Trade Measurement Administration Act 2006 (WA)
Western Australia
This Act expired on 1 Jul 2013 (see s. 3B).
Western Australia
Western Australia
Trade Measurement Administration Act 2006The Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:
This is the
(1) Schedule 1 clause 7 comes into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.
(2) The other provisions of this Act come into operation on a day fixed by proclamation.
(3) Different days may be fixed under subsection (2) for different provisions.
Except as provided by this section, section 3B and Part 7, this Act does not apply on or after the transition day.
(1) This Act expires —
(a) on 1 July 2013; or
(b) if an earlier day is fixed under subsection (2), on that earlier day.
(2) The Governor may, by proclamation, fix a day that is earlier than 1 July 2013 as the day on which this Act expires.
(3) A proclamation cannot be made under subsection (2) unless, after the transition day, the Commissioner has given the Minister a certificate signed by the Commissioner stating that the operation of this Act and the principal Act is no longer necessary.
This Act is to be read as one with the principal Act.
(1) In this Act —
(a) a person designated as an inspector under section 9(1);
(b) subject to section 10(4), a person designated as an inspector under section 10(2); and
(c) the Commissioner as provided by section 9(2);
(2) Words and expressions in this Act that are defined in the principal Acthave the same meaning in this Act.
This Act binds the Crown in right of the State and, so far as the legislative power of the Parliament permits, in all its other capacities.
(1) In this section —
(2) The Minister is required to designate a person who is an executive officer of the Department as the Commissioner for the purposes of this Act and the principal Act.
(3) The person designated under subsection (2) has the functions expressed to be given to the Commissioner by or under this Act and the principal Act.
(4) The Minister is required to designate a person who is an executive officer of the Department as the Deputy Commissioner for the purposes of this Act and the principal Act.
(5) The person designated under subsection (4) has the functions of the Commissioner under this Act and the principal Act —
(a) during the absence or illness of the Commissioner; or
(b) when the Commissioner is otherwise unavailable to perform those functions.
(6) The Minister may at any time revoke a designation made under subsection (2) or (4) and make another designation in place of that designation.
(7) A designation under this section is to be made by order published in the
Gazette .
All courts, judges and persons acting judicially are to take judicial notice —
(a) of the official signature of every person who is for the time being, or has at any time been, the Commissioner or the Deputy Commissioner; and
(b) of the fact that such person holds or has held such office.
(1) The Commissioner may delegate to any other officer employed in the Department any power or duty of the Commissioner under —
(a) a provision of the principal Act; or
(b) a provision of this Act other than —
(i) this power of delegation; or
(ii) a function or power conferred on the Commissioner by section 23(2)(c), 24 or 25.
(2) The delegation must be in writing signed by the Commissioner.
(3) A person to whom a power or duty is delegated under this section cannot delegate that power or duty.
(4) A person exercising or performing a power or duty that has been delegated to the person under this section is to be taken to do so in accordance with the terms of the delegation unless the contrary is shown.
(5) A function performed by a delegate of the Commissioner is taken to be performed by the Commissioner.
(6) Nothing in this section limits the ability of the Commissioner to perform a function through an officer or agent.
(1) The Commissioner, by instrument in writing, is to designate as inspectors such officers employed in the Department as the Commissioner considers to be necessary for the purposes of this Act and the principal Act.
(2) The person who is the Commissioner, by virtue of holding or acting in that office, is also an inspector.
(1) In subsection (2) —
(2) The Commissioner may also, by instrument in writing, designate as an inspector a person who under a corresponding law has functions similar to those of an inspector designated under section 9(1).
(3) A designation under subsection (2) may be —
(a) for a specified period;
(b) for the purposes of a specified investigation; or
(c) for any other specified purpose,
or may be subject to 2 or more of those kinds of restrictions.
(4) A person designated under subsection (2) has such of the functions of an inspector referred to in section 9 as are specified in the instrument of designation.
(5) The Commissioner may at any time revoke a designation under subsection (2).
An inspector under section 9(1) or 10 is subject to the direction and control of the Commissioner in the performance of the inspector’s functions.
(1) The Commissioner is to issue a certificate of authority to each inspector under section 9(1) or 10.
(2) The chief executive officer of the Department is to issue a certificate of authority to the Commissioner in his or her capacity as an inspector.
(3) A certificate purporting to have been issued under subsection (1) or (2) is, without proof of the signature of the person purporting to have signed it, evidence in a court —
(a) of the designation to which the certificate purports to relate; and
(b) of any other matter specified in the certificate.
