Submarine Cable Locations within the 3 cable protection zones, Perth (Western Australia), Northern Sydney (New South Wales), and Southern Sydney (New South Wales). Current as of 2021.

Submarine Cable Locations within protection zones, published 2021.

Location information compiled from spreadsheets provided to Geoscience Australia from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) - https://www.acma.gov.au/

ACMA has declared three protection zones over cables of national significance in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Two protection zones are situated off the NSW coast. Both of these zones protect branches of the Australia Japan Cable network (linking Australia to Japan via Guam) and the Southern Cross Cable network (linking Australia to the USA via NZ and Hawaii). The NSW protection zones are:

the Northern Sydney Protection Zone, commencing at Narrabeen Beach; and

the Southern Sydney Protection Zone, commencing at Tamarama and Clovelly beaches.

A third protection zone, situated in WA, protects the SEA-ME-WE3 cable (linking Australia to South East Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe)

the Perth Protection Zone commences at City Beach in Perth, WA.

Each of the protection zones stretch from the shore out to a depth of 2,000 metres and extend one nautical mile either side of the cable. The Sydney protection zones also include the area between adjacent cables.

Within these protection zones, activities that pose a risk of damage to submarine cables are prohibited or restricted. Penalties apply for causing damage to a cable or contravening a prohibition, or restriction, in a protection zone. For further details on the protection zones, including a summary or full description of prohibited and restricted activities, detailed maps and further information about the protection zones, visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority or call 1300 856 337.

Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Communications and Media Authority) 2021

Downloads and Links:

Submarine Telecommunications Cables WA Protection Zone Geographic Coordinates

Submarine Telecommunications Cables NSW Protection Zones Geographic Coordinates

Commonwealth legislation and related documents:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2007L03914