PUBLIC HEALTH ACT 1997

Table of Provisions

• Long Title

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

• 1 Name of Act  
• 2 Dictionary  
• 3 Notes  
• 4 Objectives  
• 6 Construction consistent with certain other laws  
• 6A Offences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc  

PART 2--STATUTORY OFFICES

• 7 Chief health officer  
• 8 Acting chief health officer  
• 9 Functions of chief health officer  
• 10 Biennial reporting by chief health officer  
• 11 Delegation by chief health officer  
• 12 Appointment of public health officers  
• 12A Functions of public health officers  
• 13 Appointment of authorised medical officers  
• 14 Functions of authorised medical officers  
• 15 Appointment of analysts  
• 15A Functions of analysts  
• 15AA Analysts and assistants—authority to handle drugs etc  
• 15B Non-public servant analysts—appointment subject to conditions  
• 15C Non-public servant analysts—procedure for imposition etc of conditions on  
• 15D Non-public servant analysts—suspension or cancellation of  
• 16 Identity cards  
• 17 Protection from liability  

PART 3--PUBLIC HEALTH RISK ACTIVITIES AND PUBLIC HEALTH RISK PROCEDURES

Division 3.1--General

• 18 Public health risk activities and procedures—declaration  
• 20 Compliance with codes of practice  

Division 3.2--Licensable public health risk activities

• 21 Activity licences—offences  
• 22 Exemption from licensing requirement—activity accreditation  
• 23 Activity accreditation standards—modification  
• 24 Alteration of premises and appliances—offence  
• 25 Alteration of premises and appliances—approval  
• 29 Activity licence—application  
• 30 Activity licence—grant or refusal  
• 31 Activity licence—form  
• 32 Activity licence—duration  
• 33 Activity licence—renewal  
• 34 Activity licence—variation  
• 35 Activity licence—return for endorsement of variation  
• 36 Activity licence—application for transfer  
• 37 Activity licence—grant or refusal of transfer  
• 38 Activity licence—surrender  
• 39 Activity licence—suspension and cancellation  
• 40 Activity licence—emergency suspension  
• 41 Activity licence—automatic suspension  
• 42 Activity licence—return of defunct licences  
• 42A Licensable public health risk activities—false representation  
• 42B Licensable public health risk activities—inspection  

Division 3.3--Licensable public health risk procedures

• 42C Procedure licences—offences  
• 42D Exemption from licensing requirement—procedure accreditation  
• 42E Procedure accreditation standards—modification  
• 42F Alteration of appliances—offence  
• 42G Alteration of appliances—approval  
• 43 Procedure licence—application  
• 44 Procedure licence—further information  
• 45 Procedure licence—grant or refusal  
• 46 Procedure licence—form  
• 47 Procedure licence—annual fees  
• 48 Procedure licence—suspension and cancellation for failure to pay annual  
• 49 Procedure licence—variation  
• 50 Procedure licence—return for endorsement of variation  
• 51 Procedure licence—duration  
• 52 Procedure licence—surrender  
• 53 Procedure licence—suspension and cancellation  
• 54 Procedure licence—emergency suspension  
• 55 Procedure licence—automatic suspension  
• 56 Procedure licence—return of defunct licences  
• 56A Licensable public health risk procedures—false representation  
• 56B Procedure licence—inspection  

Division 3.4--Registration of public health risk activities

• 56C Registrable public health risk activities—offences  
• 56D Activity register  
• 56E Registered people register  
• 56F Registration—application  
• 56G Registration—grant or refusal  
• 56H Registration—certificate  
• 56J Registration—duration  
• 56K Registration—renewal  
• 56L Registration—change of information  
• 56M Registration—application for approval of transfer  
• 56N Registration—grant or refusal of transfer  
• 56P Registration—notified suspension and cancellation  
• 56Q Registration—automatic suspension (prohibition notice)  
• 56R Registration—return of suspended or cancelled certificates  
• 56S Registration—surrender  
• 56T Registration—false representation  
• 56U Registration—inspection  

Division 3.6--Improvement notices

• 57 Improvement notice—compliance  
• 58 Improvement notice—issue  
• 59 Improvement notice—extension of compliance period  
• 60 Improvement notice—revocation  

Division 3.7--Prohibition notices

• 61 Prohibition notice—issue  
• 62 Prohibition notice—extension of compliance period  
• 63 Prohibition notice—display  
• 64 Prohibition notice—implementation  
• 65 Prohibition notice—revocation  
• 66 Prohibition orders  

PART 3A--SUPPLY OF SYRINGES

Division 3A--.1 Supplying syringes to approved people

• 66A Definitions—div 3A.1  
• 66B Courses of instruction  
• 66C Distribution of syringes—approval  
• 66D Approval—surrender  
• 66E Approval—cancellation  
• 66F Approval—duration  
• 66G Approval—renewal  
• 66H Approval—production to police  
• 66I Approval—lending to another person  
• 66J Approval—no liability for ancillary offences  
• 66K Return of approval to chief health officer  