Division 3 – General
(1) In this section —
(2) A person who misuses information obtained by reason of any function that person has, or at any time had, in the administration of a relevant Act commits an offence.
Penalty: $20 000.
(3) A person misuses information if it is, directly or indirectly, recorded, used, or disclosed to another person, other than —
(a) in the course of duty;
(b) under a relevant Act;
(c) for the purposes of the investigation of any suspected offence or the conduct of proceedings against any person for an offence;
(d) in a manner that could not reasonably be expected to lead to the identification of any person to whom the information refers; or
(e) with the consent of the person to whom the information relates, or of each of them if there is more than one.
14. Protection from liability for wrongdoing (1) A person is not liable for anything that the person has, in good faith, done in the performance or purported performance of a function under this Act or the principal Act.
(2) The State is also relieved of any liability that it might otherwise have had for another person having done anything as described in subsection (1).
(3) The protection given by this section applies even though the thing done as described in subsection (1) may have been capable of being done whether or not this Act or the principal Act had been enacted.
(4) In this section, a reference to the doing of anything includes a reference to an omission to do anything.
Regulations may be made under section 35 for and with respect to the imposition, collection and recovery of fees and charges for the purposes of this Act and the principal Act, including —
(a) application fees;
(b) licence fees;
(c) fees payable for the issue of —
(i) amended licences or certificates; and
(ii) duplicate licences or certificates;
(d) charges for —
(i) the verification and re‑verification of measuring instruments; and
(ii) the examination and testing of measuring instruments that fail to comply with the requirements for verification or re‑verification;
(e) fees —
(i) payable by the holders of servicing licences; and
(ii) determined so as to allow the recovery of the expenditure involved in relation to the performance of the functions described in section 24(1)(b), (c) and (d) of the principal Act,
including a fee payable when the holder of a servicing licence informs the Commissioner under section 20 of the principal Act that the holder has certified or re‑certified a measuring instrument;
(f) fees payable for the inspection of, or the provision of an extract from, a register referred to in section 24(1)(b) or 59(1) of the principal Act;
(g) charges for the examination of public weighbridges for suitability;
(h) fees payable for providing —
(i) weighbridge suitability statements; and
(ii) duplicates of weighbridge suitability statements;
(i) charges payable if —
(i) an inspector keeps an appointment to examine or test a measuring instrument; but
(ii) is unable to carry out the examination or testing because the measuring instrument is unavailable or inaccessible or access to it is unreasonably refused;
(j) charges to allow the recovery of the costs, including travelling costs, incurred by an inspector in connection with anything carried out in relation to a measuring instrument for which a charge is payable under paragraph (d) or (n);
(k) charges to allow the recovery of the costs and expenditure involved in connection with the provision by an inspector of technical advice or training relating to any matter provided for by the principal Act;
(l) charges payable if the use of —
(i) specified labour; or
(ii) specified equipment,
provided by the Commissioner is necessary for the performance of the functions of an inspector;
(m) charges payable for the use of —
(i) specified equipment; or
(ii) specified standards of measurement,
provided by the Commissioner;
(n) charges payable for the calibration or testing of —
(i) a measuring instrument; or
(ii) anything required to be used by the holder of a servicing licence for the purpose of certifying a measuring instrument;
(o) additional charges payable for the late payment of the fees and charges referred to in this section; and
(p) charges for the storage by the Commissioner, for the purposes of this Act or the principal Act, of —
(i) a measuring instrument; or
(ii) anything associated with a measuring instrument,
not collected by a person within the specified period after the person is requested in writing by the Commissioner to collect the instrument or thing.
(1) The regulations may provide for a fee or charge imposed under section 15(d) to (p) to be calculated —
(a) by reference to a period of time; or
(b) in any other specified manner.
(2) The regulations may provide for a combined fee for a public weighbridge licence and a weighbridge suitability statement in respect of the same period.
(3) The regulations may provide for the fee payable under section 64 of the principal Act for a licence to be —
(a) a specified amount; or
(b) an amount calculated in a specified manner.
17. Recovery of unpaid fees and charges
Any fee or charge payable under this Act or the principal Act is recoverable by the Commissioner in a court of competent jurisdiction as a debt due to the Crown.
Without limiting section 17, if a fee or charge payable in relation to a measuring instrument is not paid within the prescribed period, an inspector may obliterate any inspector’s mark or licensee’s mark that the instrument bears.
