Source: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014C00626
Timestamp: 2020-06-06 17:01:01
Document Index: 721007108

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 6', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 1']

Details: C2014C00626
- C2014C00626
Act No. 29 of 2012 as amended, taking into account amendments up to Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2014
An Act to make provision in relation to the selection of a site for, and the establishment and operation of, a radioactive waste management facility, and for related purposes
sch 10 (items 184-186)
C2014C00626
No. 29, 2012 as amended
Includes amendments up to: No. 62, 2014
This is a compilation of the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 as in force on 1 July 2014. It includes any commenced amendment affecting the legislation to that date.
Part 2—Nomination of sites 4
Division 1—Nomination by a Land Council 4
5............ Nomination by a Land Council........................................................... 4
Division 2—General nominations 6
6............ Minister may declare that nominations can be made under section 7... 6
7............ Nominations of potential sites............................................................. 6
8............ Rules about nominations..................................................................... 8
9............ Approval of nominated land.............................................................. 10
10.......... Procedural fairness in relation to Minister’s declarations and approvals 11
11.......... Authority to conduct activities........................................................... 13
12.......... Application of State and Territory laws............................................. 14
13.......... Application of Commonwealth laws................................................. 15
14.......... Minister’s declaration of land as selected site or required for road access 16
15.......... Formalities relating to Minister’s declarations................................... 17
16.......... When Minister’s declarations take effect etc..................................... 17
17.......... Revocation of Minister’s declaration................................................. 17
18.......... Procedural fairness in relation to Minister’s declarations.................. 19
19.......... Acquisition or extinguishment.......................................................... 21
20.......... Application of Commonwealth and State or Territory laws.............. 21
21.......... Notice to Registrar‑General or other appropriate officer................... 21
22.......... Regional consultative committee....................................................... 23
23.......... Authority to conduct activities........................................................... 24
24.......... Application of State and Territory laws............................................. 25
25.......... Application of Commonwealth laws................................................. 26
26.......... Application of Part............................................................................ 27
27.......... Declaration of intention to grant rights and interests in land to original owners 28
28.......... Declaration granting rights and interests in land to original owners.. 29
29.......... Grant of rights and interests in land to original owners..................... 30
30.......... No earlier rights and interests granted............................................... 31
31.......... Application of Commonwealth, State and Territory laws.................. 31
32.......... Notice to Registrar‑General............................................................... 31
33.......... Indemnity by Commonwealth........................................................... 31
Part 6A—National Repository Capital Contribution Fund 33
34A....... Application of Part............................................................................ 33
34B....... National Repository Capital Contribution Fee................................... 33
34C....... National Repository Capital Contribution Fund................................ 34
34D....... Credits of amounts to the Fund......................................................... 34
34E........ Conditions attaching to the initial use of facility................................ 35
34F........ Commonwealth acceptance of waste destined for facility.................. 35
35.......... Compensation................................................................................... 36
36.......... Compensation for acquisition of property......................................... 36
37.......... Indemnity by Commonwealth and management of Northern Territory controlled material for section 5 nominations.......................................................................................................... 37
38.......... Severability—additional effect of Act............................................... 37
39.......... Regulations....................................................................................... 38
40.......... Schedule(s)....................................................................................... 38
Schedule 1—Repeal and consequential amendments 39
Part 1—Repeal of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 39
Part 2—Consequential amendment 40
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 40
Schedule 2—Transitional provisions 41
This Act may be cited as the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012.
The object of this Act is to provide for:
(a) the selection of a site for a radioactive waste management facility on voluntarily nominated land in Australia; and
(b) the establishment and operation of such a facility on the selected site;
to ensure that radioactive waste generated, possessed or controlled by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth entity is safely and securely managed.
controlled material means controlled material within the meaning of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 that is of domestic origin, but does not include high level radioactive material or spent nuclear fuel. For this purpose, controlled material is of domestic origin if it has been used in Australia, generated by activities in Australia, or sent to Australia under contractual arrangements relating to the conditioning or reprocessing of ANSTO spent nuclear fuel (within the meaning of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987).
general nomination start time means the time at which a declaration under section 6 takes effect.
(a) a Land Council that nominated the land as a potential site under subsection 5(1);
(b) a person who nominated the land as a potential site under subsection 7(2) or (3).
selected site means the site, or the specified part of a site, in relation to which a declaration by the Minister under subsection 14(2) is in effect.
site means a site approved by the Minister under section 9.
5 Nomination by a Land Council
6 Minister may declare that nominations can be made under section 7
(1) The Minister may make a declaration in writing that nominations of potential sites may be made under section 7.
(a) a nomination cannot be made under section 5 (see subsection 5(1)); and
(b) the Minister must not approve land nominated under section 5, or declare land so nominated to be the selected site for a facility (see subsections 9(2) and 14(3)).
