REGIONAL cooperation is crucial in ensuring a safe maritime trading environment, chief executive of the Australia Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Kaylene Dale says.
Speaking at the 2025 Safe Ship Safe Ports Forum in Perth, Ms Dale said the regulator’s work extended beyond international shipping enforcing domestic laws.
“[AMSA] plays a critical role in implementing IMO standards locally and across the region,” Ms Dale said.
“Our region relies on safe shipping to facilitate international trade and maintain social connections between nations and island communities.
“Many countries in our region share maritime borders with Australia and manage important trade routes for our economy.”
Ms Dale said Australia was committed to building capability to reduce the likelihood of a serious maritime incident and protecting our reputation as a safe destination for seafarers, passengers and tourists
“For example, AMSA has delivered active technical assistance programs to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea improving maritime transport, marine environment protection and search and rescue capabilities,” she said.
“This collaboration and outreach also extend to our own backyard, ensuring Australian operators are playing on a level field means recognising the diversity of our stakeholders, remoteness, local traditions and language that are just some of the challenges we’ve worked through at the local level.”
Ms Dale also spoke of the work of AMSA in protecting the environment, ensuring economic growth occurred in such a way as to be sustainable and inclusive, in keeping with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8.
“We also engage in the IMO to influence standards that protect our oceans, playing for example a leading role in developing the IMO’s action plan to address marine plastic litter,” she said.
“Working with Australian industry, we continue to provide leadership on air pollution issues such as safe carriage of industrial feedstocks.”
Ms Dale said by embedding Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) into their operations, they could ensure economic growth and maritime trade progressed “hand in hand with ocean stewardship”.