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Navigation Amendment

Current status

This bill became law on Feb 14th, 2025.

Policy area

Culture, sport & community

What does this bill do?

Australia’s shipping law now recognises offshore worker transport vessels and the workers they carry, so future international wording changes can flow through automatically.

Why was it introduced?

A 2022 international safety rule change exposed a gap in Australian shipping law for offshore vessels carrying industrial workers in hazardous transfer conditions. The bill updates the Navigation Act so those workers and vessels are recognised, the new safety code applies, and detailed rules can be set clearly.

Broader context

Australia’s Navigation Act 2012The main Australian shipping law being updated by this bill. already gave effect to the SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. safety convention, but after the International Maritime OrganizationThe United Nations body that sets and updates the global ship-safety rules referred to in this bill. adopted new industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. ship rules in November 2022, Australia needed its domestic law to recognise offshore worker transport vessels and the people they carry, especially as offshore activity grew and transfers often occurred in hazardous conditions. The SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment was accepted for Australia on 1 January 2024 and took effect on 1 July 2024, so the bill was introduced later in 2024 and passed in early 2025 to align Australian law with the new code and enable clearer regulation-making.

Key criticism

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, with debate describing it as a minor technical update to keep Australia aligned with international ship safety rules. No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, and the available speeches framed its practical effects as limited and mainly administrative.

Who supported it?

Hon Catherine King MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.

Introduced in House 06 Nov 2024
Passed House 21 Nov 2024
Passed Senate 06 Feb 2025
Became law 14 Feb 2025

Did it become law?

Yes

Became law 14 Feb 2025

Final passage

Passed without a counted vote

Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.

Passage speed

100 days

From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. Australia’s shipping law now recognises offshore worker transport vessels and the workers they carry, so future international wording changes can flow through automatically.

  2. People being transported for offshore industrial work are no longer treated as passengers when they are on a vessel set up for that work.

  3. People being transported for offshore industrial work are also no longer treated as seafarers when they are on a vessel set up for that work.

  4. Regulations can now clearly set detailed rules for vessels that carry offshore industrial workers, giving operators and regulators more certainty.

  5. The law also cleans up confusing navigation notes and fixes a wrong legal cross-reference without changing the underlying rule those notes referred to.

Show source excerpts
  1. This clause amends section 14 of the Navigation Act 2012 to include definitions for industrial personnel and industrial personnel vessel. The clause defines industrial personnel as per the meaning in SOLAS to ensure future changes to this term can be automatically captured.
    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum
  2. This clause amends the definition of passenger to exclude industrial personnel on board an industrial personnel vessel.
    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum
  3. As with the item 2, this clause amends the definition of seafarer to exclude industrial personnel on board an industrial personnel vessel.
    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum
  4. This clause amends the general regulation-making power to provide clarity and certainty that the regulations may make provision for industrial personnel vessels.
    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum
  5. This clause removes the notes under sections 124, 129, 146, 175 and 180 which refer to the application of section 12. These notes have been used inconsistently across the Act and have been removed to avoid confusion. Section 12 continues to apply.
    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum

Context

Broader context for this bill

Australia’s Navigation Act 2012The main Australian shipping law being updated by this bill. already gave effect to the SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. safety convention, but after the International Maritime OrganizationThe United Nations body that sets and updates the global ship-safety rules referred to in this bill. adopted new industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. ship rules in November 2022, Australia needed its domestic law to recognise offshore worker transport vessels and the people they carry, especially as offshore activity grew and transfers often occurred in hazardous conditions. The SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment was accepted for Australia on 1 January 2024 and took effect on 1 July 2024, so the bill was introduced later in 2024 and passed in early 2025 to align Australian law with the new code and enable clearer regulation-making.

  1. November 2022

    IMOThe United Nations body that sets and updates the global ship-safety rules referred to in this bill. adopts new industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. ship safety rules

    The Maritime Safety CommitteeThe IMO committee that approved the new industrial personnel ship safety rules and code. amended SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. and adopted the Industrial Personnel CodeThe detailed safety code that sets the rules for ships carrying offshore industrial workers. to set mandatory safety standards for ships carrying offshore industrial workers.

    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum ↗
  2. 20 Mar 2024

    Treaties committee approves Australia’s SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment treaty action

    JSCOTThe parliamentary committee that approved the treaty action for Australia to proceed with the SOLAS changes. approved the treaty action needed for Australia to proceed with the new SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. obligations.

