STANDARD TIME AND DAYLIGHT SAVING ACT 1974
[Consolidated as at 10 September 2008
on the authority of the Administrator
and in accordance with
the Enactments Reprinting Act 1980]
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
1. Short title
2. Repeal
3. Definitions
4. Standard time
5. Summer time
6. Construction of instruments, etc
Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974
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An Act relating to Standard Time and to Legal Time during a Daylight Saving Period
Short title
1. This Act may be cited as the Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974.
Repeal
2. The Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1971 is repealed.
Definitions
3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears
“the daylight saving period” means the period commencing at the hour of 2 o’clock in the morning by the mean time of the prescribed meridian on Sunday 27 October 1974 and ending at the hour of 2 o’clock in the morning by the mean time of the prescribed meridian on Sunday 2 March 1975;
“the prescribed meridian” means the meridian of longitude 172 30 00 east of Greenwich, England.
Standard time
4. The mean time of the prescribed meridian is declared to be standard time throughout Norfolk Island.
Summer time
5. The time which is one hour in advance of the mean time of the prescribed meridian is declared to be legal time throughout Norfolk Island during the daylight saving period.
Construction of instruments, etc
6. Where
(a) an expression of time occurs in an Act, Act of the State of New South Wales in its application in Norfolk Island, regulation, by-law, rule, notice or order or in a contract or agreement (whether made orally or in writing) or in a deed or other instrument; or
(b) the doing or refraining from doing anything at, before or after a certain time has an effect in law,
that time shall, unless it is otherwise specifically stated, be determined
(c) with respect to the daylight saving period – by reference to legal time declared by section 5; and
(d) with respect to any other period – by reference to standard time declared by section 4.
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NOTES
The Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974 as shown in this consolidation comprises Act No. 5 of 1974 and amendments as indicated in the Tables below.
Enactment | Number and year | Date of commencement | Application saving or transitional provision |
Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974 | 5, 1974 | 4.10.1974 | |
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Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act (No. 2) 1974 | 6, 1974 | 19.12.1974 | |
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Table of Amendments
ad = added or inserted | am = amended | rep = repealed | rs = repealed and substituted |
Provisions affected | How affected |
3 | am | 6, 1974 |
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© Norfolk Island Government 2008
The Copyright Act 1968 of the Commonwealth of Australia permits certain reproduction and publication of this legislation. For reproduction or publication beyond that permitted by the Act, written permission must be sought from the Legislative Counsel, Administration of Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island, South Pacific 2899.
NB – since 1975 there has been no daylight saving in Norfolk Island.
Overview
The Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974 was enacted by the Norfolk Island Government to establish a standardised time system for Norfolk Island. This legislation was introduced to address the need for a consistent time framework to regulate legal and administrative processes on the island. The Act specifies that the mean time of a designated meridian, specifically the meridian of longitude 172° 30' 00'' east of Greenwich, England, is declared as the standard time for Norfolk Island. Additionally, during a defined daylight saving period, which was initially from October 27, 1974, to March 2, 1975, the legal time would be one hour ahead of the standard time. The Act also provides for the construction of legal instruments, stipulating that unless otherwise specified, times should be determined by reference to either standard or legal time, depending on the period in question. Since 1975, daylight saving has not been observed on Norfolk Island.
Scope and Application
The Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974 of Norfolk Island establishes the timekeeping framework for the island, distinguishing between standard time and the daylight saving period. It declares the mean time of the prescribed meridian, which is 172° 30' 00" east of Greenwich, as standard time for the island, applicable year-round. During the specified daylight saving period from 27 October 1974 to 2 March 1975, the time is set one hour ahead of the standard time. The Act also stipulates that unless otherwise specified, references to time in any legislation, regulations, contracts, or other legal instruments must be interpreted according to the standard time outside of the daylight saving period and according to the daylight saving time during the specified period. Notably, there has been no daylight saving observed on Norfolk Island since 1975.
Key Provisions
The Standard Time and Daylight Saving Act 1974 establishes the legal framework for timekeeping on Norfolk Island. Section 4 declares the mean time of the prescribed meridian, specifically the meridian of longitude 172° 30' 00" east of Greenwich, to be the standard time throughout the island. This time is to be used as the baseline for all official timekeeping unless otherwise specified. Section 5 introduces the concept of summer time, which is one hour in advance of the standard time, and it is to be used during a specific daylight saving period from 27 October 1974 to 2 March 1975.
The Act imposes specific obligations on the interpretation and application of time in various legal and contractual contexts. Section 6 provides that unless otherwise stated, any reference to time in an Act, regulation, by-law, contract, agreement, or deed is to be determined by reference to the appropriate time: standard time during periods outside of daylight saving, and summer time during the specified daylight saving period. This provision ensures consistency and clarity in the interpretation of time-related terms across various legal documents and agreements on the island.
Breaches of the Act, while specific penalties are not outlined within the text of the Act, could potentially lead to civil or criminal consequences depending on the context in which the timekeeping is relevant. For instance, if a contract specifies a time for an event or a deadline and this is not correctly interpreted in accordance with the Act, there could be grounds for legal action. However, since 1975, Norfolk Island has not observed daylight saving time, and the practical implications of these provisions are limited to historical context and the interpretation of older documents.