This instrument is a geo‑spatial declaration. It designates specified coastal and harbour areas in five jurisdictions as "naval waters" by giving precise geometric descriptions and coordinates. The text is arranged as a set of schedules: Schedule 1 (New South Wales), Schedule 2 (Victoria), Schedule 3 (Western Australia), Schedule 4 (Queensland) and Schedule 5 (Northern Territory). Each Schedule lists installations or defence land by name (for example Spectacle Island, HMAS PENGUIN, HMAS CERBERUS, HMAS STIRLING, HMAS CAIRNS and HMAS COONAWARRA) and then sets out the waters declared to be naval waters by reference to a sequence of coordinate points, bearings, circles (centre + radius) or stretches of the high water line. The instrument begins with the formal executive signatures, showing it is made "By Her Excellency’s Command" with John Faulkner, Minister for Defence, named immediately below the Governor‑General heading. The Schedules are the operative content: each Schedule contains the textual geometry that creates a legal layer of naval waters around the named installations.

Each Schedule also includes a uniform geodetic and tidal reference rule. Every Schedule states that coordinates are "Referenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)" and that "For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary." That single definitional proviso appears at the head of each Schedule and therefore governs the interpretation of the HWL language used throughout the described boundaries. The textual geometries include: (a) explicit polygonal vertices given as latitude/longitude in degrees, minutes and seconds with decimals; (b) linear connections that run "directly to" a specified HWL point; (c) instructions to proceed "generally north/south/east/west along the HWL" between named HWL anchor points; and (d) circular areas defined by a metre radius around a specified centre (for example the Sulphur Bay armament jetty circle and the Dampier buoy circle in Schedule 3).

QUENtin Bryce Governor-General

By Her Excellency’s Command

John Faulkner

Minister for Defence

Schedule 1 Declaration of naval waters —
New South Wales

1Item	2Installation or defence land	3WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	4Chart or map title
1	Spectacle Island	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 07.23”S, 151 10’ 01.10”EPoint 2 33 51’ 02.43”S, 151 10’ 02.59”EPoint 3 33 50’ 47.58”S, 151 09’ 55.62”EPoint 4 33 50’ 52.20”S, 151 09’ 38.02”EPoint 5 33 51’ 01.95”S, 151 09’ 43.44”EThen to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6.Point 6 33 51’ 08.27”S, 151 09’ 59.77”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Spectacle Island
2	Shark Island MC/N Degaussing Range	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 31.68”S, 151 15’ 29.82”EPoint 2 33 51’ 34.26”S, 151 15’ 44.58”EPoint 3 33 51’ 36.84”S, 151 15’ 43.98”EThen to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 4.Point 4 33 51’ 33.54”S, 151 15’ 29.52”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Shark Island MC/NDegaussing Range
3	Shark Island Degaussing & Mine Counter Measures Vessels Intercardinal Range	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the northern side of Steele Point, Vaucluse nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 02.50”S, 151 15’ 52.53”EPoint 2 33 50’ 58.93’S, 151 15’ 52.53”EPoint 3 33 50’ 58.93”S, 151 15’ 29.19”EPoint 4 33 51’ 25.35”S, 151 15’ 27.53”EPoint 5 33 51’ 25.35”S, 151 15’ 49.71”EPoint 6 33 51’ 15.61”S, 151 15’ 49.71”Ethen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 7Point 7 33 51’ 15.61”S, 151 15’ 55.07”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Shark Island Degaussing & MCMV Intercardinal Range
4	Shark Island East-West Shallow Degaussing	All those waters within the area commencing at Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 35.22”S, 151 15’ 19.13”EPoint 2 33 51’ 43.98”S, 151 15’ 19.13”EPoint 3 33 51’ 43.98”S, 151 15’ 38.58”EPoint 4 33 51’ 35.22”S, 151 15’ 38.58”EThen along bearing 270 to Point 1.	Shark IslandEast - West Shallow Degaussing
5	Eden Ammunition Wharf,Twofold Bay	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the western shore of Munganno Point nearest to Point 1.Point 1 37 06’ 10.80”S, 149 55’ 42.00”EPoint 2 37 06’ 05.70”S, 149 55’ 12.90”Ethen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 3Point 3 37 06’ 37.20”S, 149 55’ 05.10”EThen generally west and north along the HWL of East Boyd Bay to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Eden Ammunition Wharf
6	Rushcutters Bay Moorings & Wharves	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the Eastern shore of Rushcutters Bay nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 52’ 23.34”S, 151 14’ 04.02”EPoint 2 33 52’ 21.73”S, 151 14’ 01.58”EPoint 3 33 52’ 21.37”S, 151 14’ 01.92”EPoint 4 33 52’ 16.03”S, 151 13’ 55.29”EPoint 5 33 52’ 13.18”S, 151 13’ 58.59”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6Point 6 33 52’ 19.46”S, 151 14’ 06.39”EThen generally south along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Rushcutters Bay
7	Chowder Bay Naval Fuel Installation	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the northern shore of Chowder Bay nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 50’ 18.73”S, 151 15’ 24.82”EPoint 2 33 50’ 23.38”S, 151 15’ 28.72”EPoint 3 33 50’ 29.71”S, 151 15’ 17.89”EPoint 4 33 50’ 24.93”S, 151 15’ 13.87”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 5Point 5 33 50’ 21.71”S, 151 15’ 19.17”EThen generally north-east along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Chowder Bay

