Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations

Administered by Department of Agriculture

Legislation au F1997B01706 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations

Statutory Rules 1983 No. 117 as amended

made under the

Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981

This compilation was prepared on 16 April 2004
taking into account amendments up to SR 1988 No. 368

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

Contents

 1 Citation [see Note 1] 

 2 Repeal of former Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations 

 3 Interpretation 

 4 Prescribed class of foreign fishing boats 

 5 Reconsideration and review of decisions under paragraph 4 (b)             

 6 Levy payable under subsection 5 (1) of the Act 

Notes   

 

 

 

 

1 Citation [see Note 1]

  These Regulations may be cited as the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations.

2 Repeal of former Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations

  Statutory Rules 1982 No. 288 are repealed.

3 Interpretation

  In these Regulations:

the Act means the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981.

the Secretary has the same meaning as in the Fisheries Act 1952.

4 Prescribed class of foreign fishing boats

  For the purposes of subsection 4 (2) of the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981, a foreign fishing boat is included in a prescribed class of foreign fishing boats if, in respect of that boat:

 (a) there is an instrument in force under subsection 4 (2) of the Fisheries Act 1952; and

 (b) a resident of Australia who is:

 (i) an Australian citizen; or

 (ii) a company registered in Australia in which the majority of shares is held by persons who are both residents of Australia and Australian citizens;

provides evidence to the satisfaction of the Secretary, or an officer in the Department authorised in writing by the Secretary in that behalf, that the person or the company is the owner of the boat.

5 Reconsideration and review of decisions under paragraph 4 (b)

 (1) In this regulation:

relevant decision means a decision under paragraph 4 (b) that a person is, or is not, the owner of a boat.

reviewable decision means a decision of the Minister under subregulation (6).

 (2) The person making a relevant decision shall, within 28 days of the date of the decision, cause written notice of the decision to be given to persons whose interests are affected by the decision.

 (3) A notice given under subregulation (2) of a relevant decision shall include a statement to the effect that a person whose interests are affected by the decision may, by notice in writing given to the Minister within 21 days of the day on which the decision first comes to the notice of the person, or within such further period as the Minister allows by notice in writing given to the person either before or after the expiration of those 21 days, request the Minister to reconsider the decision.

 (4) A person whose interests are affected by a relevant decision may, by notice in writing given to the Minister within 21 days of the day on which the decision first comes to the notice of the person, or within such further period as the Minister allows by notice in writing given to the person either before or after the expiration of those 21 days, request the Minister to reconsider the decision.

 (5) A request under subregulation (4) shall set out the reasons for making the request.

 (6) Within 45 days of the receipt by the Minister of a request under subregulation (4) to reconsider a relevant decision, the Minister shall reconsider the decision and make a decision:

 (a) confirming the relevant decision;

 (b) in substitution for the relevant decision; or

 (c) revoking the relevant decision.

 (7) Application may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for the review of a reviewable decision.

 (8) The Minister shall, within 28 days of the date of making a reviewable decision, cause written notice of the decision to be given to persons whose interests are affected by the decision.

 (9) A notice given under subregulation (8) of a reviewable decision shall:

 (a) include a statement to the effect that, subject to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975, application may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for the review of the decision; and

 (b) except where subsection 28 (4) of that Act applies — include a statement to the effect that a person whose interests are affected by the decision may request a statement under section 28 of that Act.

 (10) The validity of a decision is not affected by a failure to comply with subregulation (3) or (9).

 (11) The Minister may, by instrument in writing, delegate to the Secretary or to an officer in the Senior Executive Service in the Department all or any of his or her powers under this regulation.

6 Levy payable under subsection 5 (1) of the Act

  For the purposes of subsection 5 (1) of the Act, the amount of levy imposed by subsection 4 (1) of the Act on the grant to a person of a licence in respect of a foreign fishing boat is $15,000.

