South Australian Consolidated Acts

WATER CONSERVATION ACT 1936 - SECT 5

5—Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires—

"lake" means any lagoon, swamp, marsh, lake, or other collection of still water, whether the supply of still water is permanent or temporary, and whether it is found above or beneath the surface of the ground;

"land" includes buildings, messuages, tenements, and hereditaments;

"the Minister" means the Minister of Works;

"owner" includes the person for the time being receiving, or entitled to receive, the rents of any lands whether on his own account, or as agent, trustee, or attorney for any other person;

"public notice" means notice by advertisement in the Government Gazette;

"ratable property" means all lands within a water district (including lands belonging to the Crown), except—

            (a)         lands belonging to the Crown, and not lawfully contracted to be granted to any person in fee simple or leased;

            (b)         lands used exclusively by the Government for any public purpose;

            (c)         lands which cannot on account of elevation, situation, or other circumstance receive any benefit from waterworks established in the water district in which they are situated, or the value of which is not increased by reason of the waterworks;

            (d)         any public hospital, mental hospital, benevolent institution, or buildings used exclusively for charitable purposes;

            (e)         any church, chapel, or buildings used exclusively for divine worship;

"rate" includes every meter rent, fee, or other charge payable, and every reward or payment to be made, whether under agreement or otherwise, to the Minister for a supply of water from any waterworks, or for any purpose whatever;

"river" means any stream of water, whether perennial or intermittent, flowing in a natural bed or course, either above or beneath the surface of the ground;

"town lands" means any lands laid out as a town or township by the Government, and any other lands laid out or subdivided into allotments, of which laying-out or subdivision plans are deposited in the General Registry Office or Lands Titles Registration Office;

"water district" means any water district proclaimed under this Act or any Act repealed by this Act;

"watercourse" means any stream of water of smaller dimensions and discharge than would entitle it to the name of "river", as this term is generally understood, whether the stream of water is permanent or intermittent, and whether its flow is above or beneath the ground, or partly above and partly beneath;

"waterworks" includes buildings, reservoirs, dams, tanks, cisterns, weirs, watercourses, aqueducts, wells, channels, pipes, drains, cuts, culverts, tunnels, sluices, trenches, embankments, standpipes, filters, bridges, engines, machines, implements, and all other contrivances, appliances, and works, whether existing on or being affixed to the soil, and whether wholly or partly artificial, used by the Minister for or in connection with the reception, protection, purification, storing, accumulation, transmission, or distribution of water, and for or in connection with works for irrigation purposes.