Contents

Part I--Preliminary                                                                                                                 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ Repeal ................................................................................................. 6

5............ Act to bind the Crown ........................................................................ 6

6............ Application of Act ............................................................................. 6

7............ Act not to apply to Defence Force ships etc. .................................... 6

8............ Australian‑owned ships ...................................................................... 7

9............ Ships on demise charter to Australian‑based operators ..................... 7

10.......... Determination of overall length and tonnage length of ship ............... 8

11.......... Registration of property in ships ....................................................... 8

11A....... Application of the Criminal Code ...................................................... 9

Part II--Registration of Ships                                                                                        10

Division 1--Registration                                                                                           10

12.......... Obligation to register Australian‑owned ships ................................. 10

13.......... Exemptions from registration ........................................................... 10

14.......... Ships permitted to be registered ....................................................... 10

15.......... Application for registration .............................................................. 11

16.......... Tonnage measurement of ship before registration ............................ 11

17.......... Foreign‑registered ships not registrable under this Act .................... 11

18.......... Entry of particulars in Register ........................................................ 11

Division 2--Registration certificates                                                                  12

19.......... Grant of registration certificate ......................................................... 12

20.......... Custody of registration certificate .................................................... 12

21.......... New certificates and provisional certificates .................................... 13

22.......... Provisional certificates for ships becoming entitled to be registered when abroad   14

22A....... Provisional certificates granted by the Registrar .............................. 15

22B....... Provisional registration certificates not to be issued in certain circumstances          17

23.......... Temporary passes ............................................................................ 17

25.......... Use of improper certificate ............................................................... 18

Division 3--Identification                                                                                          19

26.......... Marking of ship ................................................................................ 19

27.......... Name of registered ship and change of name .................................... 20

28.......... Power of Minister to disallow name proposed for ship .................. 20

Division 4--Nationality and national Colours                                                 21

29.......... Certain ships to have Australian nationality .................................... 21

30.......... National colours and other flags ....................................................... 21

31.......... Declaration of ship's nationality before clearance ............................ 24

32.......... Improperly assuming Australian nationality .................................... 24

33.......... Concealing Australian nationality ..................................................... 24

Part III--Transfers, transmissions and mortgages                                            26

34.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 26

36.......... Transfer of ship etc. ......................................................................... 26

37.......... Transmission of ship etc. by operation of law ................................. 27

37A....... Delivery of registration certificate on transfer etc. ........................... 28

38.......... Mortgage of ship etc. ........................................................................ 29

39.......... Priority of mortgages ........................................................................ 30

40.......... Mortgage not to change ownership .................................................. 30

41.......... Mortgagee to have power of disposal .............................................. 30

42.......... Transfer of mortgage ......................................................................... 31

43.......... Transmission of mortgage by operation of law ................................ 31

44.......... Discharge of mortgage ....................................................................... 31

44A....... Voluntary closure of Register so far as it relates to a mortgage ........ 32

45.......... Powers of disposal by owner ........................................................... 33

46.......... Trusts not recognized ....................................................................... 33

47.......... Equities not excluded ........................................................................ 33

47A....... Caveat may be lodged forbidding registration of certain instruments 33

47B....... Notice of caveat ................................................................................ 35

47C....... When caveat to lapse ........................................................................ 35

47D....... No dealing to be registered while caveat in force .............................. 36

47E........ Compensation for lodging caveat without reasonable cause ............. 36

Part IV--Administration                                                                                                    37

48.......... Registrar and Deputy Registrars of Ships ........................................ 37

49.......... Functions and powers of Registrar ................................................... 37

50.......... Appointment of Registrar and Deputy Registrars ........................... 37

51.......... Acting Registrar and Deputy Registrars ........................................... 38

52.......... Delegation by Minister ..................................................................... 38

53.......... Delegation by Registrar .................................................................... 39

54.......... Registration Office ............................................................................ 39

55.......... Seal of Registration Office and signature of Registrar ...................... 39

Part V--The Register of Ships                                                                                       40

56.......... Australian Register of Ships ............................................................. 40

57.......... Inspection of Register ....................................................................... 40

58.......... Obsolete or incorrect entries in Register ........................................... 41

59.......... Rectification of Register ................................................................... 42

60.......... Correction of clerical errors in Register ............................................ 43

61.......... False entries in Register .................................................................... 43

Part VI--Miscellaneous                                                                                                     44

62.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 44

63.......... Liabilities of ships not registered ...................................................... 44

64.......... Registered agent ................................................................................ 44

65.......... Alterations to ships .......................................................................... 46

66.......... Ships lost etc. or ceasing to be entitled to be registered ................... 47

67.......... Power to inquire into ownership of registered ship ......................... 49

68.......... Unregistered ships not to leave Australia ......................................... 50

69.......... Unregistered ships not to leave foreign ports ................................... 50

70.......... Proceedings on forfeiture .................................................................. 51

71.......... Detention of ships ............................................................................ 51

72.......... Taking officers to sea ........................................................................ 52

73.......... False statements etc. ......................................................................... 52

