Australia Has a New Maritime Emergency Plan
Australian industry, state and federal governments have endorsed a new National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority AMSA, the new plan sets out the cooperative arrangements between governments and industry to respond to maritime pollution and shipping casualty incidents. The plan, managed by AMSA, was reviewed with extensive input from key stakeholders, from industry and government, drawing on their experience with maritime emergencies both domestically and internationally since the last plan was put in place in 2001. AMSA Chief Executive Graham Peachey said the new plan combines pollution response and the management of maritime casualties for the first time in its 40 year existence.
Northern Australia Waters: Emergency Towage Service
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has awarded two substantial new contracts to Brisbane-based company Australian Maritime Systems Limited to provide emergency towage services in Far North Queensland as well as to maintain its aids to navigation network. AMSA Chief Executive Officer Graham Peachey said the Level 1 emergency capability operates out of Cairns and provides a dedicated 24/7 vessel and crew to provide emergency towage and first strike emergency response on behalf of AMSA.
Australian Reef Protected by New Safety Initiative
To protect the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia’s north-west region, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to establish an area ships should avoid. A new AMSA Marine Notice will recommend ships keep at least two nautical miles from the edge of Ningaloo Reef at its narrowest part, and between eight and 12 nautical miles from the reef along the remainder of the Ningaloo Coast section to reduce the risk of shipping accidents and help protect the World Heritage listed region from ship-sourced pollution.
China – Australia Maritime Safety Exchange Program
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) welcomes 6 delegates from the China Maritime Safety Administration in a 12-week maritime safety exchange program. The group had a very busy first week in Canberra, where they were able to meet with AMSA's Executive and most of the divisions at AMSA’s head office where they were briefed by AMSA's CEO Mr Graham Peachey on upcoming changes to Australian maritime legislation and future priority issues for AMSA. Mr Peachey and the delegates also discussed the mutual benefits of maintaining a close relationship for the two agencies.
Asia Pacific Safety Agencies Forum Meets in Vietnam
More than 70 high level participants from across the Asia-Pacific region attended the meeting along with the IMO, IALA and ReCAAP (a regional forum to combat piracy). Australia's delegation was led by Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) CEO, Graham Peachey, who provided a presentation to the meeting on technical cooperation, the Maritime Labour Convention and search and rescue. The benefits of AMSA's technical cooperation program and AMSA's standing in the region were…
Australia Joins IMO Capacity-building Effort
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), to support IMO’s Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme (ITCP) capacity-building activities through the provision of experts and hostship facilities for the delivery of ITCP activities, as well as the secondment of staff from AMSA. The new MoU is aimed at assisting developing countries to comply with international maritime safety and environmental protection laws and standards by understanding, implementing and enforcing IMO instrumentsAMSA has a long history of engagement in technical capacity-building…
