The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is an independent statutory authority established under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 to:
- promote maritime safety and protection of the marine environment;
- prevent and combat ship-sourced pollution in the marine environment;
- provide infrastructure to support safety of navigation in Australian waters;
- provide a national search and rescue service to the maritime and aviation sectors;
- provide, on request, services to the maritime industry on a commercial basis; and
- provide, on request, services of a maritime nature on a commercial basis to the Australian Government and/or states and territories.
AMSA is a corporate Commonwealth entity and operates on a cost recovery basis for all functions except search and rescue.
AMSA also represents the Australian Government at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other international forums in the development, implementation and enforcement of international standards including those governing ship safety and protection of the marine environment.
The department works closely with AMSA on maritime matters, and has a coordination and oversight role in relation to advising AMSA about government policy on administrative arrangements, financial and taxation matters, and corporate governance.