74.......... Offences--general ............................................................................. 53

75.......... Prosecution of offences .................................................................... 54

76.......... Joinder of charges and penalties for certain offences ........................ 55

77.......... Admissibility of documents in evidence ........................................... 55

78.......... Review of certain decisions .............................................................. 56

79.......... Preservation of State and Territory legislation ................................. 56

80.......... References in other laws ................................................................... 56

81.......... Jurisdiction of Territory Supreme Courts ........................................ 57

82.......... Appeals ............................................................................................ 57

83.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 57

Part VII--Transitional provisions                                                                                61

84.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 61

85.......... Additional operation of Part ............................................................. 61

86.......... Ships registered in Australia under previous law deemed registered under this Act                61

87.......... Transfer of registration from foreign ports of ships entitled to be registered           61

88.......... Instruments etc. made under previous law or corresponding foreign law continue in force     62

89.......... Applications under previous law ..................................................... 64

90.......... Certificates of registry may be recalled ............................................ 64

91.......... Registers kept under previous law in Australia incorporated with Register            64

92.......... Verification of particulars--Registers kept under previous law etc. 64

93.......... Ships deemed to be registered to cease to be registered if not entitled to be registered            66

94.......... Registrar may defer registration etc. ................................................. 66

95.......... Regulations for transitional purposes ............................................... 67

Notes                                                                                                                                             69

An Act providing for the registration of ships in Australia, and for related matters

  

Notes to the Shipping Registration Act 1981

Note 1

The Shipping Registration Act 1981 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 8, 1981 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions prior to 1 October 2001 is not included in this compilation. For subsequent information see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Shipping Registration Act 1981	8, 1981	25 Mar 1981	26 Jan 1982 (see Gazette 1981, No. G51, p. 2)
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1983	39, 1983	20 June 1983	S. 3: 18 July 1983 (a)		S. 7(1)
Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984	16, 1984	26 Apr 1984	Ss. 1 and 2: Royal Assent S. 8: 1 Oct 1986 (see Gazette 1986, No. S491) Remainder: 1 Oct 1985 (see Gazette 1985, No. S394)		Ss. 9(2) and 28
as amended by
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1984	165, 1984	25 Oct 1984	S. 3: (b)		S. 6(1)
Public Service Reform Act 1984	63, 1984	25 June 1984	S. 151(1): 1 July 1984 (see Gazette 1984, No. S245) (c)		S. 151(9)
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1985	193, 1985	16 Dec 1985	S. 3: (d)		S. 16
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1986	76, 1986	24 June 1986	S. 3: (e)		S. 9
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1987	141, 1987	18 Dec 1987	S. 3: Royal Assent (f)		S. 5(1)
Admiralty Act 1988	34, 1988	22 May 1988	1 Jan 1989 (see Gazette 1988, No. S359)		--
Transport Legislation Amendment Act 1988	57, 1988	15 June 1988	Ss. 3(1), (2), 5, 6, 17 and 18: 1 July 1988 ( see Gazette 1988, No. S193) S. 7: 1 May 1989 (see Gazette 1989, No. S150) Ss. 10--12, 14 and 15: 13 June 1986 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 1986, No. S269) Remainder: Royal Assent		S. 3(6)
ANL (Conversion into Public Company) Act 1988	127, 1988	14 Dec 1988	S. 11: 1 July 1989 (see Gazette 1989, No. S210) (g)		--
Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990	78, 1990	22 Oct 1990	Ss. 35, 48, 62 and 63: 1 Jan 1991 Remainder: Royal Assent		S. 63(1) and (2)
Statute Law Revision Act 1996	43, 1996	25 Oct 1996	Schedule 5 (items 138--140): Royal Assent (h)		--
Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999	146, 1999	11 Nov 1999	Schedule 1 (items 815--817): 5 Dec 1999 (see Gazette 1999, No. S584) (i)		--
Transport and Regional Services Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	143, 2001	1 Oct 2001	2 Oct 2001		S. 4 [see Table A]
Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 2006	24, 2006	6 Apr 2006	Schedule 4 (items 1--5, 7--9): 7 Apr 2006 Schedule 4 (item 6): 6 Oct 2006		--

(a)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1983, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the twenty‑eighth day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(b)    The Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1984, subsection 2(24) of which provides as follows:

               (24)   The amendments of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984 made by this Act shall come into operation, or be deemed to have come into operation, as the case requires, on the commencement of section 20 of that Act.

Section 20 commenced on1 October 1985 (see Gazette 1985, No. S394).

(c)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by subsection 151(1) only of the Public Service Reform Act 1984, subsection 2(4) of which provides as follows:

                 (4)   The remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on such day as is, or on such respective days as are, fixed by Proclamation.

(d)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1985, subsections 2(12)--(14) of which provide as follows:

               (12)   The amendment of section 41 of the Shipping Registration Act 1981 made by this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case may be, immediately after the commencement of section 15 of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984.

               (13)   The amendments of paragraphs 47C(a) and (b) of the Shipping Registration Act 1981 made by this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case may be, immediately after the commencement of section 18 of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984.

