Meteorological Regulations 1915 (Provisional)

Overview

The Meteorological Regulations 1915 were enacted as provisional regulations under the Meteorology Act 1906 by the Governor-General in the Federal Executive Council. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the urgent need for standardised pricing and distribution of meteorological publications issued by the Meteorological Bureau. The primary objective of these regulations was to ensure that meteorological data and publications were made available to the public and various institutions at reasonable rates, while also facilitating reciprocal arrangements with international meteorological institutions. These regulations outline the specific rates for the sale of various meteorological publications and the conditions under which they could be distributed free of charge to public institutions, government departments, corporations, and approved individuals or entities. The regulations also repealed all previous regulations made under the Meteorology Act 1906, except in cases where rights, privileges, obligations, or liabilities had already been acquired, accrued, or incurred.

Scope and Application

The Meteorological Regulations 1915 apply to the sale and distribution of meteorological publications issued by the Meteorological Bureau, and cover the Commonwealth of Australia. The regulations specify the rates at which various meteorological publications may be sold, and also provide for the free distribution of such publications to public institutions, government departments, corporations, and approved persons, as well as to official meteorological institutions and other similar institutions worldwide. The regulations also include provisions for subscriptions and the repeal of all previous regulations under the Meteorology Act 1906, except for any rights, privileges, obligations, or liabilities acquired, accrued, or incurred thereunder. The application of the regulations may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, but this is not specified in the text.

Key Provisions

The Meteorological Regulations 1915, issued under the Meteorology Act 1906, establish the sale of various meteorological publications from the Meteorological Bureau (section 2). These include items such as the Annual Rain Map, Australian Monthly Weather Report and Meteorological Abstract, and various daily and monthly weather reports and maps, among others. The prices for these items are listed, with some offered at no charge, while others are available at specified rates or through annual subscriptions. The regulations also outline the conditions under which these publications can be distributed free of charge to public institutions, government departments, and approved entities, provided certain criteria are met (section 3). These regulations impose specific obligations on the Meteorological Bureau regarding the sale and distribution of meteorological publications. The Bureau is required to adhere to the prescribed prices and subscription terms when selling publications (section 2). Additionally, the Bureau must ensure that any free distribution of publications to public institutions and government departments complies with the conditions outlined, such as public posting, educational use, reciprocal services, or advertising the Commonwealth's resources (section 3). Furthermore, the regulations mandate that all previous regulations under the Meteorology Act 1906 are repealed, except for any rights, privileges, obligations, or liabilities already accrued under those regulations (section 4). Failure to comply with the provisions of the Meteorological Regulations 1915 may result in civil or criminal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the regulations themselves, breaches of regulations issued under the Meteorology Act 1906 can generally lead to fines or other penalties as prescribed by the relevant legislation. The precise nature and extent of these penalties would be determined based on the specific regulatory context and the severity of the breach.