On 15 November 2013, the Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure endorsed Part C1 of the National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) to align domestic commercial vessel standards to national laws and international agreements.
The sections of the NSCV have progressively replaced the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code, which has been the basis of standards for domestic vessels since the late 1970s. This Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) considers one of the final pieces of the NSCV – the arrangements, accommodation and personal safety for domestic commercial vessels.
The RIS covers aspects of vessel design and construction that are vitally important to the health, safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew.