{"id":"F2007B00629","name":"Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Proclamation under section 7 (29/08/2000)","slug":"seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":62420,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2007B00629-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 - Proclamation under section 7 (29/08/2000)","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nProclamation\n\nSeas and Submerged Lands Act 1973\n\nI, WILLIAM PATRICK DEANE, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and under section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, declare that:\n\n(a) the outer limit of the territorial sea in the southern area of the Gulf of Carpentaria is extended to include the part of the roadstead near the Port  \nof Karumba, in Queensland, that extends beyond the outer limits of the territorial sea as declared by proclamation made under that section on  \n9 November 1990; and\n\n(b) the limits of that roadstead are constituted by a line:\n\n(i) commencing at 17 10 00 S 140 29 00 E;\n\n(ii) then running north-easterly along the geodesic to 17 09 00 S 140 30 00 E;\n\n(iii) then running south-easterly along the geodesic to 17 19 30 S 140 39 00 E;\n\n(iv) then running south-westerly along the geodesic to 17 20 30 S 140 38 00 E;\n\n(v) then running north-westerly along the geodesic to the point of commencement; and\n\n(c) for this Proclamation all geographic coordinates are expressed in terms of the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84).\n\nSigned and sealed with the Great Seal of Australia  \non 29 August 2000\n\nWILLIAM DEANE\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command\n\nDARYL WILLIAMS\n\nAttorney-General","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Proclamation performs exactly the function contemplated by section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 — declaring the outer limits of the territorial sea. It is a specific, limited exercise of that power for a single roadstead near Karumba, consistent with the original legislative intent to allow precise delineation of Australia's maritime boundaries."},"complexity_factors":["Single, discrete administrative action with no conditional logic or exceptions","Only 3 operative paragraphs (a), (b), and (c)","No defined terms requiring interpretation","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling section (section 7 of the parent Act)","Technical complexity limited to geographic coordinate specifications (5 coordinate points forming a quadrilateral)","Straightforward declaratory language: \"I... declare that...\""],"plain_english_summary":"This Proclamation extends Australia’s territorial sea around the Karumba roadstead in the Gulf of Carpentaria so a sheltered anchorage that lies beyond the normal 12‑nautical‑mile limit falls fully within Australian waters. It affects ships using Port of Karumba and gives Australian authorities clear legal control (customs, immigration, fisheries, law enforcement) over the anchorage, avoiding gaps in jurisdiction for a commercially and strategically important area."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The proclamation expands the outer limit of the territorial sea in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria to include a defined roadstead near Port of Karumba that lay beyond the limits declared on 9 November 1990, by specifying a closed geodesic polygon in WGS 84 coordinates."},"complexity_factors":["Technical specification of a small polygon by geodetic coordinates (WGS 84) — precise but routine mapping task","Legal effect arises under section 7 of the Act (extension of territorial sea) — straightforward statutory mechanism","Reference to and modification relative to an earlier proclamation (9 November 1990) — creates a discrete change in existing limits","Operational compliance implications for vessels, port operators and resource users in the newly included area (enforcement, permits, regulation)","Low legislative discretion and no broad new policy rules — limited scope reduces doctrinal complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"This proclamation extends Australia's territorial sea in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria to bring the roadstead by the Port of Karumba within territorial waters, by declaring its outer limits using WGS‑84 coordinates. It therefore moves jurisdiction over navigation, enforcement, sovereign rights and regulation of activities in that polygon from beyond the territorial sea to within it. The Governor‑General made the declaration under section 7; affected parties include vessels, port operators, and resource users who must now comply with territorial‑sea rules."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000","history":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000/history","analysis":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-act-1973-proclamation-under-section-7-29-08-2000/documents"}}