3 November 2025
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has transferred regulatory oversight of relevant licences related to the Australian nuclear-powered submarine program to the newly established Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator (ANNPSR).
ANNPSR will provide independent assessment of licence applications and ongoing assurance of radiological and nuclear safety for facilities or radioactive materials connected to naval nuclear-powered propulsion.
‘ARPANSA has been working closely with the Department of Defence’s Nuclear Powered Submarine Regulatory Design team in the lead up to this transition,’ said Dr Gillian Hirth AO, ARPANSA CEO.
‘That team now forms the new dedicated naval nuclear power safety regulator – ANNPSR – and we will continue to work collaboratively to support a smooth transition of regulatory oversight of Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program.’
As part of the transition, ARPANSA will provide regulatory, scientific and technical support to ANNPSR as the two regulators work together to support consistent nuclear and radiological safety across Australia’s civilian and military nuclear programs.
‘We’re pleased to continue our cooperation with ANNPSR under the leadership of the newly appointed Director General, Mr Michael Drake’, said Dr Hirth.
Mr Drake brings to the role technical expertise and a decade of maritime regulation experience, including most recently as the Executive Director of Operations with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. He also served 15 years in the Royal Australian Navy, primarily in Australia’s Collins class submarines.
The changing regulatory landscape elevates the need for consistent radiation protection across all jurisdictions.
‘ARPANSA has a long history of working with state and territory regulators to support uniformity in radiation protection’, said Dr Hirth.
‘We will continue to use our existing mechanisms with peer regulators, including ANNPSR to support consistent approaches to regulation and ensure that protection of people and the environment is at the core of everything we do’.
Licences issued by ARPANSA related to HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, WA transferred to ANNPSR automatically on 1 November 2025, when the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Act 2024 (Cth) (ANNPS Act) came into effect along with the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Act 2024 (Cth) and the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations 2025. Any sources or controlled apparatus not related to naval nuclear propulsion activities will remain under the jurisdiction of ARPANSA. For example, calibration sources related to the CIF or equipment used to measure activity in waste drums.
Under these Acts and regulations, licence applications relating to the nuclear-powered Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne, SA are required to be re-submitted to the new regulator for their assessment.
Find out more about ANNPSR’s purpose and practices on its new website: Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator
