Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

LIQUID FUEL EMERGENCY ACT 1984 - SECT 14

             (1)  The Minister may direct:

                     (a)  each relevant fuel industry corporation included in a specified class of relevant fuel industry corporations; and

                     (b)  each relevant person included in a specified class of relevant persons;

to maintain, in a specified form and after a specified day, specified statistical information relating to liquid fuels that come into the possession or under the control of that corporation or person after that day.

             (2)  A direction given under subsection (1) is a legislative instrument, but neither section 42 nor Part 6 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 applies to the direction.

Guidelines

             (3)  A direction under subsection (1) must be in accordance with any guidelines made under this section that are in force at the time the direction is given.

             (4)  The Minister must, by legislative instrument, make guidelines for the purposes of this section.

When instruments take effect

             (5)  Despite subsection 12(2) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 , the following instruments may be expressed to take effect before the day they are registered under that Act:

                     (a)  a direction given under subsection (1);

                     (b)  guidelines made under subsection (4).

Civil penalties

             (6)  A relevant fuel industry corporation must not, without reasonable excuse, contravene a direction in force under subsection (1).

Note:          Under section 34, the Court may order a relevant fuel industry corporation that contravenes such a direction to pay a pecuniary penalty.

             (7)  A relevant person must not, without reasonable excuse, contravene a direction in force under subsection (1).

Note:          Under section 34, the Court may order a relevant person that contravenes such a direction to pay a pecuniary penalty.

Criminal offences

             (8)  A relevant fuel industry corporation commits an offence if:

                     (a)  a direction is in force under subsection (1) in relation to the corporation; and

                     (b)  the corporation maintains statistical information; and

                     (c)  the corporation does so knowing that the information is false or misleading in a material particular; and

                     (d)  the information is maintained in compliance or purported compliance with the direction.

Penalty:  500 penalty units.

Note:          Section 14B sets out some procedural matters relating to the prosecution of this offence.

             (9)  A relevant person commits an offence if:

                     (a)  a direction is in force under subsection (1) in relation to the person; and

                     (b)  the person maintains statistical information; and

                     (c)  the person does so knowing that the information is false or misleading in a material particular; and

                     (d)  the information is maintained in compliance or purported compliance with the direction.

Penalty for contravention of this subsection:        100 penalty units, or imprisonment for 2 years, or both.

Note:          Section 14B sets out some procedural matters relating to the prosecution of this offence.