8	HMAS PENGUIN	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the southern shore of Hunters Bay nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 49’ 35.72”S, 151 15’ 24.10”EPoint 2 33 49’ 32.15”S, 151 15’ 24.10”EPoint 3 33 49’ 28.59”S, 151 15’ 28.07”EPoint 4 33 49’ 26.15”S, 151 15’ 34.65”EPoint 5 33 49’ 30.33”S, 151 15’ 36.77”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6Point 6 33 49’ 28.25”S, 151 15’ 48.90”EThen generally south and west along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	HMAS PENGUIN
9	Naval Diving Training Area, Pittwater	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 38’ 05.99”S, 151 18’ 29.34”EPoint 2 33 37’ 30.48”S, 151 18’ 33.80”EPoint 3 33 37’ 29.16”S, 151 18’ 18.75”EPoint 4 33 38’ 07.90”S, 151 18’ 13.88”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 5Point 5 33 38’ 07.93”S, 151 18’ 16.82”EThen generally east along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Naval Diving Training Pittwater
10	HMAS CRESWELL and Naval Anchorages & Ranges, Jervis Bay	All those waters within Jervis Bay west of a boundary line commencing at a point on the HWL on the most southerly point of Longnose Point nearest to Point 1.Point 1 35 04’ 51.04”S, 150 46’ 39.05”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on the most northerly point of Bowen Island nearest to Point 2.Point 2 35 06’ 45.75”S, 150 46’ 08.03”EThen generally south along the HWL of Bowen Island to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 3Point 3 35 07’ 21.17”S, 150 45’ 55.80”EThen directly to and finishing at a point on the HWL on the most northerly point of Governor Head nearest to Point 4.Point 4 35 07’ 27.31”S, 150 45’ 51.25”E	HMAS CRESWELL

11	HMAS WATERHEN	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the eastern shore of Balls Head Bay nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 50’ 19.94”S, 151 11’ 39.56”EPoint 2 33 50’ 19.59”S, 151 11’ 37.22”EPoint 3 33 50’ 20.53”S, 151 11’ 35.63”EPoint 4 33 50’ 25.71”S, 151 11’ 30.95”EPoint 5 33 50’ 32.61”S, 151 11’ 33.01”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6Point 6 33 50’ 30.70”S, 151 11’ 40.54”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	HMAS WATERHEN
12	Garden Island Fleet Base East	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the western face of Woolloomooloo Bay finger wharf (Point 1).Point 1 33 51’ 56.15”S, 151 13’ 18.25”EPoint 2 33 51’ 35.86”S, 151 13’ 30.11”EPoint 3 33 51’ 27.81”S, 151 13’ 42.45”EPoint 4 33 51’ 27.81”S, 151 15’ 00.25”EPoint 5 33 51’ 48.58”S, 151 15’ 00.25”EPoint 6 33 51’ 59.02”S, 151 14’ 49.75”EPoint 7 33 51’ 55.44”S, 151 13’ 48.43”EPoint 8 33 51’ 59.33”S, 151 13’ 48.43”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 9Point 9 33 52’ 07.31”S, 151 13’ 38.83”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Garden Island Fleet Base East

Schedule 2 Declaration of naval waters —
Victoria

1Item	2Installation or defence land	3WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	4Chart or map title
1	HMAS CERBERUS	All the waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL of Stony Point nearest to Point 1.Point 1 38 22’ 29.48”S, 145 13’ 19.115”EPoint 2 38 22’ 29.48”S, 145 15’ 58.11”EPoint 3 38 24’ 42.00”S, 145 15’ 58.11”EPoint 4 38 24’ 42.00”S, 145 12’ 12.00”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 5.Point 5 38 24’ 17.20”S, 145 12’ 12.00”EThen generally east and north along the HWL of Hanns Inlet to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	HMAS CERBERUS
2	Point Wilson Explosives Wharf	All the waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL of Point Wilson nearest to Point 1.Point 1 38 05’ 03.06”S, 144 29’ 23.82”EPoint 2 38 05’ 23.25”S, 144 29’ 47.04”EPoint 3 38 06’ 32.93”S, 144 31’ 50.90”EPoint 4 38 06’ 34.68”S, 144 33’ 14.64”EPoint 5 38 04’ 52.44”S, 144 33’ 18.05”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6.Point 6 38 04’ 15.79”S, 144 30’ 48.43”EThen generally south and west along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Point Wilson Explosives Wharf
3	Williamstown Dockyard, Hobson’s Bay	All the waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL of Hobson’s Bay nearest to Point 1.Point 1 37 51’ 42.98”S, 144 54’ 39.90”EPoint 2 37 51’ 31.98”S, 144 54’ 49.10”EPoint 3 37 51’ 41.68”S, 144 54’ 58.60”EPoint 4 37 51’ 41.98”S, 144 54’ 55.20”EThen generally south-westerly along the pier to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 5.Point 5 37 51’ 52.55”S, 144 54’ 48.63”EThen generally north-westerly along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Williamstown