    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum ↗
  3. 01 July 2024

    New SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. rules take effect for Australia

    After being deemed accepted on 1 January 2024, the amendment entered into force and exposed the need to update Australian law for offshore support vessels and hazardous worker transfers.

    Navigation Amendment explanatory memorandum ↗
  4. 06 Nov 2024

    Government introduces the Navigation Amendment Bill 2024

    The bill was introduced to update the Navigation Act so Australia could recognise industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. vessels and apply the new SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. code domestically.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  5. 06 Feb 2025

    Parliament passes the bill

    Both Houses passed the bill in the same form, clearing the way for the Navigation Act amendments to become law.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗
  6. 14 Feb 2025

    Navigation Amendment Act receives Royal AssentThe final step that makes a bill an Act of Parliament.

    Royal AssentThe final step that makes a bill an Act of Parliament. completed the change so Australian law could expressly cover offshore industrial worker transport and support clearer detailed rules by regulation.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 06 Nov 2024

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 06 Nov 2024

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 19 Nov 2024

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Sent to Federation Chamber for debate 19 Nov 2024

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Referred to Federation Chamber

Second reading debate 21 Nov 2024

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

House second reading agreed 21 Nov 2024

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Returned from Federation Chamber 21 Nov 2024

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Reported from Federation Chamber

House third reading agreed 21 Nov 2024

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Introduced 04 Feb 2025

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 04 Feb 2025

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Senate second reading agreed 06 Feb 2025

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Senate third reading agreed 06 Feb 2025

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Passed both houses 06 Feb 2025

Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.

Finally passed both Houses

Assent 14 Feb 2025

The Governor-General gave Royal AssentThe final step that makes a bill an Act of Parliament., turning the bill into an Act.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, with debate describing it as a minor technical update to keep Australia aligned with international ship safety rules. No party represented in the debate opposed the bill, and the available speeches framed its practical effects as limited and mainly administrative.

Criticism appears minimal because the bill was presented as a narrow compliance and drafting measure.

Votes

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.

Passed

House passed the bill

House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

21 Nov 2024

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Passed

Senate passed the bill

Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

06 Feb 2025

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Catherine King

Australian Labor Party • MP 06 Nov 2024

Ms King supports the bill because it gives effect to the SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment and keeps Australia compliant with its international obligations on the safety of ships carrying industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel..

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead supporting voice Supports

Dan Tehan

Liberal Party • MP 19 Nov 2024

Tehan says the coalition will support the bill because it makes minor Navigation Act changes to implement SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendments and keep Australia compliant with its international obligations.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Labor

1 speaker · 2 contributions · 1 support

  1. Catherine King ★ 2 contributions Ms King supports the bill because it gives effect to the SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment and keeps Australia compliant with its international obligations on the safety of ships carrying industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel..

    Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Catherine King on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.

    Minister's second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 06 Nov 2024

    Ms King supports the bill because it gives effect to the SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendment and keeps Australia compliant with its international obligations on the safety of ships carrying industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel..

    “This bill gives effect to the SOLAS amendment and ensures Australia's compliance with its international obligations under the convention, and will allow foreign vessels in Australia to rely on the newly established International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

    Second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 21 Nov 2024

    Ms Catherine King supports the Navigation Amendment Bill 2024, saying it is needed to keep Australia meeting its international safety obligations and to protect industrial personnelThe people being carried for offshore industrial work, who this bill says are not to be treated as passengers or seafarers on the relevant vessel. working in the offshore sector. She commends the bill to the House and thanks the opposition for backing it.

    “These amendments recognise and support the uniqueness of the offshore sector and the importance of protecting the lives and health of those involved in these activities, as we look to the future possibilities of the maritime, offshore and energy sectors. I commend the bill to the House.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

Coalition

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Dan Tehan ★ Tehan says the coalition will support the bill because it makes minor Navigation Act changes to implement SOLASThe global ship-safety treaty that Australia uses to line up its shipping rules with international standards. amendments and keep Australia compliant with its international obligations.
    “I, on behalf of the federal coalition, rise to speak on the Navigation Amendment Bill 2024, which we will be supporting. This bill proposes minor modifications to the Navigation Act 2012 to implement an amendment to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974, SOLAS.”

    Liberal Party • MP • 19 Nov 2024

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

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