′02″

(xxxiv)

9°37′14″

141°33′47″

(xxxv)

9°37′15″

141°33′28″

(xxxvi)

9°37′13″

141°33′25″

(xxxvii)

9°37′09″

141°33′22″

(xxxviii)

9°37′03″

141°33′21″

(xxxix)

9°36′58″

141°33′22″

(xl)

9°36′52″

141°33′27″


SCHEDULE 6

TURNAGAIN ISLAND

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to Turnagain Island is the continuous line formed by a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively, so as to enclose the island, from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°32′54″

142°10′47″

(ii)

9°32′54″

142°10′44″

(iii)

9°32′54″

142°10′40″

(iv)

9°32′52″

142°10′36″

(v)

9°32′49″

142°10′35″

(vi)

9°32′44″

142°10′36″

(vii)

9°32′23″

142°10′54″

(viii)

9°32′11″

142°11′39″

(ix)

9°32′10″

142°11′45″

(x)

9°32′15″

142°11′54″

(xi)

9°32′37″

142°14′59″

(xii)

9°32′36″

142°15′08″

(xiii)

9°32′37″

142°15′14″

(xiv)

9°32′40″

142°15′24″

(xv)

9°32′44″

142°15′40″

(xvi)

9°32′44″

142°15′47″

(xvii)

9°32′45″

142°15′53″

(xviii)

9°32′48″

142°16′04″

(xix)

9°32′51″

142°16′16″

(xx)

9°32′53″

142°16′28″

(xxi)

9°32′54″

142°16′34″

(xxii)

9°32′56″

142°16′39″

(xxiii)

9°32′58″

142°16′49″

(xxiv)

9°33′02″

142°1701″

(xxv)

9°33′03″

142°17′12″

(xxvi)

9°33′05″

142°17′18″

(xxvii)

9°33′11″

142°17′30″

(xxviii)

9°33′14″

142°17′40″

(xxix)

9°33′16″

142°17′50″

(xxx)

9°33′18″

142°18′00″

(xxxi)

9°33′21″

142°18′09″

(xxxii)

9°33′23″

142°18′16″

(xxxiii)

9°33′28″

142°18′27″

(xxxiv)

9°33′33″

142°18′42″

(xxxv)

9°33′35″

142°18′51″

(xxxvi)

9°33′38′

142°19′03″

(xxxvii)

9°33′41″

142°19′12″

(xxxviii)

9°33′42″

142°19′19″

(xxxix)

9°33′44″

142°19′25″

(xl)

9°33′47″

142°19′38″

(xli)

9°33′49″

142°19′40″

(xlii)

9°34′15″

142°20′11″

(xliii)

9°34′19″

142°20′16″

(xliv)

9°34′23″

142°20′17″

(xlv)

9°34′29″

142°20′14″

(xlvi)

9°34′34″

142°20′10″

(xlvii)

9°34′42″

142°20′03″

(xlviii)

9°34′46″

142°19′58″

(xlix)

9°34′49″

142°19′52″

(l)

9°34′52″

142°19′32″

(li)

9°34′52″

142°19′24″

(lii)

9°34′52″

142°19′15″

(liii)

9°34′50″

142°19′05″

(liv)

9°34′48″

142°18′54″

(lv)

9°34′46″

142°18′39″

(lvi)

9°34′43″

142°18′28″

(lvii)

9°34′40″

142°18′11″

(lviii)

9°34′38″

142°18′05″

(lix)

9°34′35″

142°17′56″

(lx)

9°34′30″

142°17′39″

(lxi)

9°34′23″

142°17′09″

(lxii)

9°34′21″

142°16′55″

(lxiii)

9°34′19″

142°16′39″

(lxiv)

9°34′16″

142°16′29″

(lxv)

9°34′07″

142°15′58″

(lxvi)

9°34′05″

142°15′49″

(lxvii)

9°34′01″

142°15′41″


 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(lxviii)

9°33′50″

142°15′17″

(lxix)

9°33′48″

142°15′10″

(lxx)

9°33′44″

142°15′00″

(lxxi)

9°33′35″

142°14′48″

(lxxii)

9°33′24″

142°14′31″

(lxxiii)

9°33′09″

142°13′59″

(lxxiv)

9°33′08″

142°13′53″

 

SCHEDULE 7

TURU CAY

The outer limit of the territorial sea adjacent to Turu Cay is a continuous line formed by a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively, so as to enclose Turu Cay, from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°49′53″

141°24′42″

(ii)

9°49′39″

141°24′44″

(iii)

9°49′31″

141°24′52″

(iv)

9°49′25″

141°25′02″

(v)

9°49′23″

141°25′13″

(vi)

9°49′20″

141°25′25″

(vii)

9°49′19″

141°25′36″

(viii)

9°49′18″

14°25′43″

(ix)