4	Swan Island	Main AreaAll the waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the most northerly point of Swan Island nearest to Point 1.Point 1 38° 14’ 15.56”S, 144° 40’ 47.77”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on the most southern point of Duck Island nearest to Point 2.Point 2 38° 13’ 40.80”S, 144° 41’ 05.22”EThen generally east and north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 3.Point 3 38° 13’ 23.58”S, 144° 41’ 21.75”EPoint 4 38° 14’ 25.91”S, 144° 42’ 44.40”EPoint 5 38° 15’ 36.74”S, 144° 42’ 23.70”EPoint 6 38° 15’ 25.00”S, 144° 40’ 01.19”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on Swan Island nearest to point 7.Point 7 38° 15’ 15.42”S, 144° 39’ 49.30”EThe generally north-easterly along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Access AreaAll those waters within an area commencing at a point at the HWL on the south eastern shore of Langerby Island (also known as Rabbit Island) nearest to Point 1.Point 1 38° 15’ 35.19”S, 144° 39’ 53.09”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on the northern shore of Queenscliff nearest to Point 2.Point 2 38° 15’ 46.39”S, 144° 39’ 56.10”EThen generally westerly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 3.Point 3 38° 15’ 46.78”S, 144° 39’ 53.86”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on the southern shore of Langerby Island (also known as Rabbit Island) nearest to Point 4.Point 4 38° 15’ 34.81”S, 144° 39’ 50.69”EThen generally east along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Swan Island

Schedule 3 Declaration of naval waters — Western Australia

1Item	2Installation or defence land	3WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	4Chart or map title
1	Point Murat Wharf, Exmouth	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 21 48’ 47.77”S, 114 11’ 24.64”EPoint 2 21 48’ 54.32”S, 114 11’ 57.45”EPoint 3 21 49’ 17.49”S, 114 11’ 51.70”EPoint 4 21 49’ 09.66”S, 114 11’ 15.54”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 5.Point 5 21 49’ 04.06”S, 114 11’ 16.89”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Point Murat
2	HMAS STIRLING	Garden IslandAll those waters within the area of Cockburn Sound commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 32 16’ 06.43”S, 115 41’ 56.35”EPoint 2 32 16’ 05.83”S, 115 41’ 51.54”EPoint 3 32 15’ 06.53”S, 115 42’ 10.17”EPoint 4 32 14’ 49.03”S, 115 41’ 58.75”EPoint 5 32 15’ 05.33”S, 115 40’ 31.17”EPoint 6 32 09’ 06.53”S, 115 38’ 53.36”EPoint 7 32 09’ 06.53”S, 115 40’ 27.56”EPoint 8 32 09’ 51.45”S, 115 40’ 47.97”EPoint 9 32 11’ 06.17”S, 115 41’ 21.96”EPoint 10 32 13’ 58.03”S, 115 42’ 40.13”EPoint 11 32 14’ 41.22”S, 115 42’ 09.56”EPoint 12 32 15’ 04.73”S, 115 42’ 25.17”EPoint 13 32 16’ 07.73”S, 115 42’ 05.37”EPoint 14 32 16’ 06.41”S, 115 42’ 00.55”EThen generally west to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Armament JettyAll those waters in the vicinity of the Armament Jetty in Sulphur Bay defined as a circle of radius 1300 metres centred on position32 10’ 33.60”S, 115 40’ 50.40”E.	HMAS STIRLING FLEET BASE WEST
3	Dampier Naval Buoy	All those waters in the vicinity of the naval buoy in Dampier Harbour defined as a circle of 182.88 metres radius centred on the buoy nearest the position20 37’ 19.30”S, 116 44’ 18.60”E.	Dampier

Schedule 4 Declaration of naval waters — Queensland

Item	Installation or defence land	WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	Chart or map title
1	HMAS CAIRNS	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 16 56’ 05.45”S, 145 46’ 41.21”EPoint 2 16 56’ 06.44”S, 145 46’ 44.94”EPoint 3 16 56’ 06.40”S, 145 46’ 46.20”EPoint 4 16 56’ 20.83”S, 145 46’ 48.22”EPoint 5 16 56’ 20.97”S, 145 46’ 46.33”EPoint 6 16 56’ 17.38”S, 145 46’ 45.94”EThen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 7Point 7 16 56’ 16.60”S, 145 46’ 42.91”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	HMAS CAIRNS

