Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

ACTS INTERPRETATION ACT 1901 - SECT 15B

             (1)  Except so far as the contrary intention appears:

                     (a)  the provisions of every Act, whether passed before or after the commencement of this section, shall be taken to have effect in and in relation to the coastal sea of Australia as if the coastal sea of Australia were part of Australia; and

                     (b)  any reference in an Act, whether passed before or after the commencement of this section, to Australia or to the Commonwealth shall be read as including a reference to the coastal sea of Australia.

             (2)  Except so far as the contrary intention appears:

                     (a)  the provisions of an Act, whether passed before or after the commencement of this section, that are in force in an external Territory shall be taken to have effect in and in relation to the coastal sea of the Territory as if the coastal sea of the Territory were part of the Territory; and

                     (b)  any reference in an Act, whether passed before or after the commencement of this section, to all or any of the external Territories (whether or not a particular Territory or particular Territories is or are referred to) shall be read as including a reference to the coastal sea of any Territory to which the reference relates.

             (3)  Nothing in subsection (1) or (2) shall be taken as limiting the operation that any Act had before the commencement of this section.

             (4)  In this section, coastal sea :

                     (a)  in relation to Australia, means:

                              (i)  the territorial sea of Australia; and

                             (ii)  the sea on the landward side of the territorial sea of Australia and not within the limits of a State or internal Territory;

                            and includes the airspace over, and the sea‑bed and subsoil beneath, any such sea; and

                     (b)  in relation to an external Territory, means:

                              (i)  the territorial sea adjacent to the Territory; and

                             (ii)  the sea on the landward side of the territorial sea adjacent to the Territory and not within the limits of the Territory;

                            and includes the airspace over, and the sea‑bed and subsoil beneath, any such sea.