RADIATION PROTECTION AND CONTROL ACT 2021 - SECT 98
RADIATION PROTECTION AND CONTROL ACT 2021 - SECT 98
98—Regulations and fees notices
(1) The Governor may
make such regulations as are contemplated by, or as are necessary or expedient
for the purposes of, this Act.
(2) Without limiting
the generality of subsection (1), the regulations may—
(a)
control activities or operations related to radioactive materials,
radiation sources and radiation apparatus (including, but not limited to,
mining or mineral processing operations or any form of dealing with
radioactive materials, radiation sources or radiation apparatus); and
(b)
specify standards to be observed, practices and procedures to be followed and
measures to be taken in relation to activities or operations referred to in
paragraph (a); and
(c)
regulate, restrict or prohibit any act or thing that is involved in or related
to an activity or operation referred to in paragraph (a); and
(d)
prescribe measures for the protection of people and the environment from the
harmful effects of radiation; and
(e) make
provision for or in relation to the granting, issuing or giving of an
accreditation, authorisation, permit or approval and the conditions to which
it is subject; and
(f) make
provision for or in relation to the giving of directions for the purposes of
the regulations; and
(g) make
provision for or in relation to the protection of the health and safety, and
the training, examination and certification, of persons who engage or seek to
engage in activities or operations referred to in paragraph (a); and
(h) make
provision for or in relation to the medical examination of persons exposed to
radiation in the course of activities or operations referred to in
paragraph (a); and
(i)
make provision for or in relation to the keeping of
records, furnishing of information, and notification of accidents or other
matters or events by persons carrying on activities or operations referred to
in paragraph (a); and
(j) make
provision for the monitoring of levels of radiation exposure of persons
engaged in activities or operations referred to in paragraph (a) and the
monitoring of the health of such persons during and after such employment; and
(k) make
provision for or in relation to identity checks and security
background checks; and
(l)
authorise the release of information obtained in the administration of this
Act to any prescribed body; and
(m)
provide that contravention of a provision of the regulations constitutes a
summary offence or a minor indictable offence and fix maximum penalties for
such offences not exceeding—
(i)
in the case of a minor indictable offence—
(A) in the case of a body
corporate—$100 000;
(B) in the case of a natural
person—$20 000 or imprisonment for 5 years or both;
(ii)
in the case of a summary offence—
(A) in the case of a body
corporate—$50 000;
(B) in the case of a natural
person—$10 000; and
(n)
prescribe expiation fees not exceeding—
(i)
in the case of a body corporate—$5 000;
(ii)
in the case of a natural person—$1 000,
for alleged offences against the regulations;
(o)
regulate the payment, refund, waiver or reduction of fees prescribed by the
Minister under subsection (6).
(3) Regulations under
this Act may—
(a) make
provisions of a savings or transitional nature consequent on the enactment of
this Act or the commencement of specified provisions of this Act or specified
regulations under this Act;
(b)
include defences to offences against the regulations and evidentiary
provisions to facilitate proof of contraventions of the regulations for the
purposes of proceedings for offences.
(4) A provision
referred to in subsection (3)(a) may, if the regulations so provide, take
effect from the date of assent to this Act or a later day.
(5) To the extent to
which a provision referred to in subsection (3)(a) takes effect from a
date that is earlier than the date of its publication in the Gazette, the
provision does not operate so as—
(a) to
affect, in a manner prejudicial to any person (other than the Crown), the
rights of that person existing before the date of its publication; or
(b) to
impose liabilities on any person (other than the Crown) in respect of anything
done or omitted to be done before the date of its publication.
(6) The Minister may
prescribe fees for the purposes of this Act by fee notice under the
Legislation (Fees) Act 2019 .
(7) The regulations
may refer to or adopt, wholly or partially and with or without
modification—
(a) a
code, standard or other document relating to matters in respect of which
regulations may be made under this Act; or
(b) an
amendment to such a code, standard or other document.
(8) Any regulations
that refer to or adopt a code, standard or other document, or an amendment to
a code, standard or other document, may contain such incidental, supplementary
and transitional provisions as appear to the Governor to be necessary.
(9) The regulations or
a code, standard or other document referred to or adopted by the regulations
may—
(a)
refer to or incorporate, wholly or partially and with or without modification,
a standard, specification, guideline or other document prepared or published
by a prescribed body, either as in force at the time the regulations are made
or as in force from time to time; and
(b) be
of general or limited application; and
(c) make
different provision according to the persons, things or circumstances to which
they are expressed to apply; and
(d)
provide that any matter or thing is to be determined, dispensed with,
regulated or prohibited according to the discretion of the Minister or a
prescribed authority.
(10) If—
(a) a
code, standard or other document is referred to or adopted by the regulations;
or
(b) the
regulations, or a code, standard or other document referred to or adopted by
the regulations, refers to or incorporates a standard, specification,
guideline or other document prepared or published by a prescribed body,
then—
(c) a
copy of the code, standard, specification, guideline or other document must be
kept available for inspection by members of the public, without charge and
during normal office hours, at an office or offices specified in the
regulations; and
(d) in
any legal proceedings, evidence of the contents of the code, standard,
specification, guideline or other document may be given by production of a
document purporting to be certified by or on behalf of the Minister as a true
copy of the code, standard, specification, guideline or other document.