Division 3A--.2 Supplying syringes by vending machine

• 66L Definitions—div 3A.2  
• 66M Application for vending machine approval  
• 66N Further information for vending machine approval application  
• 66O Decision about vending machine approval application  
• 66P Vending machine approval—conditions  
• 66Q Vending machine approval—surrender  
• 66R Vending machine approval—cancellation  
• 66S Vending machine approval—return on surrender or cancellation  
• 66T Vending machine approval—no liability for ancillary offences  

PART 3B--PHARMACIES

• 66U Meaning of community pharmacy—pt 3B  
• 66V Ownership of pharmacy business  
• 66W Standard of premises  
• 66X Restriction on pharmacy premises—supermarkets  

PART 4--INSANITARY CONDITIONS

• 67 Offence—insanitary conditions  
• 68 Complaints about insanitary conditions  
• 69 Abatement notices—issue  
• 70 Abatement notice—extension of compliance period  
• 71 Abatement notice—implementation  
• 72 Abatement notice—revocation  
• 73 Abatement orders  
• 74 Joint and several responsibility for insanitary conditions  

PART 5--INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS

Division 5.1--Preliminary

• 75 Definitions for pt 5  

Division 5.2--Authorised officers' powers

• 76 Entry  
• 77 Consent to entry  
• 78 Powers upon entry  
• 79 Power to require name and address  
• 80 Search warrants  
• 81 Warrants by telephone or other electronic means  

Division 5.3--Seizure

• 84 Seizure notices  
• 85 Detention of things at place of seizure  
• 86 Interference with seized things  
• 87 Access to seized records  
• 88 Return of seized things  
• 89 Court orders for relief against seizure  
• 90 Forfeiture  
• 91 Cost of destruction or disposal of things forfeited  
• 92 Destruction of contaminated items  

Division 5.4--Analysis

• 93 Analyst's power of entry  
• 94 Notice of taking of sample  
• 97 Time limit for certain prosecutions  
• 98 Prohibited use of analysis  

PART 6--NOTIFIABLE CONDITIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS

Division 6.1--Preliminary

• 99 Principles—notifiable conditions  
• 100 Notifiable conditions—Ministerial determination  
• 101 Notifiable conditions—temporary status  

Division 6.2--Notification of notifiable conditions

• 102 Notification by doctors and nurse practitioners  
• 102A Doctors and nurse practitioners—failure to notify  
• 103 Pathologists  
• 104 Hospitals  
• 105 Notification by responsible people  
• 106 Notification by affected person—notifiable conditions  
• 107 Unauthorised assertions  
• 108 Authorised notification of contacts  
• 109 Use of notified information  
• 110 Disclosure of information—person with notifiable condition  
• 111 Disclosure of information that identifies doctor etc  

Division 6.3--Public health hazards

• 112 Notification of public health hazards  
• 113 Public health directions—issue  
• 114 Public health directions—notice to doctor or nurse  
• 115 Public health directions—extension of compliance period  
• 115A Public health direction—confinement  
• 116 Public health direction—implementation  
• 117 Public health directions—revocation  
• 118 Public health orders  

PART 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH ALERTS

• 118A Public health alerts  

PART 6B--DRINKING WATER AND SEWAGE PROCESSING

Division 6B--.1 Drinking water

• 118B Definitions for div 6B.1  
• 118C Relationship with other provisions of this Act  
• 118D Water processing health risk—public warning by utility  
• 118E Misleading information about water processing  
• 118F Provision of water processing information to chief health officer  
• 118G Contaminated drinking water provided by water utility  

Division 6B--.2 Sewage

• 118H Definitions for div 6B.2  
• 118I Relationship with other provisions of this Act  
• 118J Sewage processing health risk—public warning by utility  
• 118K Misleading information about sewage processing  
• 118L Provision of sewage processing information to chief health officer  

PART 7--PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES

• 119 Emergency declarations  
• 120 Emergency actions and directions  
• 121 Emergency powers  
• 122 Compensation  
• 123 Reports on emergencies  

PART 8--PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTIGATIONS

• 124 Investigations  
• 125 Procedure  
• 126 Powers  
• 127 Reports  
• 128 Protection and immunity  
• 129 Investigation offences  

PART 9--REVIEW AND APPEALS

• 130 Meaning of reviewable decision—pt 9  
• 131 Reviewable decision notices  
• 131A Applications for review  
• 132 Appeals  

PART 10--MISCELLANEOUS

• 133 Codes of practice  
• 134 Declarations for the Planning Act 2023  
• 135 Evidence—costs and expenses  
• 135A Evidence—certificates by analysts  
• 136 Acts and omissions of representatives  
• 137 Determination of fees  
• 138 Regulation-making power  
DICTIONARY ENDNOTES