Electric Lighting and Gas Emergency Act 1916 (NSW)

ELECTRIC LIGHTING AND GAS

EMERGENCY ACT.

Act No. 58, 1916.

A n Act to provide for t h e cont ro l of t h e supply,

consumpt ion , and use of e lec t r ic i ty and gas ;

t o suspend t h e opera t ion of ce r ta in provisions

of t h e Munic ipa l Counci l of Sydney E lec t r i c

L igh t ing Ac t , and of t h e Gas Ac t , 1912 ; and

for purposes consequen t t h e r e o n or inc iden ta l

t h e r e t o . [Assented to , 17th November , 1916.]

lative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South	BE it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legis
Wales in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—
1. This Act may be cited as the "Electr ic Lighting and Gas Emergency Act, 1916."

PART 1.

ELECTRIC L I G H T .

In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, " b o a r d " means the board appointed under this Part, and " electricity " means electricity or electric current generated by the council. This Part shall be construed with the Municipal Council of Sydney Electric Lighting Act, hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act.

2.

3. A board consisting of the Lord Mayor and the vice-chairmen of the four standing committees of the council, for the time being, is hereby constituted to exercise the powers and discharge the duties conferred or imposed on it by this Part.

E The

The hoard may appoint necessary officers and by resolution provide for the summoning, quorum, and conduct of its meetings, and for publication of its decisions and notifications.

Notwithstanding any agreement or contract entered into by the council with any persons under which the council has covenanted or agreed to supply electricity, the council may upon notification by the hoard as herein- after provided refuse to supply or discontinue the supply of electricity either wholly or partially or for any time to any or all supply persons without being liable for any costs, damages, or compensation whatever to any person consequent upon such refusal or discontinuance of supply.

4.

5. (1) The board may from time to time publish as hereinafter provided notifications prohibiting the con­ sumption or use of electricity other than by the persons or classes of persons, or for the purposes or periods or subject to the conditions therein mentioned, and may revoke or amend any such notification.

If any person consumes or uses electricity or permits or suffers electricity to he consumed or used in contra­ vention of any such notification, or fails to comply with any condition in such notification, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred pounds.

(2) The council may, without notice, disconnect the service of electricity the consumption or use of which is prohibited by notification under this section, or in respect of which any condition imposed in such notification has not been complied with.

6. In the first instance and for so long as the board

may deem advisable, it shall in such notification autho-

rise the consumption and use of electricity upon the	same terms and conditions as now exist by the persons
carrying on the following functions or enterprises, namely—water supply services, public lighting, cold storage, ice making, flour milling, butchering, baking, dairy produce and fish distribution, and such other functions or enterprises the stoppage of which might in the opinion of the board tend to endanger human life or cause serious bodily injury.
7. All notifications by the board shall be published in the Gazette and posted in some conspicuous place at
the Town Hall, Sydney. 8 .

8. The operation of section twenty-six of the Principal Act, so far as the same is inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, and the operation of section twenty-seven of the same Act, are hereby suspended during such time as this Act is in force.

PART I I .

GAS.

9. Notwithstanding any agreement or contract entered into by a gas company with any persons under which it has covenanted or agreed to supply gas, the company may upon notification by the board as hereinafter pro- vided refuse to supply or discontinue the supply of gas either wholly or partially or for any time to any or all such persons without being liable for any costs, damages, or compensation whatever to any person consequent upon such refusal or discontinuance of supply.

In the event of the supply of gas to be supplied by any gas company under any contract to or for street or public lamps in any municipality or shire being reduced below the quantity or period contracted for such reduction in supply shall not be regarded as a breach of any such contract, and shall not vitiate or affect such contract, but the amount payable to the gas company supplying such gas shall be reduced during such period of reduc- tion by such an amount as shall he agreed upon between

the council affected by such reduction and the gas company, and failing any such agreement as shall be
decided by the board.

10 . (1) The Governor may appoint a board of five

persons.

Such board may from time to time publish as herein­ after provided notifications prohibiting the consumption or use of gas other than by the persons or classes of persons, or for the purposes or periods or subject to the conditions therein mentioned, and may revoke or amend any such notification.

If

If any person consumes or uses gas or permits or suffers gas to be consumed or used in contravention of any such notification, or fails to comply with any con- dition in such notification, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred pounds.

(2) The gas company may, without notice, dis­ connect the service of gas the consumption or use of which is prohibited by notification under this section, or in respect of which any condition imposed in such notification has not been complied with.

(3) Any such notification shall be published in

the Gazette.

1 1 . The operation of the Gas Act, 1912, so far as it

relates to the quality, illuminating power, purity, and pressure of gas supplied by any company to which that Act applies, is hereby suspended during such time as this Act is in force.

P A R T I I I .

GENERAL.

1 2 .     This Act shall remain in force until the Governor

by proclamation in the Gazette declares that the necessity for the same has ceased to exist, whereupon this Act shall be deemed to be repealed as from the date of such proclamation.

1 3 .     This Act shall bind the Crown.

MOLONG