(2) In deciding whether to make a declaration, the Minister must have regard to whether it is unlikely that a facility will be able to be constructed and operated on Aboriginal land that has been nominated as a potential site under section 5 (whether or not that land has been approved as a site under section 9).
7 Nominations of potential sites
(1) If a declaration under section 6 is in effect, a person or persons may, in accordance with this section, nominate land in a State, the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory as a potential site.
Nominations by holders of certain interests in land
(2) A person may nominate land under this subsection as a potential site if:
(a) the person holds an interest in the land; and
(b) the interest is:
(i) an estate in fee simple; or
(ii) a lease of land granted by or on behalf of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, a statutory authority or any other prescribed person, under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory; and
(c) the person does not hold the interest as a joint tenant or a tenant in common.
(3) The persons who, as joint tenants or tenants in common, hold one of the following interests in land may jointly nominate the land under this subsection as a potential site:
(b) a lease of the land granted by or on behalf of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, a statutory authority or any other prescribed person, under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.
Nominations where native title exists
(4) A person may nominate land under this subsection as a potential site if:
(a) an approved determination of native title covers an area containing the land; and
(b) the approved determination of native title determines that:
(i) native title exists in relation to the land; and
(ii) the native title rights and interests confer possession, occupation, use and enjoyment of the land on the native title holders to the exclusion of all others; and
(i) in the case of an approved determination of native title by the Federal Court—the person is a prescribed body corporate that holds the native title rights and interests concerned on trust, or is an agent prescribed body corporate in relation to the native title rights and interests concerned;
(ii) in the case of an approved determination of native title by a recognised State/Territory body—the person is a body corporate that holds the native title rights and interests concerned on trust, or that is determined in relation to the native title under a provision of a law of the State or Territory concerned that corresponds to section 57 of the Native Title Act 1993.
agent prescribed body corporate has the same meaning as in the Native Title Act 1993.
approved determination of native title has the same meaning as in the Native Title Act 1993.
prescribed body corporate has the same meaning as in the Native Title Act 1993.
recognised State/Territory body has the same meaning as in the Native Title Act 1993.
8 Rules about nominations
(1) A nomination made under section 7 must:
(d) in the case of a nomination under subsection 7(2) or (3)—contain evidence that the interest in the land held by the nominator or nominators of the land is an interest referred to in subparagraph 7(2)(b)(i) or (ii) or subsection 7(3); and
(e) in the case of a nomination under subsection 7(4)—contain evidence of the matters specified in that subsection; and
(f) contain such other evidence (if any) as is prescribed by the regulations, including, but not limited to, the following:
(4) Failure to comply with subsection (1) does not invalidate a nomination made under section 7.
(5) A nomination made under section 7 is not a legislative instrument.
9 Approval of nominated land
(1) Subject to subsection 10(6), the Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, approve in writing land, or a specified part of land, nominated as a site under section 5 or 7.
(2) Despite subsection (1), the Minister must not, after the general nomination start time, approve land nominated as a site under section 5.
(6) Failure to comply with subsection (5) of this section, or subsection 5(2), 6(4) or 8(1), does not invalidate an approval.
10 Procedural fairness in relation to Minister’s declarations and approvals
Declaration under section 6
(1) Before the Minister decides to make a declaration under section 6, the Minister must:
(a) state that the Minister proposes to make a declaration under section 6; and
(3) In deciding whether to make a declaration under section 6, the Minister must take into account any relevant comments in response to an invitation referred to in paragraph (2)(b).
Approval under section 9
(4) Before the Minister decides to approve land, or a specified part of land, under section 9, the Minister must:
(a) state that the Minister proposes to approve land, or a specified part of land, under section 9; and
(6) In deciding whether to approve land, or a specified part of land, under section 9, the Minister must take into account any relevant comments given to the Minister, by a nominator of the land, or a person with a right or interest in the land, in response to an invitation referred to in paragraph (5)(b) or (c).
(a) the Minister’s decision whether to make a declaration under section 6; and
(b) the Minister’s decision whether to approve land, or a specified part of land, under section 9.
11 Authority to conduct activities
12 Application of State and Territory laws
(2) The regulations may prescribe a law, or a provision of a law, of a State or Territory for the purposes of this subsection. The prescribed law or provision has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this subsection, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 11.
13 Application of Commonwealth laws
(1) The following laws have no effect to the extent that they would, apart from this section, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 11:
(2) The regulations may prescribe another law, or a provision of another law, of the Commonwealth for the purposes of this subsection. The prescribed law or provision has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this subsection, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 11.
14 Minister’s declaration of land as selected site or required for road access
(a) land has been nominated as a site under section 5 or 7; and
(b) the Minister has approved the nominated land, or a specified part of the nominated land, as a site under section 9.