In this Part —
The regulations may prescribe offences against this Act or the principal Act for which an infringement notice may be given under section 22.
(1) For each prescribed offence the regulations must prescribe —
(a) a modified penalty; or
(b) a different modified penalty according to the circumstances of the offence.
(2) The modified penalty for an offence cannot exceed 20% of the maximum penalty that could be imposed for that offence by a court.
(1) An inspector who has reason to believe that a person has committed a prescribed offence may give an infringement notice to the alleged offender.
(2) The notice must be given within 6 months after the alleged offence is believed to have been committed.
(1) An infringement notice is to be in the prescribed form.
(2) An infringement notice is to —
(a) contain a description of the alleged offence;
(b) specify the amount of the modified penalty for the offence; and
(c) advise the alleged offender that, if he or she does not wish to be prosecuted for the alleged offence in a court, that amount may be paid to the Commissioner within 28 days after the giving of the notice.
(3) The amount referred to in subsection (2)(b) is to be the amount that was the prescribed modified penalty at the time when the alleged offence is believed to have been committed.
(1) The Commissioner may, in a particular case, extend the period of 28 days within which the modified penalty may be paid.
(2) An extension may be granted under subsection (1) either before or after the period of 28 days has elapsed.
(1) The Commissioner may, within 60 days after the day on which an infringement notice was given, withdraw the notice by sending to the alleged offender a notice in the prescribed form stating that the infringement notice has been withdrawn.
(2) Subsection (1) applies even if the modified penalty has been paid.
(3) If an infringement notice is withdrawn after the modified penalty has been paid, the amount is to be refunded.
(1) This section applies if —
(a) the modified penalty specified in an infringement notice has been paid within 28 days or such further time as is allowed; and
(b) the notice has not been withdrawn.
(2) The payment prevents —
(a) the bringing of proceedings; and
(b) the imposition of penalties,
to the same extent that they would be prevented if the alleged offender had been convicted by a court of, and punished for, the alleged offence.
Payment of a modified penalty is not to be regarded as an admission for the purposes of any proceedings, whether civil or criminal.
An amount paid as a modified penalty is to be dealt with as if it were imposed by a court as a penalty for an offence, unless section 25(3) requires that the amount be refunded.
(1) An inspector may apply to a justice for a search warrant in respect of any premises.
(2) The application is to be in writing and is to be made by the inspector in person.
(1) The justice may issue a search warrant to the inspector if subsection (2) applies.
(2) The justice must be satisfied by evidence on oath that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that there is in the premises to which the application relates anything with respect to which —
(a) an offence under the principal Act is being or has been committed; or
(b) the inspector may exercise a function conferred on the inspector by the principal Act.
(3) The justice is to cause a record to be made (on the warrant or otherwise) of the matters of fact on which the justice has relied to justify the issue of the warrant.
A search warrant remains in force for one month from the date of its issue.
(1) A search warrant may be executed by the inspector to whom it was issued or by any other inspector.
(2) A search warrant authorises an inspector —
(a) to enter the premises specified in the warrant using any force that is reasonably necessary to do so; and
(b) to exercise in those premises the powers conferred on an inspector by the principal Act.
(3) An inspector executing a search warrant —
(a) may be accompanied by such other persons as are necessary for the effective exercise of the powers conferred by the warrant, this section or the principal Act; and
(b) is to produce the warrant for inspection by a person occupying the premises concerned if requested by the person to do so.
Part 6 – Miscellaneous
(1) Proceedings for an offence against this Act or the principal Act must be commenced within 3 years after the offence was committed.
(2) Proceedings for an offence against this Act or the principal Act may be taken by —
(a) the Commissioner; or
(b) any person authorised in writing by the Commissioner to do so.
(3) Unless evidence is given to the contrary, proof is not required in any proceedings for an offence —
(a) of the authority of a person to take the proceedings; or
(b) that a signature on a prosecution notice alleging the offence is the signature of a person authorised to take the proceedings.
34. Appointment of departmental officers under National Measurement Act
With the approval of the Minister, the Commissioneror an officer employed in the Department —
(a) may hold an appointment made under the National Measurement Act (including regulations made under that Act); and
(b) may perform any function conferred on the holder of the appointment.
(1) The Governor may make regulations prescribing all matters that are required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed or that are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.
(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the regulations may make provision with respect to —
(a) any matter required or permitted by the principal Act to be prescribed by regulations made under this Act; or
(b) the administration of the principal Act.
