Australian Maritime Jurisdiction Limits and Treaties

Geoscience Australia maintains the official digital representation of Australia's maritime zones, including territorial sea baselines and treaty boundaries with neighboring countries. The data covers the entire Australian marine jurisdiction from 7°S to 70°S latitude and 40°E to 175°E longitude, incorporating updates like the 2018 Timor Sea Treaty. This version, published in August 2019, was developed by Geoscience Australia in consultation with other Commonwealth agencies.

Use Cases

• Analyze the territorial sea baseline coordinates to determine coastal state jurisdiction for resource exploration.
• Map the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for fisheries management and enforcement planning.
• Visualize maritime boundaries established by treaties, such as the Timor Sea Treaty, for diplomatic and legal reference.
• Use the State and Northern Territory coastal water limits under the OPGGSA Act for offshore petroleum licensing.

Strengths

• Definitive legal representation of maritime zones under the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973.
• Broad spatial coverage spanning approximately 63 degrees of latitude and 135 degrees of longitude.
• Developed by the national geoscience authority in consultation with multiple government departments.

Limitations

• Data currency is August 2019, which may not reflect recent legislative or treaty changes.
• The dataset disclaimer states that in any inconsistency, the legal limits in legislation prevail over the digital data.
• Coastline representation is constrained by the source material available at the time of production.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Delineation and digital representation of limits and boundaries established under Australian legislation and international treaties.

Time Range

Legal framework from 1973 onward, with data currency August 2019.

Freshness

Data reflects updates as of August 2019.

Geography

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