Safety issues

On 13 August 2025, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) advised that it accepted the ATSB’s recommendation in relation to this safety issue. However, AMSA also noted that its response to the ATSB draft investigation report had affirmed that the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies (National Plan) had been adequately managed prior to the incident and acknowledged the role of the National Plan Strategic Coordination Committee (NPSCC) in overseeing the implementation of the plan and ensuring its effectiveness.

In terms of safety action to address the safety issue, AMSA advised that this covered areas related to interagency coordination, exercising the National Plan and a related learning and development programs.

Safety action for interagency coordination includes further steps to improve collaboration and communication with response partners. Monthly meetings are held between AMSA and states, the Northern Territory and the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre, to discuss implementation and review of the National Plan, exercises, learning and development and recent response activities. The outcomes from these meetings include:

• further development of strong inter-agency partnerships
• shared understanding of roles and responsibilities under the National Plan. 

In addition, AMSA facilitates National Plan coordination workshops, the most recent of which (Marine Pollution Controller workshop, June 2025) targeted senior managers responsible for interagency coordination with a focus on coordination across jurisdictional boundaries.

Action has also been proposed to enhance National Plan exercises. In June 2025, the NPSCC agreed that future exercises include more focussed exercising of a maritime casualty, including the use of Maritime Assistance Services (MAS) procedures, issuing of directions (intervention) and coordination with state and Northern Territory authorities. An AMSA proposal outlining the approach to include MAS procedures in future exercises is to be presented for consideration by the NPSCC in November 2025.

Finally, the National Plan learning and development programs aim to strengthen capability to uphold the plan’s objectives and ensure that AMSA staff and jurisdictional partners acquire the comprehensive theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills crucial for leading and coordinating effective incident management and pollution response efforts. Several of the training programs are designed for incident controllers and incident management teams and numerous courses across a range of related fields have been delivered to several hundred participants since the incident. Participant feedback indicates that this training greatly enhances their preparedness to respond confidently and efficiently to real events in real time and highlighted the benefits of integrating theoretical learning with practical scenarios, the expertise of seasoned trainers, and the opportunity to exchange real-world experiences with peers across jurisdictions.

The ATSB welcomes AMSA’s acceptance of the recommendation to address this safety issue. However, the ATSB notes AMSA’s comments that the National Plan had been adequately managed before the incident and the NPSCC’s role in overseeing the implementation of the plan and ensuring its effectiveness, which suggests that it does not consider that the safety issue existed. Nevertheless, AMSA is taking safety action as described above with some key initiatives underway.

Therefore, the ATSB will monitor the issue and seek an update from AMSA in January 2026 on the progress of these initiatives and other related safety action.