ANTARCTIC TREATY (ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION) ACT 1980 - SECT 19A Prohibition against mining in the Territory

ANTARCTIC TREATY (ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION) ACT 1980 - SECT 19A

  (1)   A person must not engage in a mining activity:

  (a)   in the Territory; or

  (b)   on any part of:

  (i)   the continental shelf of the Territory; or

  (ii)   the continental shelf of any of the islands known as Heard Island and McDonald Islands ;

    that is within the Antarctic.

Penalty:   Imprisonment for 16 years or 1,000 penalty units, or both.

  (2)   Subsection   ( 1) does not apply to a mining activity if the activity is the gathering or collecting of a meteorite, or the removal of a rock or meteorite, in accordance with a permit.

Note:   The defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in subsection   ( 2). See subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code .