9°49′18″

141°25′53″

(x)

9°49′17″

141°26′07″

(xi)

9°49′23″

141°26′09″

(xii)

9°49′26″

141°26′06″

(xiii)

9°49′32″

141°25′58″

(xiv)

9°49′38″

141°25′49″

(xv)

9°49′44″

141°25′38″

(xvi)

9°49′47″

14°25′31″

(xvii)

9°49′53″

141°25′19″

(xviii)

9°49′55″

141°25′09″

(xix)

9°49′57″

141°24′54″

(xx)

9°49′56″

141°24′45″


SCHEDULE 8

PEARCE CAY

The outer limit of that part of the territorial sea adjacent to Pearce Cay which lies north of the parallel of Latitude 9°33′00″ South is a continuous line—

(a) commencing at the point of Latitude 9°33′00″ South, Longitude 143°14′51″ East;

(b) running thence along a series of intersecting arcs of circles having a radius of 3 miles and drawn successively from the following points—

 

Latitude

Longitude

 

(South)

(East)

(i)

9°30′56″

143°17′03″

(ii)

9°30′53″

143°17′03″

(iii)

9°30′50″

143°17′08″

(iv)

9°30′46″

143°17′19″

(v)

9°30′43″

143°17′26″

(vi)

9°30′42″

143°17′34″

(vii)

9°30′41»

143°17′43″

(viii)

9°30′48″

143°17′42″

(ix)

9°30′50″

143°17′40″

to the point of Latitude 9°33′00″ South, Longitude 143°19′46″ East; and

(c) running thence west along the parallel of Latitude 9°33′00″ South to the point of commencement.

(L.S.) GIVEN under my Hand and the Great Seal of Australia on 4 February 1983.

By His Excellency’s Command,

J.L. CARRICK

Minister of State for National Development and Energy

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Ex. Min. No. 2)

Overview

The proclamation, "N. M. STEPHEN Governor-General" (1983), is an instrument under the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, which was enacted to clarify and regulate Australia's maritime zones, including the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The primary problem this Act addresses is the need for a comprehensive legal framework to manage and protect Australia's extensive maritime territory, ensuring national security, economic interests, and environmental protection. Enacted by the Australian Parliament, the policy objective of this legislation is to assert Australia's sovereignty over its maritime zones, facilitate the sustainable use of marine resources, and provide a clear legal basis for the delimitation and management of these zones in accordance with international law.

Scope and Application

The proclamation, issued under the authority of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, delineates the boundaries of Australia's territorial sea around certain islands in the state of Queensland, effective from February 14, 1983. The proclamation applies specifically to the territorial sea adjacent to the islands of Aubusi, Boigu, Moimi, Dauan, Kaumag, Saibai, Anchor Cay, East Cay, Black Rocks, Bramble Cay, Deliverance Island, Kerr Islet, Turnagain Island, Turu Cay, and Pearce Cay, within the state of Queensland. The Governor-General, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, determines the breadth of the territorial sea and the baselines from which these breadths are measured, in accordance with international maritime law. The geographical coordinates for the baselines are specified in detail for each set of islands in the accompanying schedules, which outline a series of arcs with a radius of three nautical miles to enclose the respective islands. This legislative instrument operates within the jurisdictional scope of the Commonwealth of Australia and does not explicitly mention any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds. However, it is subject to the broader legal framework provided by the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 and other relevant maritime laws. The proclamation may be further refined or elaborated upon through subordinate instruments issued under the authority of the Act.

Key Provisions

This Proclamation, issued under section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, establishes the limits of Australia's territorial sea around certain islands in Queensland. Specifically, it defines the outer limits of the territorial sea for the islands of Aubusi, Boigu, and Moimi, Dauan, Kaumag, and Saibai, Anchor Cay, East Cay, Black Rocks, Bramble Cay, Deliverance Island, Kerr Islet, Turnagain Island, Turu Cay, and Pearce Cay. These limits are determined by a series of points connected by geodesics or arcs of circles with a radius of three miles. The baseline for measuring these limits is the low-water line of the respective islands at the lowest astronomical tide. The Proclamation imposes the obligation on relevant authorities and the public to adhere to the defined limits of the territorial sea. These limits are crucial for enforcing maritime laws, managing fisheries, and protecting the environment within Australia's maritime jurisdiction. Compliance with these boundaries is essential for lawful navigation, fishing, and other maritime activities. Breaching the established limits of the territorial sea without authorisation could lead to legal consequences under Australian maritime law. Offences may include unauthorised entry into the territorial sea, illegal fishing, and other violations of maritime regulations. Penalties for such breaches can vary but may include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offence. The exact penalties would be determined according to the specific laws and regulations governing maritime activities in Australian waters.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
International Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Regulatory Standards
Enforcement Powers

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.