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The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has announced that the Australian government will be increasing its Protection of the Sea Levy from April 1st 2010.

The Protection of the Sea Levy is imposed under the Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy) Act 1981 and the Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy) Collection Act 1981.

It applies to ships visiting or operating in Australian ports that have a tonnage length not less than 24 metres and have on board 10 tonnes or more of oil in bulk, as fuel or cargo, at any time during a quarter when the vessel was in an Australian port.

The Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy) Amendment Regulations 2010 has increased the levy rate on 1 April 2010 from 11.25 cents to 14.25 cents per net registered ton per quarter. The minimum payment of $10 per quarter remains unchanged.

Revenue generated from the levy is used to fund AMSA’s management of the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and other Noxious and Hazardous Substances and the National Maritime Emergency Response Arrangements.