Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7)

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au F1999B00288 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7) 1999 No. 275

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

STATUTORY RULES 1999 No. 275

Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Justice and Customs

Customs Act 1901

Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7)

Section 50 of the Customs Act 1901 ("the Act") provides in part that

"(1)       The Governor-General may, by regulation, prohibit the importation of goods into Australia.

(2)       The power conferred by the last preceding subsection may be exercised - (c) by prohibiting the importation of goods unless specified conditions or restrictions are complied with.

The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 ("the Regulations") control the importation of the goods specified in the various regulations or the Schedules to the Regulations, by prohibiting importation absolutely, or making importation subject to the permission of a Minister or an authorised person.

The purpose of the regulations is to amend regulations 3A, 4 and 4F to facilitate the importation of certain goods owned by a defence force or a police force of a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor (items 2, 3, 5 and 7 of Schedule 1). There are minor consequential technical amendments (items 1, 4 and 6 of Schedule 1).

The regulations allow a defence force of a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor to import certain goods; weapons, warfare items and flakjackets, otherwise prohibited or restricted under the Prohibited Imports Regulations (item 2 of Schedule 1).

The regulations also allow a police force of 4 country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor to import certain goods; handguns, parts of handguns, ammunition and flakjackets, otherwise prohibited or restricted under the Prohibited Imports Regulations (items 3, 5 and 7 of Schedule 1).

The regulations are explained in greater detail in the Attachment.

The regulations commenced on gazettal.

ATTACHMENT

Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7)

Regulation 1 - Name of Regulations

Regulation 1 provides for the regulations to be named the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7)

Regulation 2 - Commencement

Regulation 2 provides for the regulations to commence on gazettal.

Regulation 3 - Amendment of Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956

Regulation 3 provides for the Regulation to be amended as set out in Schedule 1.

Schedule 1 - Amendment

Items 2, 3, 5 and 7 of Schedule 1 - amendment of regulation 3A, criteria for the purposes of provisions of regulation 4 and 4F relating to defence forces of certain overseas countries.

Item 2 of Schedule 1 provides for defence forces of a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor to import certain goods: weapons, items of warfare and flakjackets, otherwise prohibited or restricted under the Prohibited Imports Regulations.

Item 3 of Schedule 1 allows a police force from a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor to import certain goods otherwise prohibited or restricted under the Prohibited Imports Regulations.

Item 5 of Schedule 1 provides that a police force from a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor is permitted to import flakjackets.

Item 7 of Schedule 1 provides that a police force from a country contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor is permitted to import handguns, handgun parts and ammunition.

Items 1, 4 and 7 of Schedule 1 - amendment of terminology

Item 1 of Schedule 1 amends sub-paragraph 3A(a)(xv) by omitting the words "(1999); and " to indicate that a new sub-paragraph is being added.

Item 4 of Schedule 1 amends subregulation 4(1) by omitting the words "subregulation (1AAA)," and inserting "subregulations (1AAA) and (1AAB), "

Item 6 of Schedule 1 amends subregulation 4F(1) by omitting the words "subregulation (2)," and inserting "subregulations (2) and (2A), "

 

Overview

The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7) were enacted to address the need for facilitating the importation of specific goods into Australia by defence and police forces contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) in East Timor. The Act was issued under the authority of the Minister for Justice and Customs, and its purpose is to amend the existing Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 to allow certain imports that would otherwise be prohibited or restricted. The policy objective is to support the efforts of international peacekeeping operations by enabling the necessary equipment to be brought into Australia without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. The regulations commenced on gazettal, ensuring immediate effect upon publication.

Scope and Application

The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7) amends the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 to facilitate the importation of certain goods by defence forces and police forces of countries contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) in East Timor. These amendments allow the importation of otherwise prohibited or restricted items such as weapons, warfare items, flak jackets, handguns, handgun parts, and ammunition under specific conditions. The Regulations apply to defence and police forces of contributing countries and are designed to support the operational needs of these forces in their peacekeeping role in East Timor. The changes are effective immediately upon gazettal and include technical amendments to ensure clarity and consistency in the application of the regulations. The scope of the regulations is limited to the importation of specific goods by authorised entities involved in the multinational force, and they do not alter the broader prohibitions on the importation of goods into Australia.

Key Provisions

The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7) amend the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 to facilitate the importation of certain goods by defence and police forces of countries contributing to the multinational force established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272 (1999) East Timor. These regulations focus on permitting the importation of items that are otherwise prohibited or restricted under the Prohibited Imports Regulations (sections 3A, 4, and 4F). Specifically, regulation 3A allows defence forces to import weapons, warfare items, and flakjackets (item 2 of Schedule 1). Regulation 4 allows police forces to import handguns, parts of handguns, ammunition, and flakjackets (items 3, 5, and 7 of Schedule 1). These changes aim to support the operational needs of international forces contributing to peacekeeping efforts in East Timor. The regulations impose specific obligations on defence and police forces of countries contributing to the multinational force. They must ensure that the imported goods are intended solely for the use of their respective forces and comply with the conditions set forth in the amended regulations. The importing authorities must verify that the goods are for legitimate operational purposes and are not being used for any other activities. This verification process helps maintain the integrity of the importation process and ensures that the imported items are not diverted for unauthorised use. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 7) can result in various consequences. Importing goods that are not permitted under the regulations, or using the imported goods for unauthorised purposes, can lead to penalties. The specific penalties depend on the nature and severity of the breach but can include fines and, in more serious cases, criminal charges. The regulations underscore the importance of adhering to the stipulated conditions to avoid legal repercussions and ensure the smooth operation of international peacekeeping missions.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.