Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

INSURANCE ACT 1973

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

   PART I--PRELIMINARY

   1.      Short title [see Note 1]  
   2.      Commencement [see Note 1]  
   2A.     Main object of this Act  
   3.      Interpretation  
   3A.     Certain insurance contracts not taken to be insurance business  
   4.      Meaning of subsidiary  
   5.      Application of Act  
   6.      Act extends to external Territories  
   7.      Determination that certain provisions do not apply  
   7A.     Breach of condition of a determination  

   PART II--ADMINISTRATION

   8.      General administration of Act  

   PART III--AUTHORISATION TO CARRY ON INSURANCE BUSINESS

           Division 1--Need to be authorised

   9.      Persons other than bodies corporate and Lloyd's underwriters carrying on insurance business  
   10.     Bodies corporate and Lloyd's underwriters carrying on insurance business  
   11.     Meaning of general insurer  
   11A.    Injunctions  

           Division 2--Authorisation to carry on insurance business

   12.     Obtaining an authorisation  
   13.     Conditions on an authorisation  
   14.     Breach of authorisation conditions  

           Division 3--Revocation of an authorisation

   15.     When APRA may revoke an authorisation  
   16.     When APRA must revoke a general insurer's authorisation  
   17.     Assignment of liabilities to enable revocation  

           Division 3A--Transfer and amalgamation of insurance business

   17A.    Interpretation  
   17B.    Transfer or amalgamation of insurance business  
   17C.    Steps to be taken before application for confirmation  
   17D.    Actuarial report on scheme  
   17E.    Application to Court  
   17F.    Confirmation of scheme  
   17G.    Effect of confirmation etc.  
   17H.    Costs of actuary's report  
   17I.    Documents to be lodged in case of transfer or amalgamation  

           Division 4--Authorisation to be a NOHC of a general insurer

   18.     Authorisation to be a NOHC  
   19.     Conditions on a NOHC authorisation  
   20.     Breach of conditions on a NOHC authorisation  
   21.     When APRA may revoke a NOHC authorisation  
   22.     When APRA must revoke a NOHC authorisation  
   23.     Publication of list of authorised NOHCs  

           Division 5--Directors, senior managers and other representatives of general insurers and authorised NOHCs

   24.     Disqualified persons must not act for general insurers or authorised NOHCs  
   25.     Who is a disqualified person?  
   25A.    Court power of disqualification  
   26.     Court power to revoke or vary a disqualification etc.  
   27.     APRA may remove a director or senior manager of a general insurer, authorised NOHC or corporate agent  

           Division 6--Other matters

   28.     General insurer must hold sufficient assets  
   29.     Change of name of a general insurer or authorised NOHC  
   30.     General insurer or authorised NOHC ceasing to exist  
   31.     Effect of authorisation as a general insurer  

   PART IIIA--PRUDENTIAL SUPERVISION AND MONITORING OF GENERAL INSURERS, AUTHORISED NOHCS AND THEIR SUBSIDIARIES

           Division 1--The prudential standards

   32.     APRA may determine prudential standards  
   34.     Notification of prudential standards  
   35.     Obligation to comply with the prudential standards  

           Division 3--Monitoring of prudential matters

   38.     APRA to monitor prudential matters  
   38AA.   Requirement to notify APRA of certain matters  

           Division 4--Protections in relation to information

              Subdivision A--Protection for whistleblowers

   38A.    Disclosures qualifying for whistleblower protection  
   38B.    Whistleblower protection for disclosures that qualify  
   38C.    Victimisation of whistleblowers prohibited  
   38D.    Right to compensation  
   38E.    Confidentiality requirement for company, company officers and employees and auditors  

              Subdivision B--Self-incrimination

   38F.    Self-incrimination  

   PART IV--AUDITORS, ACTUARIES AND ACCOUNTS

           Division 1--The auditor and actuary of a general insurer

   39.     Requirement for general insurers to have an auditor and actuary  
   41.     Compliance with prudential standards  
   43.     When a person stops holding an appointment  
   43A.    Disqualified persons must not act as auditor or actuary of general insurer  
   44.     Court power of disqualification  
   45.     Court power to revoke or vary a disqualification etc.  
   46.     Notification of appointment as an auditor or actuary  
   48.     Referring matters to professional associations for auditors and actuaries  

           Division 2--Provision of information to APRA

   49.     Duty of auditors and actuaries to give information when required  
   49A.    Additional duty of auditors and actuaries to give information  
   49B.    Auditor or actuary may give information to APRA  
   49C.    Indemnity  

           Division 3--Actuarial investigation required by APRA

   49E.    Actuarial investigation of liabilities  
   49F.    Offence for contravening section 49E  
   49G.    Who can be appointed as a section 49E actuary  
   49H.    Delegate's decision to extend time for providing actuary's report  

           Division 4--Role of auditor and actuary of a general insurer

   49J.    Auditor's role  
   49K.    Actuary's role  
   49L.    Lodgment of auditor's certificate and actuary's reports  

