Commonwealth legislation

Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999

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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.

The 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).

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Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999

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Proclamation

made under the

Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973

I, 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.

Signed and sealed with the Great Seal of Australia on
31 March 1999

WILLIAM DEANE
Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command,

Daryl williams
Attorney-General

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1 Name of this proclamation

This proclamation is the Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999.

2 Commencement

This proclamation commences on gazettal.

3 Definition

In this proclamation:

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.

4 Outer limits of Australia’s contiguous zone

Subject to section 5, the outer limits of Australia’s contiguous zone are declared to comprise:

(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

(b) in relation to the external Territories, lines that are 24 nautical miles seaward of the baselines established under international law.

5 Area north of seabed jurisdiction line

Australia’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:

(a) east of meridian of Longitude 141 East; and

(b) west of meridian of Longitude 145 East.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Seas and Submerged Lands (Limits of Contiguous Zone) Proclamation 1999