Schedule 5 Declaration of naval waters — Northern Territory

Item	Installation or defence land	WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	Chart or map title
1	HMAS COONAWARRA	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 12 27’ 38.01”S, 130 49’ 41.14”EPoint 2 12 27’ 54.90”S, 130 49’ 41.14”EPoint 3 12 27’ 54.90”S, 130 49’ 03.46”EThen directly to a point on the HWL on Elliot Point nearest to Point 4.Point 4 12 27’ 29.90”S, 130 49’ 03.46”EThen generally east along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	HMAS COONAWARRA
2	Darwin Submarine Buoy	All those waters in the vicinity of the submarine buoy in Darwin Harbour defined as a circle of 926 metres radius centred on the buoy nearest the position12 28’ 01.20”S, 130 47’ 34.80”E.	Darwin Submarine Buoy

QUENtin Bryce Governor-General QUENtin Bryce Governor-General

QUENtin Bryce Governor-General

By Her Excellency’s Command

John Faulkner

Minister for Defence

Schedule 1 Declaration of naval waters —
New South Wales

1Item	2Installation or defence land	3WatersReferenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)For the purpose of this description the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary	4Chart or map title
1	Spectacle Island	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 07.23”S, 151 10’ 01.10”EPoint 2 33 51’ 02.43”S, 151 10’ 02.59”EPoint 3 33 50’ 47.58”S, 151 09’ 55.62”EPoint 4 33 50’ 52.20”S, 151 09’ 38.02”EPoint 5 33 51’ 01.95”S, 151 09’ 43.44”EThen to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 6.Point 6 33 51’ 08.27”S, 151 09’ 59.77”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Spectacle Island
2	Shark Island MC/N Degaussing Range	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 31.68”S, 151 15’ 29.82”EPoint 2 33 51’ 34.26”S, 151 15’ 44.58”EPoint 3 33 51’ 36.84”S, 151 15’ 43.98”EThen to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 4.Point 4 33 51’ 33.54”S, 151 15’ 29.52”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Shark Island MC/NDegaussing Range
3	Shark Island Degaussing & Mine Counter Measures Vessels Intercardinal Range	All those waters within an area commencing at a point on the HWL on the northern side of Steele Point, Vaucluse nearest to Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 02.50”S, 151 15’ 52.53”EPoint 2 33 50’ 58.93’S, 151 15’ 52.53”EPoint 3 33 50’ 58.93”S, 151 15’ 29.19”EPoint 4 33 51’ 25.35”S, 151 15’ 27.53”EPoint 5 33 51’ 25.35”S, 151 15’ 49.71”EPoint 6 33 51’ 15.61”S, 151 15’ 49.71”Ethen directly to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 7Point 7 33 51’ 15.61”S, 151 15’ 55.07”EThen generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1.	Shark Island Degaussing & MCMV Intercardinal Range
4	Shark Island East-West Shallow Degaussing	All those waters within the area commencing at Point 1.Point 1 33 51’ 35.22”S, 151 15’ 19.13”EPoint 2 33 51’ 43.98”S, 151 15’ 19.13”EPoint 3 33 51’ 43.98”S, 151 15’ 38.58”EPoint 4 33 51’ 35.22”S, 151 15’ 38.58”EThen along bearing 270 to Point 1.

The instrument operates on three plain technical concepts that appear repeatedly and structure every Schedule: the geodetic datum, the high water line, and geometrical descriptions.

Geodetic datum (WGS 84): Every Schedule states that coordinates are "Referenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)". That makes the declaration explicitly dependent on that datum for horizontal positioning. The coordinates are given in degrees, minutes and seconds with decimal fractions (for example Point 1 33° 51' 07.23"S, 151° 10' 01.10"E in Schedule 1 Item 1). A practitioner converting these textual points into a spatial layer must preserve the WGS84 datum and be cautious about any transformation to local datums.
High water line (HWL): Each Schedule qualifies that "the term high water line (HWL) means the Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary." The HWL is therefore not a lay reference to "shore" or to a statutory boundary in some other Act; it is a tidal datum defined externally by the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS). Many item boundaries in the Schedules are formed by joining coordinate points with segments that run "generally [north|south|east|west] along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point X." That makes the HWL a primary segment of the boundary in many cases. The instrument relies on an external technical definition for that datum, so accurate mapping requires consulting the AHS tidal glossary and any operational guidance about how Mean Higher High Water is surveyed or charted.
Geometric forms: The Schedules use a small set of geometric forms to define declared waters:
- Polygonal descriptions by listing a sequence of points and connecting them by straight lines or "directly to" links.
- HWL segments in lieu of explicit coordinates for shoreward boundaries.
- Circular areas expressed as "a circle of radius X metres centred on position [lat, long]" (for example Schedule 3, HMAS STIRLING Armament Jetty, radius 1300 metres; and Schedule 3 Dampier Naval Buoy, radius 182.88 metres; Schedule 5 Darwin Submarine Buoy, radius 926 metres).
- Bearing instruction (an example is Shark Island East-West Shallow Degaussing: "Then along bearing 270° to Point 1").

