Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts(1) Subject to subsection (3), the Minister may, by notice published in a newspaper circulating in the Territory, prohibit entry to a lake area.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), the Minister may, by notice published in a newspaper circulating in the Territory, declare an area of a lake to be a prohibited area.
(3) The Minister shall not prohibit entry to a lake or declare an area of a lake to be a prohibited area unless—
(a) the condition of the waters of a lake or that area, as the case may be, is such as to constitute a threat to the health of a person entering those waters; or
(b) the prohibition or declaration is reasonably necessary in connection with the maintenance or preservation of a lake or the maintenance, preservation or testing of an associated work; or
(c) the chief police officer has given to the Minister a certificate in writing stating that the prohibition or declaration, as the case may be, is reasonably necessary to enable police officers to carry out their duties in a lake or in a lake area; or
(d) by reason of an emergency in a lake or a lake area, it is necessary or desirable to do so; or
(e) to do so is otherwise in the public interest.
(4) The Minister may cause a boundary of a prohibited area to be defined by such means as he or she thinks necessary.
(5) A person commits an offence if—
(a) the person enters, or remains in, a lake area; and
(b) entry to the area is prohibited under subsection (1); and
(c) an inspector has told the person that entry to the area is prohibited.
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(6) A person commits an offence if—
(a) the person enters, or remains in, a prohibited area of a lake; and
(b) an inspector has told the person that—
(i) the area is a prohibited area; and
(ii) the person must not enter, or remain in, the area.
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(7) An offence against this section is a strict liability offence.