           Division 5--Accounts

   49Q.    Keeping of accounting records  

           Division 6--Removal of auditors and actuaries

   49R.    APRA may direct removal of auditor or actuary  

   PART V--INVESTIGATIONS OF GENERAL INSURERS ETC

   50.     Interpretation  
   52.     Investigation of general insurer, authorised NOHC or subsidiary by APRA or inspector  
   54.     Entry on premises  
   55.     Powers of APRA or inspector  
   56.     Persons to comply with requirements of APRA or the inspector  
   57.     Person may be represented by a legal practitioner  
   58.     Notes of examination of person  
   59.     Delegation  
   60.     Report of APRA or the inspector  
   61.     Offences  
   62A.    Investigations relating to contraventions of section 9 or 10 etc.  
   62B.    Access to premises  
   62C.    Powers of APRA or inspector  
   62D.    Persons to comply with requirements of APRA or the inspector  
   62E.    Person may be represented by a legal practitioner  
   62F.    Notes of examination of person  
   62G.    Delegation  
   62H.    Investigations to be completed within a reasonable time  
   62J.    Report of the inspector  

   PART VI--REVIEW OF DECISIONS

   63.     Review of certain decisions  
   64.     Statements to accompany notification of decisions  

   PART VII--LLOYD'S

           Division 1--Preliminary

   65.     Simplified outline  
   66.     Definitions  

           Division 2--Security trust fund arrangements

   67.     Security trust funds  
   68.     Security trust fund arrangements  
   69.     Designated security trust funds  
   70.     Rules about designated security trust funds  
   71.     Transfers to trustee of security trust fund--presumption of regularity  
   72.     When security trust fund constitutes an adequate security for the class of insurance liabilities secured by the fund  
   73.     Affairs of security trust fund  

           Division 3--General powers of APRA

   74.     APRA may direct that Lloyd's underwriters must not issue or renew policies  
   75.     Actuarial investigation of adequacy of security provided by designated security trust funds  
   76.     Provision for liabilities in the accounts of designated security trust funds  

           Division 4--Investigations

              Subdivision A--Inquiries and directions by APRA

   77.     Inquiries by APRA  
   78.     Direction not to deal with certain assets  

              Subdivision B--Investigations

   79.     Investigation of designated security trust fund by APRA or inspector  
   80.     Entry on premises  
   81.     Powers of APRA or the inspector to obtain information etc.  
   82.     Persons to comply with requirements of APRA or the inspector  
   83.     Person may be represented by a legal practitioner  
   84.     Notes of examination of person  
   85.     Delegation  
   86.     Report of APRA or the inspector  

              Subdivision C--Offences

   87.     Offences  

           Division 5--Judicial trusteeship of designated security trust funds

   88.     Application for order for judicial trusteeship  
   89.     Grounds for order for judicial trusteeship  
   90.     Commencement of judicial trusteeship  
   91.     Stay of proceedings during judicial trusteeship  
   92.     Appointment of judicial trustee  
   92A.    Terms and conditions of appointment of judicial trustee  
   92B.    Property vesting orders  
   92C.    Powers of judicial trustee  
   92D.    Court's control of judicial trustee  
   92E.    Direction not to deal with certain assets  
   92F.    Provision for liabilities in the accounts of designated security trust funds  
   92G.    Application by APRA for instructions to judicial trustee  
   92H.    Request by APRA for information  
   92J.    Duration of judicial trusteeship  
   92K.    Cancellation of judicial trusteeship  
   92L.    Report by judicial trustee  
   92M.    Judicial trustee may formulate a scheme for the winding-up or dissolution, or both, of a designated security trust fund  
   92N.    Resignation  
   92P.    Indemnity  
   92Q.    Security deposit  
   92R.    Application of security deposit--costs of judicial trusteeship of designated security trust fund  
   92S.    Return of security deposit  

           Division 6--Authorisation of Lloyd's underwriters

   93.     Lloyd's underwriters  

           Division 7--Miscellaneous

   94.     Trustee of designated security trust fund not to be treated as carrying on insurance business  
   94A.    Injunctions  
   95.     Agent of Lloyd's  
   96.     Address for service  
   97.     Lloyd's to give notice of by-laws  
   98.     Part does not authorise Lloyd's underwriter to carry on any business the underwriter could not otherwise have carried on  

   PART VIII--EFFECT OF ACT ON OTHER LAWS

   99.     Operation of State and Territory laws on section 10  
   100.    Act not to affect certain State and Territory laws  
   102.    Laws about accounts or accounting records  
   103.    Parts V and VA not to affect operation of certain laws  

   PART IX--DIRECTIONS

   104.    APRA may give directions in certain circumstances  
   105.    Direction not grounds for denial of obligations  
   106.    Supply of information about issue and revocation of directions  
   107.    Secrecy requirements  
   108.    Non-compliance with a direction  

   PART X--MISCELLANEOUS

   115.    Power to require production of information, books, accounts or documents  
   115AA.  Information relating to contraventions of section 9 or 10 etc.  
   115AB.  Persons to comply with requirements of APRA or authorised person  
   115A.   Access to premises  
   116.    General insurer not to carry on insurance business after start of winding up  
   116A.   Assets and liabilities in Australia  
   117.    Address for service in Australia  
   118.    Agent in Australia  
   120.    Saving if section 93 ceases to have effect  
   121.    Service of documents and notices  
   122.    Register to be kept  
   123.    Inspection of Register and auditors' certificates  
   124.    Evidence and judicial notice  
   125.    APRA Act secrecy provisions apply  
   126.    Acceptance and enforcement of undertakings  
   127.    Severability  
   128.    Signing of documents  
   128A.   Continuing offences  
   129.    Time for bringing proceedings  
   129A.   Joinder of charges and penalties for certain offences  
   129C.   General insurers must comply with determinations of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal  
   129D.   Injunctions  
   130.    Preparation of forms  
   131.    Costs of investigations  
   132.    Regulations