(3) The regulations may prescribe a penalty not exceeding $2 000 for any offence against the regulations.
(1) The
Weights and Measures Act 1915 is repealed.(2) Schedule 1 has effect to make savings and transitional provisions.
(1) The amendments in this section are to the
Consumer Affairs Act 1971*. [* Reprint4 as at 9 July 2004.
(2) The Schedule is amended as follows:
(a) by deleting the item “
Weights and Measures Act 1915 .”;(b) by inserting after the item “
Spear‑guns Control Act 1955 .” the following item —
“
Trade Measurement Act 2006 . ”.
In this Part —
This Act and the principal Act continue to apply on and after the transition day only for the following purposes —
(a) the investigation and prosecution of offences committed before the transition day;
(b) the giving, withdrawal or payment of infringement notices under Part 4 in respect of offences committed before the transition day;
(c) the taking of disciplinary action under the principal Act section 80 against licensees served with a written notice under section 79 of that Act before the transition day;
(d) the review by the State Administrative Tribunal under the principal Act section 81 of decisions of the Commissioner made before the transition day;
(e) the payment or recovery of fees or charges that became payable, or in respect of which an invoice was issued, under this Act or the principal Act before the transition day.
(1) Despite section 33(1), proceedings for an offence committed before the transition day must not be commenced after the end of 12 months after the transition day.
(2) A person cannot be charged on or after the transition day with an offence committed before the transition day unless, at the time the person is charged, the act or omission constituting the offence would constitute an offence under the National Measurement Act.
(3) If —
(a) a person is sentenced on or after the transition day for an offence committed before the transition day (the
State offence ); and(b) at the time the person is sentenced, the act or omission constituting the State offence would constitute an offence under the National Measurement Act (the
Commonwealth offence ); and(c) there is a difference between the penalty for the State offence and the penalty for the Commonwealth offence,
the lesser penalty applies for the purposes of sentencing the person for the State offence.
The Commissioner may allow the NMI, for the purposes of the administration or enforcement of the National Measurement Act, to inspect a thing seized and retained under the principal Act Part 7 in the course of the investigation of an offence committed against that Act before the transition day.
(1) For the purposes of the administration or enforcement of the National Measurement Act, the Commissioner may provide the following information to the NMI —
(a) a copy of the register kept under the principal Act section 25(a);
(b) a copy of the register kept under the principal Act section 59(1);
(c) any other information relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act or the principal Act.
(2) Subsection (1) applies despite any enactment relating to confidentiality or secrecy.
(3) If information is provided under subsection (1) in good faith —
(a) no civil or criminal liability is incurred in respect of the provision of the information; and
(b) the provision of the information is not to be regarded as a breach of any duty of confidentiality or secrecy imposed by law; and
(c) the provision of the information is not to be regarded as a breach of professional ethics or standards or as unprofessional conduct.
(1) In this section —
(2) If there is not sufficient provision in this Part for dealing with a transitional matter, regulations may be made under section 35 prescribing all matters that are required or necessary or convenient to be prescribed for dealing with the matter.
(3) Without limiting subsection (2), regulations made for the purposes of that subsection may provide for the continued application of this Act or the principal Act for a purpose that is of a transitional or savings nature and for which there is not sufficient provision in sections 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42.
[s. 36]
In this Schedule —
Nothing in this Schedule limits the application of the
(1) The person who, immediately before the commencement day, held office as the chief inspector of weights and measures under section 6 of the repealed Act is taken, on and from that day, to have been designated as the Commissioner under section 6(2).
(2) A person who, immediately before the commencement day, held office as an inspector of weights and measures under section 6 of the repealed Act is taken, on and from that day, to have been designated as an inspector under section 9(1).
(3) The operation of this clause in relation to a person does not —
(a) unless the person agrees otherwise, affect the person’s remuneration or terms and conditions of employment;
(b) prejudice the person’s existing or accruing rights;
(c) affect any rights under a superannuation scheme; or
(d) interrupt continuity of service.
A permit —
(a) granted under section 27F of the repealed Act; and
(b) in force immediately before the commencement day,
is taken, on and from that day, to be a permit issued under section 49 of the principal Act.
A mark of verification stamped on a measuring instrument under section 28(1) or 29(1) of the repealed Act —
(a) is taken, on and from the commencement day, to be an inspector’s mark for the purposes of the principal Act; and
(b) continues in effect as provided by section 21(4) or (5) of the principal Act, as the case may be.
