Seafarers on ships calling at Australian ports should not be kept on board just because a port State control (PSC) inspection might take place, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has said. Its marine notice 2026/02, dated 30 September 2026, replaces an earlier notice on shore leave from 2024.
The new notice adds two points. First, the possibility of an AMSA PSC inspection is not a reason to delay, restrict or deny shore leave. Second, if crew members are ashore while AMSA inspects the ship, that will not, in itself, lead to any adverse action against the vessel.
What the rules say
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) says seafarers shall be granted shore leave to benefit their health and well-being, consistent with the operational requirements of their positions (Regulation 2.4.2). Australia applies this through the Navigation Act 2012 and Marine Order 11 on living and working conditions on vessels.
AMSA says shore leave and access to welfare facilities ashore are key to seafarers' physical and mental health and reduce the risk of fatigue. It expects companies to give strong weight to these benefits when they assess the risks of shore leave, and it reminds them that the decision should not be based on financial implications. AMSA accepts that the risk of communicable diseases cannot be removed entirely, but says suitable controls can allow crew to go ashore safely.
If a shoreside authority in Australia tells a company that shore leave is not possible, the company should pass this to AMSA, which will investigate. AMSA's PSC officers may also take action where there are clear grounds to believe that the shipowner, company or master has not complied with the shore leave requirements of the MLC and Australian law.
In a post on LinkedIn, AMSA tells companies that shore leave is not just a welfare issue but part of their responsibility to support seafarers in port, and points to the marine notice.
Welfare groups and unions welcome it
Sue Dight, regional director for Australia and Papua New Guinea at the Mission to Seafarers, told the Daily Cargo News that the notice gives masters and operators clear guidance and reinforces seafarers' existing entitlement to shore leave. Jamie Newlyn, assistant secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), said the union welcomed it.
What it means for crews
In Australian ports, “PSC might come” is no longer an accepted reason to keep the whole crew on board.
Shore leave still has to fit your watch and work duties, so agree times with your officer or master.
If shore leave is refused by an authority ashore, ask the master or company to report it to AMSA.
Port welfare committees and seafarer centres in Australia are listed on the Australian Seafarers Welfare Council website. The Mission to Seafarers says it offers lifts to its centres when it can.
Masters and operators should plan inspections and cargo work so that rested crew can still get ashore.
Cover photo: The bulk carrier Maria with tugs in Port Hedland harbour, Western Australia, July 2023. This is an illustrative photo. Photo: Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Sources: AMSA: Marine notice 2026/02 - Access to shore leave for seafarers (30 Sep 2026, PDF), AMSA on LinkedIn: Are your crewing practices creating a compliance risk? (Oct 2026), Daily Cargo News: AMSA announces shore leave changes for visiting seafarers (2 Oct 2026), Japan P&I Club: Australia - Access to shore leave for seafarers.
