We repealed and replaced the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety) Regulations 2009 to further strengthen Australia’s offshore safety regime. This will ensure the regime continues to provide an effective, leading practice framework for securing the health and safety of offshore oil and gas workers.
The remade Safety Regulations include recommendations from our department’s review of the offshore safety regulatory regime. They also reflect changes we made to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 last year. We consulted the oil and gas industry, unions and workers on the review and regulatory changes.
The remake of the Safety Regulations aims to improve safety conditions and reporting requirements for offshore workers, including:
- extra protections to prevent sexual harassment, bullying and harassment
- increased alignment with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- streamlined administrative processes
- enhanced reporting for sexual harassment
- improved and expanded diving operation coverage
- a design notification scheme for new production facilities and new greenhouse gas facilities
- disconnection notices to improve transparency when vessels move to or away from a facility
- stronger compliance mechanisms.
We also made related amendments to safety provisions in the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. These also came into effect on 12 June 2025.
We are leading a further review to better align the safety regulatory regime with the model Work Health and Safety laws where appropriate. Particularly where we can achieve equal or better safety outcomes.