[Australia]: Department of Communications and the Arts Media Centre

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Overview​

The Department of Communications and the Arts is the Australian Government ministry charged with responsibility for communications and arts policy and programs and cultural affairs. The stated aims of the department are to provide an environment in which all Australians can access and benefit from communications services, creative experiences and culture and to support inclusiveness and growth in Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector, and protect its workforces and promote Australian content and culture. The portfolio also includes government agencies such as the Office for the Arts, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the eSafety Commissioner, the National Broadband Network Co Limited, Australia Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Special Broadcasting Service, Screen Australia, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, the Australian Classification Board, the Australian Classification Review Board, the Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Bundanon Trust. It also includes various institutes, galleries and museums such as the National Archives of Australia, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters as laid out in an Administrative Arrangements Order: Broadband policy and programs Postal and telecommunications policies and programs Spectrum policy management Broadcasting policy National policy issues relating to the digital economy Content policy relating to the information economy Classification Copyright Cultural affairs, including movable cultural heritage and support for the arts Management of government records Old Parliament House

 

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PROTECTION ZONES ESTABLISHED FOR SUBMARINE CABLES​

18 May 2007

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has today established zones in and around Sydney and Perth for the entry points of Australia's critical submarine communications cables. Submarine cables can be easily damaged and any damage can stop the flow of voice and data information to and from Australia. Anyone who is not complying with the restrictions of the Protection Zones can face a 10 year prison term or fine of up to 600 penalty points, or both. The zones are outlined in the table below:

Protection Zone:	Protected Cables:	Zone Description:	Prohibited Activities:	Allowed Activities:
Northern Sydney Protection Zone	Gondwana Cable Southern Cross Cable - North Japan-Guam-Australia Cable Australian Japan Cable - Northern Branch Pipe Pacific Cable Australia Papua New Guinea Cable Tasman Global Access	extends 30 nautical miles off Tamarama and Clovelly beaches extends to a water depth of 2000 metres extends one nautical mile each side of the cable and the area between the cables	use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any trawl gear designed to work on or near the seabed, or a mid-water trawl use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a dredge, including for scallop dredging use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a demersal longline, including setlines and trotlines establish, maintain or use a spoil ground or other ocean disposal point (including dumping materials at sea) scuttle or attempt to scuttle a ship use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a structure moored to the seabed with the primary function of attracting fish for capture, such as a fish aggregating device (FAD) use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a Scottish or Danish seine use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any type of net, rope, chain or other object used in fishing operations that can touch the seabed	install, maintain or remove an electricity cable, an oil or gas pipeline, any like cables or pipelines and using any associated equipment construct, maintain or remove an installation for the use of ships conduct civil engineering work, including constructing and removing navigation aids explore or exploit resources (other than marine species) do research that doesn't impact on cables located in Sydney Protection Zones recreational activities not listed to the left within 500 metres of the shore some commercial fishing methods such as purse seining, beach seining, squid jigging, pelagic longlining, pelagic haul netting beach safety meshing nets around beaches in the zones up to 500 metres from the low-water mark use of any size circular hook and J-hooks providing that recreation fishers targeting large bottom-dwelling fish offshore have lines with a breaking strain of 50kg or less recreational fishing that targets mid or upper-water fish (NSW protection rules apply outside the Sydney protection zones)
Southern Sydney Protection Zone	Coral Sea Cable Southern Cross NEXT Australian Japan Cable - Southern Branch Telstra Endeavour Southern Cross Cable - South Indigo Central Hawaiki Cable	extends 40 nautical miles off Narrabeen Beach extends to a water depth of 2000 metres extends one nautical mile each side of the cable and the area between the cables	use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any trawl gear designed to work on or near the seabed, or a mid-water trawl use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a dredge, including for scallop dredging use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a demersal longline, including setlines and trotlines establish, maintain or use a spoil ground or other ocean disposal point (including dumping materials at sea) scuttle or attempt to scuttle a ship use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a structure moored to the seabed with the primary function of attracting fish for capture, such as a fish aggregating device (FAD) use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a Scottish or Danish seine use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any type of net, rope, chain or other object used in fishing operations that can touch the seabed	install, maintain or remove an electricity cable, an oil or gas pipeline, any like cables or pipelines and using any associated equipment construct, maintain or remove an installation for the use of ships conduct civil engineering work, including constructing and removing navigation aids explore or exploit resources (other than marine species) do research that doesn't impact on cables located in Sydney Protection Zones recreational activities not listed to the left within 500 metres of the shore some commercial fishing methods such as purse seining, beach seining, squid jigging, pelagic longlining, pelagic haul netting beach safety meshing nets around beaches in the zones up to 500 metres from the low-water mark use of any size circular hook and J-hooks providing that recreation fishers targeting large bottom-dwelling fish offshore have lines with a breaking strain of 50kg or less recreational fishing that targets mid or upper-water fish (NSW protection rules apply outside the Sydney protection zones)
Perth Protection Zone	Indigo West Australia Singapore Cable Oman Australia Cable Indigo Central	extends 60 nautical miles off City Beach extends to a water depth of 2000 metres extends one nautical mile each side of the cable	use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any trawl gear designed to work on or near the seabed, or a mid-water trawl use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a dredge, including for scallop dredging use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a demersal longline, including setlines and trotlines establish, maintain or use a spoil ground or other ocean disposal point (including dumping materials at sea) scuttle or attempt to scuttle a ship use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a structure moored to the seabed with the primary function of attracting fish for capture, such as a fish aggregating device use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship a Scottish or Danish seine use, tow, operate or suspend from a ship any type of net, rope, chain or other object used in fishing operations that can touch the seabed	install, maintain or remove an electricity cable, an oil or gas pipeline, any like cables or pipelines and using any associated equipment construct, maintain or remove an installation for the use of ships conduct civil engineering work, including constructing and removing navigation aids explore or exploit resources (other than marine species) do research that doesn't impact on cables located in the Perth Protection Zone recreational activities within 500 metres of the shore some commercial fishing methods such as purse seining, beach seining, squid jigging, pelagic longlining, pelagic haul netting beach safety meshing nets around beaches in the zones up to 500 metres from the low-water mark use of any size circular hook and J-hooks providing that recreation fishers targeting large bottom-dwelling fish offshore have lines with a breaking strain of 50kg or less recreational fishers that target mid or upper water fish are not affected by the Perth Protection Zone

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