Australian Maritime Boundaries 2020: Legal Limits and Offshore Zones

Australia's maritime jurisdiction, including external territories, is defined by this geospatial dataset. Geoscience Australia developed the data, which represents the territorial sea baselines, outer limits of maritime zones, and international treaty boundaries as of August 2019. The coverage spans from approximately 7°S to 70°S latitude and 40°E to 175°E longitude.

Use Cases

• Mapping Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) based on the defined outer limits.
• Analyzing offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage areas under the OPGGSA 2006 based on the represented limits.
• Visualizing international maritime boundaries, such as those from the 2018 Timor Sea Treaty, for diplomatic or research purposes.
• Delineating state and Northern Territory coastal waters for legal and administrative applications based on the included representations.

Strengths

• Data is the official digital representation developed by Geoscience Australia in consultation with key Commonwealth agencies like the Attorney-General's Department.
• Includes updates to reflect specific international agreements, such as the 2018 Timor Sea Treaty.
• Provides coverage for the entire Australian marine jurisdiction, including waters adjacent to the mainland, offshore islands, and External Territories.

Limitations

• The description metadata does not specify the number of features, rows, or the exact data schema, requiring inspection after download.
• Data currency is noted as August 2019; the legal boundaries it represents are subject to change via new legislation or treaties.
• The dataset includes a legal disclaimer that in case of inconsistency, the official legislation prevails over the digital representation.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, developed in consultation with the Attorney-General's Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australian Hydrographic Office.

Collection Method

Delineation and digital representation of limits and boundaries established under the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 and associated proclamations.

Time Range

Currency August 2019.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:23:41.659688; data currency is August 2019.

Geography

Australian marine jurisdiction, including mainland, offshore islands, and External Territories, approximately between 7°S to 70°S and 40°E to 175°E.