Every year we undertake a range of planned and responsive activities to keep people safe and to protect the marine environment. Compliance activities during the past year were conducted in accordance with the 2020-21 national compliance plan and focused on higher risk areas and informed by safety data. 

A summary of our business-as-usual compliance activities can be found in the:

  • Annual Port State control report
  • Maritime Labour Convention Annual Report
  • Marine Incidents Annual Reports for Domestic Commercial Vessels and the Regulated Australian Vessels and Foreign Flag Vessels.

Our performance against the focus areas identified in the 2020-21 annual compliance plan are detailed below.

2020 - 2021 focus area measured  performance

 

Key:

Met Target/On Track ✓✓Within Threshold ✓Outside Threshold 

 

Desired outcomePerformance measure2020/21 Results
Port and flag state measured performance
Continue with target inspection rates based on vessel priority rating. *Priority GroupTarget Inspection RateAchieved Inspection Rate
Priority 180% 84.1% ✓✓
Priority 260% 67.5% ✓✓
Priority 340% 47.8% ✓✓
Priority 420% 35.1% ✓✓
Conduct a random sampling program of ship fuel, to validate the accuracy of bunker delivery notes against the fuel sampled and publish the outcomes.Conduct a random sampling program of ships fuels – at least 10 vessels and publish the outcomesCommenced in June 2021
Conduct an inspection campaign focussed on container securing arrangements and procedures which will include inspections of securing gearCompleted October 31st, 2020 208 Cargo securing inspections were carried out the results confirmed. ✓✓
 Inspection results and supporting guidance published in the maritime safety awareness bulletin issue 13 – March 2021 “Preventing container loss”
Flag State Inspections120

87* ✓

See Impacts of Covid-19

Maritime Labour Convention measured performance
100% of MLC complaints are followed up100% of complaints are followed up

100% of all Maritime Labour Convention complaints were followed up. ✓✓

180 complaints were received in relation to MN04/2020 and 180 were investigated and resolved. ✓✓

Support seafarer mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 pandemicPublish a maritime safety awareness bulletin on seafarer mental health

Seafarer mental health campaign 25 June 2020 until 10 December 2020 ✓✓

Safety Awareness Bulletin #12 – September 2020 Issue. Managing mental health at sea. ✓✓

Marine Notice 04/2020 -Maximum Period of shipboard service for seafarers during the COVID-19  pandemic

Domestic commercial vessels measured performance
Continue to target inspection rates based on vessel priority rating*Conduct 2200 vessel inspections2315 Inspections conducted ✓✓
Priority GroupTarget Number of InspectionsAchieved Number of Inspections
Priority 11020905* ✓
See Impacts of Covid-19
Priority 2370589 ✓✓
Priority 3654525 ✓
Priority 4156296 ✓✓
Conduct at sea inspection campaigns with our compliance partners*60 days at sea with our compliance partners64 days ✓✓
Three educational Campaigns focusing on passenger safety, tender operations and EPIRBSPassenger Safety CampaignMay 2020 to January 2021 ✓✓
EPIRB Safety Campaign

Safety campaign included.

Educational campaign (March – December 2020):

Social media (March 2021) - 525,781 recipients reached, including 26,669 views of videos.

Guidance and awareness information

Tender operations safety campaignEducational campaign conducted from November 2020- April 2021 ✓✓
A minimum of three focussed inspection campaigns will also be conducted following delivery of the above education safety campaignsPassenger safetyInspections- 129  ✓✓
Notices issued -3  ✓✓
Vessels with Deficiencies- 62 ✓✓
EPIRB safetyFocused Inspections (February – April 2021) – 258 completed with 91% of inspected vessels compliant nationally.
Tender (dory) inspection Campaign (Qld)61 Parent/Dory vessel operations were inspected in Qld with 2 being issued compliance notices. This is down from the 18 compliance notices issued in 2019 from 71 inspections. ✓✓

Note: Where indicated the performance measure may be based on the 2020 calendar year data due to the national compliance plan, planning cycle

*Performance Measure is based on 2020 data

Impact of COVID-19 on measured performance

AMSA, like much of our regulated maritime community, was impacted by COVID-19. Measures taken to protect our people from COVID-19 in Australia have had an impact on our compliance activities.

While at times we had a reduced presence in the field, or deferred compliance activities to ensure the safety of our staff and industry, we conducted inspections and surveillance activities as necessary, and continued to fully investigate the very serious and serious incidents.

Two examples of how COVID-19 impacted our 2020-2021 measured performance:

  • not achieving the targeted number of priority 1 domestic commercial vessel inspections was attributed to the substantial number of tourism passenger vessels that were not in operation due to the impacts on COVID-19.
  • the targeted number of flag state inspections were not achieved, due to international travel restrictions and several regulated Australian vessels being laid up in 2020.

In 2021-2022, we will continue to apply our compliance and enforcement policy, and where the risk is such that action must be taken, we will continue to do so in collaboration with our compliance partners.

We are well aware of the impacts that COVID-19 has had on sectors of the maritime industry and we will continue to work with you to bring your operation into compliance and back on the water as soon as possible.