These three concepts combined create a mix of fixed (coordinate) and datum‑dependent (HWL) edges. The declared areas close by returning "generally [direction] along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1" or equivalent closure language. The instrument therefore creates boundaries that are partly absolute (the points) and partly tied to a tidal datum that must be interpreted with an external technical standard.

Other operational features of the Schedules: every item includes the name of the installation or defence land (column 2) and a "Chart or map title" column (column 4) identifying the human‑readable title for the area (for example "Garden Island Fleet Base East", "Swan Island", "Point Murat"). That label is part of the textual record and will be the obvious attribute for database fields. The document is focused on geo‑spatial description; it does not set rules about access, movement, activities, or specific enforcement powers inside the declared waters.

The text itself does not list affected persons by way of rights or liabilities; instead it creates geographic designations that interact with persons and entities whose activities intersect those waters. From the content and the named installations one can identify the practical stakeholder classes to whom the designation will matter.

Defence operations: The name and placement of naval installations (HMAS CERBERUS, HMAS STIRLING, HMAS PENGUIN, HMAS CRESWELL etc.) indicate that the declared naval waters envelope facilities used by the Australian Defence Force. The declared waters define the marine extent around those facilities. For Defence, the value is to have a formal legal description of areas described as naval waters.
Mariners and commercial shipping: Any vessel transiting, operating, anchoring, mooring or undertaking marine work in or near the listed areas will be affected in practice because those vessels need to know the location of declared naval waters. Operators include commercial ships, ferries, workboats, towage, pilot services and recreational vessels. The Schedules give coordinates that enable mariners to locate the boundaries in charting systems.
Harbour authorities, port operators and harbourmasters: Those authorities will need to integrate the declared boundaries into local management, pilotage, safety exclusion zones, and notices to mariners if such operational measures apply. The text does not itself instruct harbourmasters, but the geometric declarations are the basis for any operational overlay.
Marine surveyors, hydrographic officers and GIS practitioners: Converting the textual descriptions into accurate spatial datasets requires professional mapping and hydrographic interpretation, because closure lines frequently run along the HWL as defined by the AHS.
Commercial users of foreshore and seabed: Entities with commercial interests that depend on predictable boundaries,port tenants, berth operators, dredging contractors, fishers, aquaculture operators and undersea infrastructure contractors,will be materially affected because a declared naval water boundary can change the legal or operational status of an area when other laws or Defence policies reference that designation.
Regulators and enforcement agencies: Police maritime units, the Australian Border Force, and state marine enforcement bodies could be operationally affected if they are required to coordinate with Defence for operations in declared naval waters. The text does not specify who enforces anything, but the designation creates a formal category which other instruments or policies may rely upon.
Local government and coastal managers: Local authorities with responsibility for coastal planning, public access and foreshore management will need to be aware of where HWL‑tied boundaries intersect with local assets.

The instrument touches locations across multiple states and territories: New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. That means multi‑jurisdictional coordination is likely necessary for operations that cross declared boundaries. The Schedules name specific localities (for example Cockburn Sound, Jervis Bay, Twofold Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Swan Island) that have mixed commercial, recreational and Defence uses.

The text does not itself create explicit permit holders, exemptions or direct obligations on any of these groups; it only produces the geographic designations. Any operational impact therefore depends on other legislation, Defence directions or local regulatory measures that reference the declared naval waters.

The Schedules do not enumerate duties, rights or prohibitions inside the declared naval waters. The operative effect of the text is to create a geographic designation: a dataset of maritime areas identified as naval waters. The text repeatedly sets out the rule for interpreting "HWL" and the geodetic frame (WGS84) but it contains no clauses imposing criminal offences, licensing obligations, access permissions or explicit rights of Defence or third parties.

Consequently, the key legal outcomes to note from the Schedules themselves are procedural and descriptive rather than prescriptive:

Establishment of legal descriptions: Each item in the Schedules is a legal description that can be cited by other instruments or provisions. The text creates a formal record that certain water areas are to be treated as declared naval waters by name and geometry.
Interpretive rules embedded in the text: The only operational interpretive rules in the text are (a) coordinates are WGS84, and (b) HWL is Mean Higher High Water as defined by the AHS Tidal Glossary. Those rules determine the legal meaning of the boundary descriptions and will govern any attempt to determine whether a given point is inside or outside a declared area.
No statutory duties or authorities: The document contains no express delegation of functions (for example, no power to prohibit entry, no express authorisation for personnel to enforce rules, no fees or licences) within the text supplied. Any duties or rights that apply by reference to the declared naval waters must therefore originate in other legislation, Defence regulations, or administrative instruments that rely on these Schedules as their spatial basis.
Practical implication for obligations found elsewhere: Because the instrument produces a spatial designation, any separate law or policy that conditions action on the presence of "naval waters" will have its domain concretely defined by these Schedules. In that sense the most important "right" or "duty" created by the instrument is the power to serve as a geographic trigger for other legal rules, but the instrument does not itself spell out those rules.

