National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) commenced operations on 1 January 2012.
NOPSEMA has regulatory responsibility for occupational health and safety, structural integrity of facilities, wells and well-related equipment, environmental management, and day-to-day operations of offshore petroleum facilities in Commonwealth waters, and in coastal waters where regulatory functions and powers have been conferred under State or Northern Territory legislation.
NOPSEMA is accountable to the Commonwealth Minister for Resources and Energy, and provides nationally consistent safety and environmental regulation across the offshore petroleum industry to deliver world-best practice safety and environmental regulation for Australia.
2011 NOPSA Operational Review Report
In accordance with section 695 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGGSA), in 2011 a panel of experts with backgrounds drawn from across industry, government and corporate sectors undertook a review of the operations of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) (which expanded to become NOPSEMA from 1 January 2012).
The government responded to the 2011 NOPSA Operational Review in May 2012, following consultation with NOPSEMA, and those organisations that provided submissions to the Review Panel. The Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, released the final Government Response to the 2011 NOPSA Operational Review on 25 May 2012.
In its response, the government has considered and accepted all of the Review Panel’s Recommendations. Implementation of many of the recommendations will be the responsibility of NOPSEMA, with a number to be jointly implemented by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and NOPSEMA. A comprehensive implementation plan accompanies the final response, and outlines the timeframe for implementing the accepted recommendations from the Review (see Related documents).
The first review of NOPSEMA will relate to the three-year period beginning 1 January 2012. Subsequent reports will relate to successive five-year periods.
Related documents
More information
For more information about NOPSEMA, or for resource material relating to regulation of safety, well integrity or environmental management, see the NOPSEMA website.
Further information about the review, including the Terms of Reference, submissions and information on the Review Panel are available on the NOPSA Review website.