Notes to the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations

Note 1

The Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations (in force under the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1983 No. 117 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Statutory Rules

Year and
number

Date of notification
in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

1983 No. 117

29 July 1983

29 July 1983

 

1984 No. 167

27 July 1984

27 July 1984

1985 No. 182

31 July 1985

1 Aug 1985

1987 No. 296

17 Dec 1987

17 Dec 1987

1988 No. 368

21 Dec 1988

21 Dec 1988

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

R. 3.................

am. 1984 No. 167; 1985 No. 182; 1987 No. 296

R. 4.................

rs. 1987 No. 296

 

am. 1988 No. 368

R. 5.................

am. 1984 No. 167; 1985 No. 182

 

rep. 1987 No. 296

 

ad. 1988 No. 368

R. 6 .................

am. 1987 No. 296

 

Overview

The Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations, Statutory Rules 1983 No. 117 as amended, were enacted under the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981. This legislation was introduced to address the problem of foreign fishing boats operating in Australian waters, potentially impacting local fisheries and marine resources. The Act was established by the Parliament of Australia, with the policy objective of regulating and managing the presence of foreign fishing vessels in Australian waters to protect national interests, particularly the fishing industry and marine ecosystems. The Regulations provide the framework for imposing a levy on foreign fishing boats and set out the procedures for determining ownership and eligibility for the levy, as well as the processes for reconsideration and review of decisions related to the levy.

Scope and Application

The Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations, made under the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981, establish the framework for the imposition and collection of a levy on foreign fishing boats entering Australian waters. These regulations apply to foreign fishing boats that fall within a prescribed class as determined under the Fisheries Act 1952. Specifically, the levy applies to foreign fishing boats that are subject to an instrument under the Fisheries Act 1952 and are owned by Australian residents who are either Australian citizens or companies registered in Australia with majority shares held by Australian citizens and residents. The levy is set at $15,000 for the grant of a licence for a foreign fishing boat. The regulations also provide for reconsideration and review of decisions regarding the levy, with specific timelines for notification, reconsideration requests, and review by the Minister or the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The application and enforcement of these regulations are governed by the provisions outlined in the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981, with amendments incorporated through various statutory rules and legislative instruments.

Key Provisions

The Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Regulations, made under the Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981, define the levy on foreign fishing boats operating in Australian waters. Section 4 of these Regulations specifies the criteria for determining which foreign fishing boats are considered "prescribed" and thus subject to the levy. A foreign fishing boat falls into this category if it is subject to an instrument under the Fisheries Act 1952 and if the owner is either an Australian citizen or a company registered in Australia where the majority of shares are held by Australian citizens who are also residents (Regulation 4). The Regulations also detail the process for reconsidering decisions related to the ownership of these boats (Regulation 5), including provisions for notifying affected parties, allowing reconsideration requests, and establishing a timeline for ministerial review. Entities governed by these Regulations are required to adhere to several obligations. For instance, any person making a decision regarding the ownership of a foreign fishing boat must notify all affected parties within 28 days of the decision (Regulation 5(2)). Affected parties then have the option to request a reconsideration of the decision within 21 days of receiving the notification, with an option to extend this period if permitted by the Minister (Regulation 5(3)-(4)). The Minister is obligated to reconsider any such requests within 45 days and make a decision that either confirms, substitutes, or revokes the original decision (Regulation 5(6)). Furthermore, the Minister must notify affected parties of any reviewable decisions within 28 days and provide them with information regarding potential review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (Regulation 5(8)-(9)). Breaching the obligations outlined in the Regulations can result in several consequences. While the Regulations themselves do not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, the underlying Foreign Fishing Boats Levy Act 1981 may impose penalties. Failure to adhere to the notification requirements or timelines set forth in the Regulations could potentially lead to enforcement actions under the Act, which might include fines or other administrative penalties. Additionally, any actions taken without proper authority or in non-compliance with the Act's provisions could be subject to judicial review or other legal remedies.

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