For legal practitioners this means that to understand duties and rights that apply within the declared areas, one must identify the other statutory or regulatory texts that reference "naval waters" and check whether they incorporate, adopt or depend on these Schedules. The Schedules provide the geometry and interpretive datum but not the substantive regime.

The text supplied contains no penalty clauses, no enforcement provisions, and no procedural rules about how the declared naval waters are to be policed or what sanctions attach to breach. The Schedules are strictly spatial descriptions. There is no internal enforcement mechanism stated in the document.

Because the instrument does not itself create offences or enforcement powers, any penalties or enforcement actions that take place in or about the declared waters must derive from other sources. That creates two practical effects:

Dependency on external regimes: Enforcement in practice will rely on other Acts, regulations or Defence policies that confer powers, prescribe offences, or create permit regimes which use the declared naval waters as their geographical trigger. The Schedules do not identify those external instruments; such connections must be established by cross‑reference to the broader statutory framework or to Defence administrative directions.
Operational ambiguity at the point of encounter: A mariner or operator who finds themselves within a declared naval water area cannot deduce from this text alone whether they are committing an offence by being there, or whether they require a permit, or what authority has the power to detain, fine, or remove them. That determination requires consultation of the relevant enforcement legislation or administrative orders that operate in the area.

The instrument does provide precise boundaries which enforcement agencies can use when executing powers under other laws. For example, a police or port authority power that applies within "naval waters" could use these coordinate descriptions to determine jurisdiction. But the Schedules themselves do not allocate enforcement responsibility, set enforcement thresholds, specify penalties, or supply enforcement procedures.

For compliance and risk assessment, practitioners must therefore cross‑check the declared areas against other statutory instruments, Defence standing orders, maritime safety regulations, and applicable state or Commonwealth enforcement powers to establish what penalties, if any, attach to entering, remaining in, or conducting activities inside these declared waters.

The Schedules are a spatially deterministic instrument that will be effective only when read together with other statutory and administrative frameworks that use a "naval waters" designation as a legal trigger. The text itself does not incorporate or modify other Acts; rather it creates precise geographic definitions that other laws or policies can reference.

Direct interactions evidenced in the text:

Datum and tidal references are external: each Schedule explicitly references WGS84 and the AHS definition of Mean Higher High Water for the HWL. These external technical sources are part of the interpretive chain, so the declaration interacts with hydrographic practice and any law or policy that relies on tidal datums being measured or charted according to the AHS.

Absent interactions:

The Schedules contain no cross‑references to particular Acts, regulations, or Defence directions. The document therefore does not itself amend, repeal or otherwise modify other statutory provisions.

Practical interaction mechanisms that follow from the Schedules:

Triggering effect for other provisions: If separate legislation or regulation conditions permissions, prohibitions, jurisdiction or enforcement on being inside "naval waters", the Schedules will determine the geographic scope of that trigger. For example (hypothetically, because this text does not contain those laws), a regulation that prohibits anchoring in "naval waters" would be geographically constrained by the Schedules' descriptions.
Charting and maritime safety frameworks: The reliance on WGS84 and Mean Higher High Water makes the Schedules compatible with modern charting standards. Port authorities, Notices to Mariners, AUS charts and other maritime safety instruments will typically incorporate such coordinate data. The Schedules will therefore be integrated into the operational architecture used by navigation and safety regulators.
Interaction with state and territory jurisdictions: The Schedules span multiple states and territories. The declared areas may coincide with, overlap, or abut areas regulated by state harbour law, fisheries law, municipal control of foreshore land and marine parks. The Schedules do not resolve any concurrent jurisdictional questions; they simply provide a Commonwealth or Defence spatial designation that other decision‑makers will need to coordinate around.

What the text does not do (consequentially important):

It does not itself displace state law, alter ownership of the seabed or foreshore, change property rights, or set regulatory standards. Any such outcomes would require express provision elsewhere. The instrument therefore functions as a spatial reference, not as a free‑standing regulatory code.

In short, the Schedules are an input to other legal instruments. To determine the full legal consequences of being inside any particular declared naval water area, one must locate and read the substantive laws and administrative rules that say what follows when an activity occurs in "naval waters" as declared by these Schedules.

The supplied text contains no amendment clauses, no historic notes, and no marginal notes indicating prior versions, repeals or changes. The document is presented as a sequence of Schedules appended to a formal executive heading and signatures, but there is no internal record of previous amendments or of how these Schedules were inserted into the statute book.

