Test Tank News

15 May 2023

Australia Creates Permit-Free, Autonomous Marine Tech Test Area

Australian Institute of Marine Science testing its ReefScan reef monitoring technology on an autonomous surface vessel in the ReefWorks test ranges. Photo by Marie Roman, courtesy of AIMS.

For the first time in Australia, autonomous marine technology developers have a location to safely test autonomous vessels without needing to apply for a permit. The Australian Institute of Marine Science’s ReefWorks inshore test range, near Townsville in north Queensland, was granted regulatory sandbox approval for uncrewed vessels from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).It’s the first approval issued under a proposed Australian Maritime Regulatory Sandbox advocated by Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), AIMS and AMC Search.