               (14)   The amendments of subsections 74(1) and (2) of the Shipping Registration Act 1981 made by this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case may be, immediately after the commencement of section 23 of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984.

Sections 15, 18 and 23 commenced on 1 October 1985 (see Gazette 1985, No. S394).

(e)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1986, subsections 2(1), (22) and (23) of which provide as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

               (22)   The amendment of section 22B of the Shipping Registration Act 1981 made by this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case may be, immediately after section 8 of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984 came or comes into operation.

               (23)   The amendment of subsection 47A(1) of the Shipping Registration Act 1984 made by this Act shall be deemed to have come into operation immediately after section 18 of the Shipping Registration Amendment Act 1984 came into operation.

Section 8 commenced on 1 October 1986 (see Gazette 1986, No. S491).

Section 18 commenced on 1 October 1985 (see Gazette 1985, No. S394).

(f)      The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1987, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(g)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by section 11 only of the ANL (Conversion into Public Company) Act 1988, subsection 2(3) of which provides as follows:

                 (3)   Section 6, subsection 7(2) and sections 9 and 11 commence on a day to be fixed by Proclamation.

(h)     The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by Schedule 5 (items 138‑140) only of the Statute Law Revision Act 1996, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(i)      The Shipping Registration Act 1981 was amended by Schedule 1 (items 815--817) only of the Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999, subsections 2(1) and (2) of which provide as follows:

                 (1)   In this Act, commencing time means the time when the Public Service Act 1999 commences.

                 (2)   Subject to this section, this Act commences at the commencing time.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part I
S. 3 .....................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 141, 1987; No. 127, 1988; No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996; No. 146, 1999; No. 143, 2001
Ss. 9, 10 .............................	am. No. 16, 1984
S. 11 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 11A ................................	ad. No. 143, 2001
Part II
Division 1
S. 12....................................	am. No. 141, 1987; No. 78, 1990; No. 143, 2001
S. 13 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984
Division 2
S. 20 ...................................	am. No. 143, 2001
S. 21 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 43, 1996
S. 22 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 22A ................................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 22B ................................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	am. No. 76, 1986; No. 43, 1996
S. 23....................................	am. No. 78, 1990
S. 24 ...................................	rep. No. 16, 1984
Division 3
S. 26 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 43, 1996; No. 143, 2001
S. 27 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
Division 4
S. 30 ...................................	am. No. 143, 2001
Ss. 32, 33 ...........................	rs. No. 143, 2001
Part III
S. 35 ...................................	rep. No. 16, 1984
Ss. 36, 37 ...........................	am. No. 16, 1984
S. 37A ................................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	rs. No. 57, 1988
	am. No. 143, 2001
S. 41 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 193, 1985; No. 43, 1996
S. 42 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984
Ss. 43, 44 ...........................	rs. No. 16, 1984
S. 44A ................................	ad. No. 24, 2006
S. 47 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
Ss. 47A, 47B ......................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	am. No. 76, 1986; No. 43, 1996
S. 47C ................................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	am. No. 193, 1985
Ss. 47D, 47E ......................	ad. No. 16, 1984
Part IV
S. 48 ...................................	am. No. 63, 1984; No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996
S. 49 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 50....................................	am. No. 78, 1990
S. 51....................................	am. No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996
Ss. 52, 53 ...........................	am. No. 43, 1996; No. 146, 1999; No. 24, 2006
S. 54....................................	am. No. 78, 1990
Part V
S. 56....................................	am. No. 78, 1990
S. 57....................................	rs. No. 24, 2006
S. 58 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996
S. 61 ...................................	am. No. 143, 2001
Part VI
S. 62....................................	am. No. 141, 1987
S. 64 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984 (as am. by No. 165, 1984); No. 143, 2001
S. 65 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 43, 1996
S. 66 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 43, 1996; No. 143, 2001; No. 24, 2006
S. 67....................................	am. No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996
Ss. 68, 69............................	am. No. 141, 1987; No. 143, 2001
S. 70 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 71 ...................................	am. No. 143, 2001
S. 72 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 73 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996; No. 143, 2001
S. 74 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 193, 1985; No. 141, 1987; No. 57, 1988; No. 143, 2001
S. 75....................................	am. No. 141, 1987
S. 77 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 78 ...................................	am. No. 39, 1983; No. 16, 1984; No. 78, 1990
Ss. 81, 82 ...........................	am. No. 16, 1984
Part VII
S. 88 ...................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 91....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 92 ...................................	am. No. 16, 1984; No. 78, 1990; No. 43, 1996
S. 93....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
S. 94A ................................	ad. No. 16, 1984
	rep. No. 34, 1988

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Transport and Regional Services Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 (No. 143, 2001)

4  Application of Amendments

             (1)  Each amendment made by this Act applies to acts and omissions that take place after the amendment commences.

             (2)  For the purposes of this section, if an act or omission is alleged to have taken place between 2 dates, one before and one on or after the day on which a particular amendment commences, the act or omission is alleged to have taken place before the amendment commences.