Implications from that silence:

No in‑text revision trail: A user of this document cannot ascertain from the Schedules themselves whether any of the coordinate points or radius values replace earlier descriptions, whether items were added or removed over time, or whether an earlier published boundary remains in force somewhere else. The printed instrument lacks an internal amendment history.
Need to consult statute/regulatory registers: To find the amendment history, a practitioner must consult external sources: the government gazette, the instrument repository for legislative instruments, the Federal Register of Legislation, or Defence administrative records that list when these Schedules were made or amended and whether they replaced or supplemented prior declarations. Those sources are not included in the supplied text.
Version control for spatial data: Because there is no amendment log in the text, agencies maintaining navigation charts or compliance datasets will need to institute external version control and provenance tracking when this instrument is converted into GIS layers. The absence of in‑text amendment annotations increases the operational importance of recording the date of the instrument and the authoritative source file used for mapping.

Practitioners should treat the Schedules as a single snapshot and not as a complete legislative history. For legal or evidentiary purposes it will be necessary to locate the originating instrument file (notice to mariners, legislative instrument number, or gazette notice) to confirm effective dates and any subsequent amendments.

The provided text includes no references to court decisions, no case citations, and no judicial commentary. The Schedules do not narrate litigation, nor do they quote any adjudicative interpretation. There is therefore no litigation history contained in this instrument.

What follows from that absence:

No in‑text precedents: A researcher cannot extract from these pages whether the boundaries or the use of HWL in these Schedules has been litigated, contested, or interpreted by a court. Any legal disputes concerning the meaning, scope or effects of these declared naval waters would have to be found in external judicial records.
Necessity of external case search: If a lawyer needs to know whether any of these particular declared areas have been the subject of litigation (for example, over the precise position of the HWL, asserted Defence control, public access, or enforcement actions in the declared waters), the search must be undertaken in court databases and the Federal Register of Legislation or in state archives; that information is not present here.
Evidentiary use: When using these Schedules in litigation, the instrument may be admissible as the formal description of the declared areas. However, the absence of any appended commentary, explanatory memorandum or parliamentary record in the supplied text means that any legislative intention or extrinsic materials must be sourced outside this document.

In summary, the Schedules themselves are silent on litigation. Any litigation history relevant to these declared areas will be located in courts' records or in other legislative history materials not included in this text.

The Schedules are short on operational detail, and several technically significant features can produce practical surprises for lawyers, surveyors and operators. Below are concrete technical and legal gotchas grounded in the wording of the Schedules.

HWL is external and technical: Every Schedule says the HWL means "Mean Higher High Water as defined in the Australian Hydrographic Service Tidal Glossary." That places primary reliance on an external technical definition. To locate the HWL in practice you must consult the AHS definition and its surveys or charts. The Schedule does not provide a tide chart, survey, benchmark or date reference for when the HWL was observed.
Mixed geometry increases mapping complexity: Many declarations close parts of the boundary "generally north along the HWL to a point on the HWL nearest to Point 1." That language produces boundaries that mix precise coordinate vertices and datum-dependent shoreline segments. Translating that into a closed polygon requires (a) locating the HWL polygon for the locality, (b) identifying the point on that HWL that is nearest to the named coordinate, and (c) determining what "generally north" or "generally east" means in practice for interpolation. The text gives no algorithm for how to convert "nearest to Point X" into a unique surveyed point; practitioners must adopt consistent technical processes and document them.
Precision and format: Coordinates are given with seconds and decimals (for example 33° 51' 07.23"S). When these are transcribed, rounding or format conversion errors can shift boundaries by metres or more, which can be material if enforcement is contemplated. The declared radii for circular zones are given in metres and sometimes in non‑rounded values (for example 182.88 metres). GIS work must preserve the stated precision and the WGS84 datum.
Bearing and "directly to" language: Some items use a bearing ("along bearing 270° to Point 1") or "directly to" language. The instrument does not state whether bearings are true or magnetic; absent any magnetic reference the standard interpretation for statutory bearings is true bearing relative to geodetic meridians. Nevertheless, the text provides no explicit instruction,practitioners must adopt a documented convention and be ready to justify it.
Circular areas with centre on buoy positions: Several declared areas are circles centred on buoy positions. A buoy's position in practice can change, buoys may be moved, and buoy positions are sometimes listed by the hydrographic service with their own datum and epoch. The Schedules reference a centre position for the buoy; maintaining the declared area accurately over time means tracking any official relocations or chart updates for the referenced buoy position.
No operational rules included: The Schedules do not say what is permitted, prohibited, or what permits are necessary inside the declared waters. Users must not assume that presence in a declared area is itself unlawful; the legal consequences depend on other laws and Defence policies. That absence is a common source of confusion where practitioners conflate spatial declaration and operative regulation.
Multi‑jurisdictional spread without allocation of responsibilities: Items span several states and territories. The Schedules do not state whether Commonwealth or State authorities hold management or enforcement responsibility in specific waters. Practitioners should not attempt to determine enforcement jurisdiction from these Schedules alone.
No effective date or citation visible: The supplied text does not show an effective date, legislative instrument number or gazettal citation in the excerpt. For legal certainty and evidentiary purposes the effective date and formal citation must be located in the originating gazette or instrument repository.

