AMSA has been the custodian of parts of this network for the last 33 years, safeguarding the lives of seafarers and our precious seas and coastlines in accordance with international obligations.
Together with our state and territory partners, we have ensured the maintenance, modernisation, and growth of this network through our work. About 480 are directly managed by AMSA. These are located across Australia both on the mainland and offshore islands.
Our management of these aids to navigation involves a significant number of specialist contractors, including for maintenance, communications and major refurbishments, underpinned by our own in-house expertise in contract management, engineering, information technology, and navigation.
Maintenance is supported through technical expertise at AMSA and working closely with providers to ensure a resilient network.
Much has changed in the last 20 years and as custodians of this network, it is our duty to ensure its future-proofed for the next 20 years, and beyond. For the past 20 years, we have had a single national contract in place for preventative maintenance and outage response. A suite of regional contracts is now in place.
A regional approach
The new regional approach for maintenance delivery is more diverse and has opened opportunities for more Australian businesses to increase the skills and experience of their workforce through this incredibly rewarding work.
It divides the parts of the network that AMSA is responsible for into 8 distinct regions which reflect groupings of aids to navigation around the country, although there may be some minor pragmatic variations around jurisdictional borders. It is underpinned by a separate technical support and logistics provider role - contract awarded to Kordia.
These regions are:
| Region number | Region name | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Queensland (ETC1 area of operation) | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance as well as outage response, the Contractor will have access to AMSA’s Emergency Towage Vessel (ETV) for accessing AtoN sites in the ETV area. Contract awarded to Australian Maritime Systems Group Pty Ltd (AMSG). |
| 2 | Torres Strait MetOcean | Undertaking maintenance required to ensure AMSA’s metocean sensors are operating and data is available for broadcast to mariners via VHF radio. Contract awarded to Australian Maritime Systems Group Pty Ltd (AMSG). |
| 3 | South Queensland | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to Australian Maritime Systems Group Pty Ltd (AMSG). |
| 4 | New South Wales | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to Solar Technology Australia Pty Ltd. |
| 5 | Victoria and Tasmania | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to McElligotts (VIC) Pty Ltd. |
| 6 | South Australia | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to Maritime Constructions Pty Ltd. |
| 7 | Western Australia | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to Bhagwan Marine Limited. |
| 8 | Northern Territory | Undertaking power system, AtoN and basic facilities maintenance and outage response. Contract awarded to Bhagwan Marine Limited. |
 | To view by region, click on the filter icon displayed in the top left-hand corner. |
Our commitment
The Australian public and maritime industry can rest assured AMSA will continue to provide a resilient network that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of our nation and supports industry.
Maritime safety underpins everything that we do here at AMSA – from our robust and internationally reputed ship inspection regime to our strategic oversight of vessel traffic services around the country, our world-leading under keel clearance management system in the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef, and our coordination of search and rescue.
We are the lighthouse keepers, and more. And our watchkeeping over this network, the preservation of its rich heritage and critical role in maritime safety in Australia extends beyond today, well into the future of this country.