An identifying mark applied to a measuring instrument by an approved person in accordance with regulation 4 or 5 of the
(a) is taken, on and from the commencement day, to be a licensee’s mark for the purposes of the principal Act; and
(b) continues in effect as provided by section 21(4) or (5) of the principal Act, as the case may be.
(1) In this clause —
(2) The purpose of this clause is to enable —
(a) applications for licences to be made and decided; and
(b) licensing decisions to be reviewed,
during the pre‑commencement period.
(3) During the pre‑commencement period the provisions mentioned in the Table to this subclause are taken to apply for the purposes of this clause, to the extent so mentioned, as if they had come into operation.
1. | the definitions in section 4, and in section 3 of the principal Act, so far as is necessary for the purposes of this clause |
2. | sections 55, 56, 58, 60, 63, 64 and 70 of the principal Act |
3. | section 81 of the principal Act so far as it applies to a decision described in paragraph (a) or (c) of that section |
4. | section 93 of the principal Act so far as it applies to an application for a licence |
(4) The Governor may make regulations of the kind mentioned in section 15(a), (b), (c), (g) and (h) to have effect for the purposes of this clause during the pre‑commencement period.
(5) Despite section 6, during the pre‑commencement period the chief inspector has the powers and duties expressed to be vested in the Commissioner by the provisions referred to in the Table to subclause (3), and to that extent is taken to be the Commissioner.
(6) The chief inspector may delegate to any other officer employed in the Department any power or duty referred to in subclause (5), and section 8(2) to (6) apply, with all necessary changes, as if references to the Commissioner were references to the chief inspector.
(7) If a servicing licence is granted for the purposes of section 53 of the principal Act during the pre‑commencement period it comes into force on the commencement of that section, or on such later day as may be specified in the licence.
(8) If a public weighbridge licence is granted for the purposes of section 54 of the principal Act during the pre‑commencement period it comes into force on the commencement of that section, or on such later day as may be specified in the licence.
(1) If anything done or commenced under the repealed Act before the commencement day —
(a) still has effect or has not been completed immediately before that day; and
(b) could have been done or commenced under this Act or the principal Act if it had been in force at the time the thing was done or commenced,
then —
(c) the thing done continues to have effect; or
(d) the thing commenced may be completed,
as if it had been done or commenced under this Act or the principal Act, as the case requires.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to anything in relation to which other provision is made by or under this Schedule.
(1) If there is no sufficient provision made in this Schedule for any matter or thing necessary or convenient to give effect to the transition from the repealed Act to this Act and the principal Act, that provision may be made by regulations under section 35.
(2) If regulations under subclause (1) provide that a state of affairs is taken to have existed, or not to have existed, on and from a day that is —
(a) earlier than the day on which the regulations are published in the
Gazette ; but(b) not earlier than the day on which this Schedule came into operation,
the regulations have effect according to their terms.
(3) A provision referred to in subclause (2) does not operate so as —
(a) to affect in a manner prejudicial to any person (other than the State) the rights of that person existing; or
(b) to impose liabilities on any person (other than the State) in respect of anything done or omitted to be done,
before the day of publication of the regulations.
12 of 2006 | 11 May 2006 | s. 1, 2 and Sch. 1 cl. 7: 11 May 2006 (see s. 2(1)) Act other than s. 1, 2 and Sch. 1 cl. 7: 1 Jun 2007 (see s. 2(2) and | |
54 of 2010 | 8 Dec 2010 | 8 Dec 2010 (see s. 2(a)) | |
chief inspector............................................................................................ Sch. 1 cl. 7(1)
commencement day....................................................................................... Sch. 1 cl. 1
Commissioner.............................................................................................................. 4(1)
Commonwealth offence.......................................................................................... 40(3)
corresponding law.................................................................................................... 10(1)
Department................................................................................................................... 4(1)
executive officer.......................................................................................................... 6(1)
information................................................................................................................ 13(1)
inspector....................................................................................................................... 4(1)
licence......................................................................................................... Sch. 1 cl. 7(1)
NMI............................................................................................................................... 4(1)
offence............................................................................................................................. 38
pre‑commencement period...................................................................... Sch. 1 cl. 7(1)
prescribed offence......................................................................................................... 19
principal Act................................................................................................................ 4(1)
relevant Act............................................................................................................... 13(1)
repealed Act.................................................................................................... Sch. 1 cl. 1
State offence.............................................................................................................. 40(3)
transition day............................................................................................................... 4(1)
transitional matter..................................................................................................... 43(1)
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