Employer reporting obligations
Employers and operators covered by the Seacare scheme have a range of statutory reporting requirements and must provide certain information to the Seacare Authority, in accordance with the Seafarers Act.
Penalties apply for non-compliance.
Summary of reporting requirements
| Reporting requirement | When required |
|---|---|
| Employee and Ship Details (ESD) Survey reports | |
| Employee numbers, hours worked and details of ships operating under the scheme. |
Every six months. Within 14 days of 1 January and 1 July. |
| Employees by age range and employees by occupational grouping. |
Every year. Within 14 days of 1 July. |
| Workers' compensation insurance arrangements | |
| Details of workers' compensation insurance arrangements. | Upon issue or renewal. |
| Claims reporting | |
| Copy of each lodged claim. | Upon submission. |
| Claims determination reporting | |
| Copy of each employer claim determination. | Upon determination. |
| Claim Update reports | |
| Claim Update Report form listing claims that are active or have been finalised in the preceding six-month period. |
Every six months. Within 30 days of 30 June and 31 December. |
| Berths and Levy Return reporting | |
| Berths and Levy Return form |
Every three months. Within 14 days of 1 January, 1 April, 1 July, and 1 October. |
| Register of each prescribed ship with employees, and the number of employee berths on each of these prescribed ships. |
Every three months. 1 January, 1 April, 1 July, and 1 October. |
Employee and Ship Details Survey reports
Reporting requirements
Employers are required to report to the Seacare Authority:
- every six months on employee numbers, hours worked and details of ships operating under the scheme's legislation
- every year on employees by age range and employees by occupational grouping.
Employee and Ship Details (ESD) reports are due on 1 January (for the July to December period) and 1 July (for the January to June period).
ESD reports must be provided within 14 days of the reports falling due.
How to report
We issue a notice and the relevant form to employers prior to the reports falling due.
You can submit reports online or by email.
Access Seacare Authority Online
1. Use the Seacare Authority Online reporting system.
- To get access to the system, complete and submit the User Access Request form (PDF, 151.5 KB) to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
2. Email the appropriate form to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
Workers' compensation insurance arrangements
Reporting requirements
Employers are required to provide the Seacare Authority with details of their workers' compensation insurance arrangements.
You must provide these details within 14 days of:
- being issued with or renewing insurance or indemnity with an authorised insurer, or
- becoming a member of or renewing your membership with a protection and indemnity association or an employers' mutual indemnity association.
The authority requiring details on insurance arrangements is provided by sections 93, 94 and 95 of the Seafarers Act.
How to report
Access Seacare Authority Online
Details must be submitted through the Seacare Authority Online reporting system.
To get access to the Seacare Online Reporting system, complete and submit the User Access Request form (PDF, 151.5 KB) to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
Claims reporting
Reporting requirements
Employers are required to provide the Seacare Authority with a copy of each lodged:
- Claim for Workers' Compensation form (PDF, 190.2 KB)
- Claim for Permanent Impairment and Non-economic Loss form (PDF, 181.4 KB), or
- Claim for Compensation for a Work-related Death (by Dependants of Deceased Employees) form (PDF, 184.2 KB).
How to report
Copies of claim forms should be submitted by email to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
Hard copy forms can also be supplied to the Seacare Authority, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.
Claims determination reporting
Reporting requirements
For each claim, employers are required to provide the Seacare Authority with a copy of a Report on the Employer's Determination of a Claim for Workers' Compensation (PDF, 171.4 KB), regardless of whether the claim form is lodged with their insurer.
How to report
Copies of completed reports must be submitted by email to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
Hard copy forms may also be supplied to the Seacare Authority, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.
Claim Update reports
Reporting requirements
Employers are required to provide the Seacare Authority with a Claim Update Report for claims that are active or have been finalised in the preceding six-month period, including through rejection or withdrawal.
Claim Update Reports are due within 30 days of the end of June and the end of December each year.
We issue relevant employers a Claim Update Report form before the update falls due.
How to report
Each completed report must be submitted by email to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
Hard copy forms may also be supplied to the Seacare Authority, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.
The authority requiring that any claim made be reported to the Seacare Authority, using forms approved by the Seacare Authority, is provided by section 63 of the Seafarers Act.
Berths and Levy Return reporting
Reporting requirements
In addition to payment of the Seafarers Safety Net Fund levy, employers must lodge a Berths and Levy Return with the Seacare Authority within 14 days of the first day of the quarter (1 January, 1 April, 1 July, 1 October).
Employers must also keep a register which records for the first day of each quarter:
- the name of each prescribed ship for which the employer employed or engaged seafarers
- the number of seafarer berths on each of these prescribed ships.
A berth is interpreted as being the ship’s normal crew compliment at any one time.
The Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Act 1992 (Levy Act), Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Collection Act 1992 (Levy Collection Act), Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Regulations 2018 and Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Collection Regulations 2018 establish the obligations on employers to pay the Seafarers Safety Net Fund levy and prescribes procedures for payment of the levy and for provision of a Return.
How to report
Complete and submit the Berths and Levy Return form (PDF, 522.7 KB) by email to seacare@comcare.gov.au.
A hard copy form may also be supplied to the Seacare Authority, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.
More information
The Seacare Authority Notice and Compliance Procedures (PDF, 95.3 KB) establish the procedures we follow in ensuring employer compliance with statutory obligations where no statutory procedures are specified.