(2) Subject to section 18, the Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, declare in writing that the site approved by the Minister, or a specified part of the site, is selected as the site for a facility. The declaration may specify all or some of the rights or interests in the selected site.
(3) Despite subsection (2), the Minister must not, after the general nomination start time, make such a declaration in relation to land nominated as a site under section 5.
(4) Subject to section 18, the Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, declare in writing that all or specified rights or interests in land in a State or Territory specified in the declaration are required for providing all‑weather road access to the selected site.
(6) To avoid doubt, this section has effect subject to section 9 of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
(7) A declaration under subsection (2) or (4) is not a legislative instrument.
15 Formalities relating to Minister’s declarations
(1) A copy of a declaration under subsection 14(2) or (4) must be published in the Gazette within 7 days of the declaration being made.
(2) Failure to comply with subsection (1) of this section, or subsection 5(2), 6(4), 8(1) or 9(5), does not invalidate a declaration.
16 When Minister’s declarations take effect etc.
(1) A declaration under subsection 14(2) or (4) takes effect at the time specified in the declaration, which must not be earlier than the time the declaration is made.
(2) The Minister may, subject to this section, make more than one declaration under subsection 14(2) or (4), but only one declaration under subsection 14(2) may be in effect at a particular time.
(a) a declaration under subsection 14(2) (the original declaration) is in effect at a particular time; and
the Minister is taken, immediately before the time of effect specified in the later declaration, to have revoked the original declaration under section 17.
17 Revocation of Minister’s declaration
(1) The Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, revoke in writing a declaration made under subsection 14(2) or (4).
(3) To avoid doubt, if a declaration made under subsection 14(2) or (4) is revoked:
(a) the revocation does not affect the operation of section 19 in relation to the land that was the subject of the revoked declaration; and
(4) Section 18 does not apply to a revocation under this section.
18 Procedural fairness in relation to Minister’s declarations
(1) Before the Minister decides to make a declaration under section 14 in relation to land, the Minister must:
(a) state that the Minister proposes to make a declaration under subsection 14(2) or (4); and
(3) In deciding whether to make a declaration under section 14, the Minister must take into account any relevant comments given to the Minister, by a nominator of the land, or a person with a right or interest in the land, in response to an invitation referred to in paragraph (2)(c) or (d).
(4) A reference in this section to each nominator of the land, in relation to a declaration under subsection 14(4) that rights or interests in land are required for providing all‑weather road access to the selected site, is a reference to each person who nominated the selected site under section 5 or 7.
(5) This section is taken to be an exhaustive statement of the requirements of the natural justice hearing rule in relation to the Minister’s decision whether to make a declaration under section 14.
19 Acquisition or extinguishment
(1) At the time a declaration under subsection 14(2) takes effect, any rights or interests in the selected site that are specified in the declaration are, by force of this section:
(2) At the time a declaration under subsection 14(4) takes effect, the rights or interests in the specified land that are specified in the declaration are, by force of this section:
20 Application of Commonwealth and State or Territory laws
(1) Section 19 has effect despite any other law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory (whether written or unwritten).
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), section 19 has effect despite the following laws of the Commonwealth:
21 Notice to Registrar‑General or other appropriate officer
(1) The Secretary of the Department may lodge with the Registrar‑General, the Registrar of Titles or other appropriate officer of a State or Territory a copy of a Minister’s declaration under section 14, certified by writing signed by the Secretary.
22 Regional consultative committee
(1) Immediately after a declaration under subsection 14(2) takes effect, the Minister must, by writing, establish a committee to be known as the regional consultative committee.
23 Authority to conduct activities
(g) erecting fences and other access controls on land specified in the declaration under subsection 14(4);
(3) Without limiting subsection (2), the person may, under that subsection, do a thing mentioned in subsection 11(3) in relation to the selected site.
24 Application of State and Territory laws
has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this section, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 23.
(2) A law, or a provision of a law, of a State or Territory (whether written or unwritten), so far as it relates to the transport of controlled material, radioactive material or dangerous goods, has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this section, regulate, hinder or prevent transport authorised by section 23.
(3) The regulations may prescribe a law, or a provision of a law, of a State or Territory for the purposes of this subsection. The prescribed law or provision has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this subsection, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 23.
25 Application of Commonwealth laws
(1) The regulations may prescribe a law, or a provision of a law, of the Commonwealth for the purposes of this subsection. The prescribed law or provision has no effect to the extent that it would, apart from this subsection, regulate, hinder or prevent the doing of a thing authorised by section 23.
