Marine Order 91 (Marine Pollution prevention - oil) sets out requirements for the prevention of pollution by oil and gives effect to Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

Overall result

The feedback received during the consultation supported the changes.  

The commencement date of the reissued Marine Order 91 is 24 February 2025.

Consultation period

22 July to 16 September 2024.

Feedback

AMSA received a total of 2 submissions.

Both supported the changes. No additional changes were made to the final marine order.

Full report

Introduction

Marine Order 91 (Marine pollution prevention – oil) 2025 is a reissue of Marine Order 91 (Marine pollution prevention – oil) 2014. The commencement date of the reissued Marine Order is 24 February 2025.

Marine Order 91 (MO91) sets out requirements for the prevention of pollution by oil and gives effect to Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

The review of MO91 implements amendments adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The amendments provide for the use of electronic record books in lieu of hardcopy records for the oil record book and entered into force internationally on 1 October 2020.

The review also gives effect to amendments providing for the issuance of an Exemption Certificate to unmanned non-self-propelled (UNSP) barges relating to the International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) Certificate. This recognises the reduced risk of environmental impacts from oil discharges by UNSP barges which do not carry, hold or have machinery that require oil.  The amendment entered into force internationally on 1 November 2022.

The main changes made as part of this review will:

• allow for the use of electronic record books in lieu of hardcopy books for the oil record book, in line with the Guidelines for the use of electronic record books under MARPOL,
• empower AMSA to approve the use of electronic record books and provide the standards required to be met in accordance with the MARPOL guidelines.  
• enable AMSA to issue and accept five-year Exemption Certificates from certain survey and certification requirements for UNSP barges relating to the IOPP Certificate following a confirmatory survey.  

Consultation approach

AMSA seeks to have effective and respectful two-way communications with our regulated community. Consultation for MO91 was open to the public and a broad range of stakeholders covering various industry groups within the maritime industry. Public consultation was supported by an awareness campaign to ensure as many industry participants as possible were made aware of the requirements and provided an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to MO91. Existing AMSA committees, including the National Safety Committee (NSC) and Regional Safety Committee (RSC) were also advised on proposed new requirements. 

Public consultation

Overview

Consultation was open for eight weeks from 22 July 2024 to 16 September 2024.  

A copy of the draft MO91 was placed on the AMSA website for public comment, with notification provided on social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and the AMSA website. Notification of the public consultation was also emailed to around 300 stakeholders, including vessel operators, recognised organisations, shipping and cargo industry bodies, seafarer representative organisations and relevant government agencies, inviting comments on the proposed changes.  

Summary of submissions

Two responses were received following consultation. Both comments supported the review changes and did not seek additional changes to the final Marine Order.

• One comment supported the use of electronic record books in place of hardcopy records for the Oil Record Book stating this was an improvement in record keeping in this critical environmental protection area allowing for better monitoring and additional functionality over the hardcopy records,
• Another comment supported ensuring consistency of changes across regulatory instruments.

These comments were considered during the preparation of the final Marine Order.  

Activity	Received	Confidential	Public
Public consultation	2	2	0

Further information

AMSA has developed related policies, guidelines, and other necessary reference materials to support the implementation of the reissued MO91. 

If you require further information, please contact AMSA Connect. 

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