{"id":"F2007B00589","name":"Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999","slug":"seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":62366,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2007B00589-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nProclamation\n\nmade under the\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, make this proclamation under section 13B of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973.\n\nSigned and sealed with the Great Seal of Australia on  \n31 March 1999\n\nWILLIAM DEANE  \nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nDaryl williams  \nAttorney-General\n\nDo not delete : Part placeholder\n\nDo not delete : Division placeholder\n\n1 Name of this proclamation\n\nThis proclamation is the Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999.\n\n2 Commencement\n\nThis proclamation commences on gazettal.\n\n3 Definition\n\nIn this proclamation:\n\n> Treaty means the Treaty between Australia and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea concerning Sovereignty and Maritime Boundaries in the area between the two Countries, including the area known as Torres Strait, and Related Matters, done at Sydney on 18 December 1978.\n\n4 Outer limits of Australia’s contiguous zone\n\nSubject to section 5, the outer limits of Australia’s contiguous zone are declared to comprise:\n\n(a) lines that are 24 nautical miles seaward of the baselines from which the territorial sea is measured, as determined by proclamation under section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, for areas of Australia other than its external Territories; and\n\n(b) in relation to the external Territories, lines that are 24 nautical miles seaward of the baselines established under international law.\n\n5 Area north of seabed jurisdiction line\n\nAustralia’s contiguous zone does not include any part of the area north of the seabed jurisdiction line set out in Annex 5 of the Treaty that is:\n\n(a) east of meridian of Longitude 141 East; and\n\n(b) west of meridian of Longitude 145 East.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The proclamation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: declaring the limits of Australia's contiguous zone as authorised by section 13B of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973. The Torres Strait exception was anticipated by the 1978 Treaty and does not represent scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Only 1 defined term ('Treaty') in the interpretation section","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling Act and the 1978 Treaty","Simple conditional structure: general rule in section 4, single exception in section 5","Total length is 5 short sections","Geographic coordinates are clearly specified rather than requiring complex calculation"],"plain_english_summary":"This proclamation defines Australia’s contiguous zone as the band extending 24 nautical miles seaward from Australia’s baselines, using baselines declared under domestic law for the mainland and internationally recognised baselines for external territories. It also carves out a specific rectangular area north of the Torres Strait seabed jurisdiction line (between 141°E and 145°E) in line with the 1978 treaty with Papua New Guinea.\n\nIt clarifies enforcement reach for Australian agencies and the legal status of foreign vessels and maritime activity near Australia."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The proclamation declares contiguous-zone outer limits consistent with the Seas and Submerged Lands Act and the Australia–Papua New Guinea Treaty; it neither expands Australia’s maritime claims beyond the 24 nm contiguous-zone concept nor alters the Treaty-defined seabed jurisdiction line. No scope change from the underlying statutory/treaty framework is evident in the text (see ss 3–5)."},"complexity_factors":["Direct geographic rule: sets a clear numeric distance (24 nautical miles) from baselines (s4(a)–(b)) — low mathematical complexity but high reliance on accurate baseline data.","Cross-reference to other instruments: depends on baselines determined by proclamation under section 7 of the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 (s4(a)) and on baselines \"established under international law\" for external Territories (s4(b)), requiring interpretation of those instruments.","Dependence on an international treaty annex: excludes an area defined by the seabed jurisdiction line in Annex 5 of the Australia–PNG Treaty (s3 definition; s5), which imports foreign-boundary geometry and historic treaty terms.","Limited administrative discretion: proclamation is declaratory (made under s13B of the Act) with no new regulatory regime or permit scheme in the text — low procedural complexity in the instrument itself (prefatory lines; ss 1–2).","Operational and compliance impact: changes where federal enforcement powers apply (customs, immigration, pollution controls implied by the contiguous zone concept), shifting obligations for vessel operators and resource users (s4; s5).","Implementation timing: commencement on gazettal (s2) creates a clear effective date but requires agencies to align enforcement and communications promptly."],"plain_english_summary":"This proclamation declares the outer limits of Australia’s contiguous zone as lines 24 nautical miles seaward of the baselines used to measure the territorial sea (and, for external Territories, 24 nm from baselines established under international law). It also excludes a specific area north of the seabed jurisdiction line in Annex 5 of the Australia–Papua New Guinea Treaty between longitudes 141°E and 145°E.\n\nThe declaration changes where Australia can exercise limited controls beyond the territorial sea (customs, fiscal, immigration and pollution measures) and therefore affects federal agencies, coastal authorities, vessels and resource operators; compliance and legal interpretation depend on the baselines and the cited Treaty annex (see ss 3–5)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999","history":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999/history","analysis":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/seas-and-submerged-lands-limits-of-contiguous-zone-proclamation-1999/documents"}}