Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

NAVIGATION ACT 1912 - SECT 186

                   Where:

                     (a)  a seaman is left behind at a port in Australia from a ship to which Part II does not apply without the consent of a consul in Australia of the country to which the ship belongs; and

                     (b)  the Commonwealth incurs expense in sending the seaman to a place outside Australia;

the Commonwealth may recover the amount of those expenses from the owner, agent or master of the ship in any court of competent jurisdiction as a debt due and payable by the owner, agent or master, as the case may be, to the Commonwealth.