The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's National Compliance Plan 2026-27 gives maritime operators a clear indication of where regulatory attention will be directed over the coming year. Its priorities include vessel safety, crew welfare, occupational health and safety, fatigue, safety management systems and electrical safety.
For vessel owners, operators and senior managers, the Plan is a practical reminder that maritime compliance is tested through the systems used every day, not only through policies kept on file. Inspection activity, incident response and workforce safety arrangements should be capable of being explained and supported by current records.
AMSA has stated that it will target high-risk areas through at least 2,400 Port State Control inspections of foreign-flagged vessels and 2,300 inspections of domestic commercial vessels during 2026-27.
What the Plan means in practice
The stated priorities point to the records, systems and operational controls that should be ready for scrutiny.
Vessel and operational safety
Operators should check that maintenance, safety procedures and operational controls reflect the vessel, its work and the risks actually managed on board.
Crew welfare and safety
Crew health, safety and welfare arrangements should be documented, understood by those responsible and supported by a clear response process when concerns are raised.
Fatigue management
Work and rest arrangements, supervision and records should demonstrate that fatigue risk is being identified and managed in the operation, not merely acknowledged in a manual.
Safety management systems
A safety management system should connect risk assessment, reporting, investigation, corrective action and management oversight in a way that can be shown to work in practice.
AMSA reported 46 serious crew injuries across regulated Australian and foreign-flagged vessels in 2025. The Plan identifies occupational health and safety, fatigue, safety management system implementation and electrical safety as areas for targeted education and inspection activity.
Why preparation should start now
A compliance response is stronger when the evidence of safe operation already exists before an inspection, incident or regulator enquiry.
AMSA has committed to conducting 15 inspections under the Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 during 2026-27. This is a first for the Plan and reflects a renewed focus on maritime workplace health and safety.
Operators should consider whether their existing arrangements are current and joined up. Safety systems can become difficult to defend when vessel procedures, crew practices, incident reporting and management oversight have developed separately over time.
A useful review asks practical questions: are responsibilities clear, are reports escalated, are corrective actions followed through and can the business produce reliable records when asked? These questions are just as important for domestic operators as they are for organisations managing foreign-flagged vessels in Australian waters.
Early advice can help identify gaps before they become the subject of an inspection, investigation or enforcement response.
How Brindabella Legal can help
Practical legal and regulatory support for maritime businesses preparing for increased compliance scrutiny.
Compliance gap reviews
Reviewing safety, welfare, fatigue and incident-management arrangements against the operator's real activities and regulatory exposure.
Systems and governance support
Helping businesses strengthen procedures, reporting pathways, corrective-action records and management oversight so that their systems are workable and defensible.
Inspection and investigation advice
Providing early advice when an inspection, incident or regulator enquiry requires a considered response from the business or its officers.
Use the Plan as a readiness check
The National Compliance Plan is an opportunity to test whether maritime safety and welfare systems are ready to withstand closer attention. A focused review now can give operators greater confidence in their records, their people and their response to regulatory scrutiny.
Brindabella Legal assists maritime operators with safety management, regulatory compliance, inspections, investigations and practical risk management.
Read AMSA's National Compliance Plan 2026-27.