Declaration under subsection 14(2)
(a) immediately before a declaration under subsection 14(2) took effect, land that was the subject of the declaration was Aboriginal land (the relevant land); and
(b) as a result of the declaration, the Commonwealth acquired, under section 19, an estate in fee simple in the relevant land; and
Declaration under subsection 14(4)
(a) immediately before a declaration under subsection 14(4) took effect, all or part of the land that was the subject of the declaration was Aboriginal land (the whole, or that part, of the land being relevant land); and
(b) as a result of the declaration, the Commonwealth acquired, under section 19, rights or interests in the relevant land; and
Part does not apply to nominations under section 7
(3) However, this Part does not apply to a declaration referred to in subsection (1) or (2) if the declaration relates to land nominated under section 7.
27 Declaration of intention to grant rights and interests in land to original owners
(1) The Minister may, in his or her absolute discretion, declare in writing that the land that was the subject of the declaration under subsection 14(2) is no longer required for the facility mentioned in paragraph 26(1)(c).
(b) state that the Minister intends to make a declaration under section 28 granting the rights and interests specified in section 29 in specified land to a specified Land Trust.
(a) the Land Trust held title to the specified land immediately before the declaration under subsection 14(2) or (4) (as the case may be) took effect; or
(b) notify a specified Land Trust in writing that the Minister intends to make a declaration under section 28.
(7) A Land Trust specified in a declaration may consent in writing to the granting of the rights and interests specified in section 29 in the specified land.
28 Declaration granting rights and interests in land to original owners
(b) the specified Land Trust has, under subsection 27(7), consented to the granting of an estate in fee simple in the specified land within:
(i) 12 months of the day on which the declaration under section 27 was published in the Gazette; or
(2) The Minister must make a declaration in writing that the rights and interests specified in subsection 29(3) are granted in specified land to a specified Land Trust if:
(b) the specified Land Trust has, under subsection 27(7), consented to the granting of the rights and interests specified in subsection 29(3) in the specified land within:
29 Grant of rights and interests in land to original owners
(1) If the Minister makes a declaration under subsection 28(1), then at the time the declaration takes effect:
(3) If the Minister makes a declaration under subsection 28(2), then at the time the declaration takes effect, any rights and interests:
(b) that were acquired by the Commonwealth, under section 19, in the specified land from the specified Land Trust or another Land Trust;
before the declaration under section 28 takes effect.
30 No earlier rights and interests granted
To avoid doubt, the making of a declaration under section 28 does not create or grant any rights or interests in land before the declaration takes effect.
31 Application of Commonwealth, State and Territory laws
Section 29 has effect despite any other law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory (whether written or unwritten).
32 Notice to Registrar‑General
(1) The Secretary of the Department may lodge with the Registrar‑General for the Northern Territory (or other appropriate officer) a copy of a Minister’s declaration under section 28, certified by writing signed by the Secretary.
33 Indemnity by Commonwealth
(1) The Commonwealth must indemnify each Land Trust specified in a declaration under section 28, and keep the Land Trust indemnified, against any action, claim or demand brought or made against the Land Trust in respect of any liability arising from, or damage caused by, ionising radiation from any act done or omitted to be done by or on behalf of the Commonwealth in relation to the transport of controlled material to or from, or the management of controlled material at, a facility on the land specified in the declaration.
The regulations may prescribe any modifications of this Act that are necessary or convenient to deal with transitional matters arising from the making of a declaration under section 27 or 28.
(2) The Fund is a special account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
(1) If rights or interests are acquired, extinguished or otherwise affected under section 19, the Commonwealth is liable to pay a reasonable amount of compensation to a person whose right or interest has been acquired, extinguished or otherwise affected.
37 Indemnity by Commonwealth and management of Northern Territory controlled material for section 5 nominations
(1) This section applies if the selected site was nominated under section 5.
38 Severability—additional effect of Act
40 Schedule(s)
(1) Despite the repeal of Part 1A of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 by item 1 of Schedule 1, a nomination under section 3A of the old radioactive waste law continues in force, after the commencement time, as if it had been made under section 5 of the new radioactive waste law.
(2) Despite the repeal of Part 1A of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 by item 1 of Schedule 1, an approval under section 3C of the old radioactive waste law continues in force, after the commencement time, as if it had been made under section 9 of the new radioactive waste law.
(4) Section 10 of the new radioactive waste law, and the new ADJR Act, do not apply in relation to a nomination or an approval continued in force by this item.
(5) To avoid doubt, section 18 of the new radioactive waste law, and the new ADJR Act, apply in relation to a declaration under section 14 of the new radioactive waste law that relates to an approval continued in force by this item.
new radioactive waste law means the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 as in force immediately after the commencement time.
4 Apr 2012 (s 2)
Sch 10 (items 184–186) and Sch 14 (items 1–4): 1 July 2014 (s 2(1) items 6, 14)
s 34C................................
Note to s 34D(1)...............
Note to s 34D(2)...............