Key outcomes from the 4 September 2025 Seacare Authority meeting

The Seacare Authority met in Melbourne on 4 September 2025. The key outcomes of the meeting are set out in this news item.

Coverage under the OHS(MI) Act

The Seacare Authority considered its position on coverage under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1993 (OHS(MI) Act) and determined that its preferred view is that:

• The term ‘place outside Australia’ for the purposes of section 6(1) of the OHS(MI) Act is that a place outside Australia should be considered as ‘A place beyond Australia’s territorial sea’. Note, territorial sea is to have the same definition as that included in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.
• In order to satisfy the section 6(1) of the OHS(MI) Act, a ship or vessel needs to be engaged in trading or commercial activity between Australia and a place beyond the territorial sea, or between 2 places beyond the territorial sea.

Guidance on the Seacare Authority’s requirements for any application for a ship/vessel be declared into the Scheme will be published on the website shortly.

Seafarers Safety Net Fund (Fund) – status and levy rate

The Seacare Authority considered the financial status of the Fund. The Seacare Authority agreed that no change would be made to the levy rate at this time.

The levy rate will next be considered at the Seacare Authority’s November 2025 meeting.

Updated Statement of Intent

In August 2025 the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Amanda Rishworth, issued an updated Ministerial Statement of Expectations to the Seacare Authority as a regulator.

The Statement of Expectations provides the Minister’s expectations of regulators under the Regulator Performance guide in line with their statutory objectives. In response, at its September meeting, the Seacare Authority considered and endorsed its revised Statement of Intent.

The endorsed Statement of Intent has been provided to the Minister and will shortly be published to the Seacare Authority website, alongside the updated Statement of Expectations.

Seacare Authority Annual Report 2024–25

The Seacare Authority considered and endorsed its Annual Report for 2024–25. Once finalised, the Annual Report will be published on the Seacare Authority website.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Seacare Authority will be held in Melbourne on 27 November 2025.