Those are practical traps that arise directly from how the boundaries are described in the Schedules and from the definitions they adopt. Technical care and cross‑referencing to hydrographic materials, notices to mariners, and any statutory instruments that rely on the declared naval waters are necessary to avoid misapplication.

Because the Schedules declare boundaries but do not set out prohibitions or permit rules, "compliance" has two separate meanings in practice: (a) technical compliance in converting and maintaining the declared boundaries as an authoritative spatial layer; and (b) operational compliance for personnel and private operators who might be subject to separate rules that apply inside declared naval waters. Steps below are practical and grounded in the text.

Technical steps (producing an authoritative spatial dataset)

Use WGS84: Convert every listed coordinate exactly as given into WGS84 decimal degrees. The Schedules themselves require WGS84, so use that datum and document that step in metadata.
Preserve numeric precision: Transcribe seconds and decimals carefully (for example 33° 51' 07.23"S). Do not round off coordinates without recording the rounding convention.
Map HWL segments: Obtain the AHS representation of Mean Higher High Water for each locality. The Schedules define HWL by reference to the AHS Tidal Glossary; therefore, mapping the HWL portions of a boundary requires the AHS shoreline datum or charts that show HWL extents.
Locate "point on the HWL nearest to Point X": For each instance where the text instructs to use "a point on the HWL nearest to Point X" perform a documented nearest‑feature calculation between the numeric coordinate and the AHS HWL polyline or polygon, and log the algorithm and tolerance used.
Draw circles and bearings exactly: For circular areas, use the centre coordinate and radius in metres, applying geodesic methods appropriate for WGS84. For bearings, document that bearings are interpreted as true bearings relative to geodetic meridians.
Produce metadata and versioning: Because the Schedules include no amendment history, include creation date, source instrument citation (obtain gazette number or legislative instrument number), and the exact source text used to create the layer. Archive the original Schedules alongside the derived GIS layer.
Coordinate with hydrographic authorities: Before operational use, cross‑check your derived layer against official nautical charts and Notices to Mariners and, where appropriate, liaise with the Australian Hydrographic Service or Defence hydrographic elements.

Operational steps (for mariners, ports and operators)

Check the substantive legal rules that apply in naval waters: Identify the statutes, regulations, Defence orders and local rules that articulate what activities are regulated (for example access restrictions, mooring prohibitions, no‑go zones) within areas designated "naval waters." The Schedules do not themselves state those rules.
Update operational products: Ensure that pilotage plans, port management systems, tug and pilot briefing materials, charter operator manuals and Notices to Mariners incorporate the new GIS layer so crews can locate the declared boundaries in real time.
Seek Defence guidance for access: If an operation requires entering or conducting activity inside a declared naval water area, contact the relevant Defence or port authority for operational clearances. The Schedules identify Defence installations by name; those installation authorities will have the local procedures.
Risk assess enforcement exposure: Since penalties are not specified in the Schedules, ascertain which enforcement statutes apply and what sanctions attach. That will typically require cross‑reference to maritime safety legislation, Defence Acts, state public order powers and port bylaws.
Keep under review: Where HWL forms part of the boundary, review the mapped HWL periodically and after significant coastal surveys or chart updates, because shoreline representation may change with updated AHS data or chart corrections.

Documentary steps (legal and evidential)

Obtain the originating instrument citation: For legal compliance or litigation use, retrieve the formal legislative instrument number or Gazette notice that published these Schedules and note the effective date.
Maintain a chain of custody: Keep records showing how the textual coordinates were converted to GIS and who validated the mapping against AHS charts or survey data.
Record communications with Defence and authorities: Where operational access is sought or where the declared area impacts contractual obligations, document the advice or permits received from Defence or port authorities, because the Schedules do not themselves provide operational permissions.

Following these steps aligns with what the Schedules require materially: use WGS84 for coordinates; treat HWL as Mean Higher High Water per the AHS; and treat the text as the definitive legal description that other laws or policies may reference. The Schedules do not relieve the need to consult substantive law or to secure operational clearances from Defence or port authorities where required.

Control of Naval Waters Act 1918 - Proclamation (14/12/2009)

Plain English Summary

Deep Dive

What it does

Current sections

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Source text: opening excerpt

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Main concepts

Who it affects

Key duties and rights

Penalties and enforcement

How it interacts with other laws

Amendment history

Litigation history

Gotchas

How to comply