Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047:reg:11:p6
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 11 (pt 6/8)
Character Range: 53325–58955

High priority — ongoing for the life of the plan                                                                                                                                                       Ongoing changes to MARPOL are incorporated in state and NT legislation                                                                                                                                                                                             States / Northern Territory have legislation relevant to MARPOL in place                         All state and NT governments

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Enactment of state and NT legislation to mandate provision of waste reception facilities at ports/boating hubs (where this legislation exists). Where this legislation is not in place, consider how this can be encompassed in state/NT legislation and policies                                                                                                   AMSA

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Communication of facilities/services available and waste management options available

Action Priority/timeframe  Output  Outcome                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Responsibility
                                   Support for work being undertaken  in the region, including work by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme on the management of ships' waste through the Regional Reception Facilities Plan for the Small Island Developing States in the Pacific Region                Less waste discarded from vessels                                                                      Australian Government (particularly AMSA and the Department of the Environment and Energy)

                                   Australian participation on the IMO's Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response to support and contribute to, as appropriate, the development and implementation of new technologies for the management of waste on board ships, for example gasification waste-to-energy technology  Improved management of biosecurity waste

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Shipping ports generally have better waste management in place
                                   Provision of waste reception facilities is incorporated at the planning stage for new port developments/port expansions                                                                                                                                                                        Improved availability and adequacy of waste reception facilities at Australian ports and boating hubs  All state/NT government planning/ environment agencies

                                   Environmental standards or management plans detailing port waste management requirements are in place and implemented                                                                                                                                                                          Removal of disincentives for vessels to use waste reception facilities                                 Ports Australia

                                   A review of the biosecurity risk of ships' waste, with a view to maximising recycling/reuse or energy capture and minimising costly biosecurity control options, such as deep burial.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources

                                   Implementation of container deposit scheme hubs at ports

Coral Sea clean-up. Image: Andy Warmbrunn, Parks Australia

Objective 2: Understand the scale of impacts from marine plastic and microplastic on key species, ecological communities and locations

Marine debris research in the 1980s found that accumulating debris posed increasingly significant threats to marine mammals, seabirds, turtles, fish, and crustaceans (Laist, 1987). At that time, threats were assumed to be straightforward and primarily mechanical (through entanglement or ingestion of small plastic pieces). More recently, ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine organisms (Cole et al., 2011) and this may be leading to more complex and as-yet poorly understood impacts.
For the purpose of this TAP, plastic debris and its impacts are categorised as:
           •   large debris, such as lost or discarded fishing gear, plastic drums and containers, etc. that may trap and entangle wildlife
           •   small plastic pieces (>5 mm) that may