Australian Maritime Boundaries 2020: Territorial Sea Limits and Offshore Zones

Geoscience Australia's Australian Maritime Boundaries (AMB) 2020 data is a digital representation of Australia's maritime limits and boundaries. The dataset includes territorial baselines, outer limits of maritime zones, and international treaty boundaries, updated to reflect the 2018 Timor Sea Treaty. Coverage spans Australia's marine jurisdiction from approximately 7°S to 70°S latitude and 40°E to 175°E longitude.

Use Cases

• Mapping territorial sea baselines and exclusive economic zones based on the legal limits described.
• Analyzing offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage areas under the OPGGSA Act 2006.
• Visualizing international maritime boundaries established by treaties with neighboring countries.
• Supporting legal and policy research on maritime jurisdiction based on the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973.

Strengths

• Official data produced by Geoscience Australia in consultation with key Commonwealth agencies.
• Updated to incorporate the 2018 Timor Sea Treaty.
• Provides coverage for the entire Australian marine jurisdiction, including external territories.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data currency is August 2019; legislative changes after this date are not reflected.
• The description notes that in case of inconsistency, the legal limits prevail over the digital data.

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 of legal maritime limits and boundaries under Australian legislation.

Time Range

Currency August 2019.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:24:47.098996; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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