Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1982

An Act to make provision with respect to the exploration for and the exploitation of the petroleum resources, and certain other resources, of certain submerged lands adjacent to the coast of the State of Tasmania and to provide for related matters

Whereas in accordance with international law, Australia as a coastal State has sovereign rights over the continental shelf beyond the limits of Australian territorial waters for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources:

And whereas Australia is a party to the Convention of the Continental Shelf signed at Geneva on 29th April 1958 in which those rights are defined:

And whereas by the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 of the Commonwealth it is declared and enacted that the sovereignty in respect of the territorial sea of Australia and in respect of the air space over it and in respect of its sea-bed and subsoil, and the sovereignty in respect of certain internal waters of Australia and in respect of the air space over those waters and in respect of the sea-bed and subsoil beneath those waters, is vested in and exercisable by the Crown in right of the Commonwealth:

And whereas the Parliaments of the States and the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory have certain legislative powers in respect of the sea-bed and subsoil referred to in the last preceding paragraph and the Parliament of the Commonwealth has vested in the Crown in right of each of the States and the Crown in right of the Northern Territory certain proprietary rights in respect of that sea-bed and subsoil:

And whereas it has been agreed between the Commonwealth, the States and the Northern Territory that, in place of the scheme provided for by an Agreement between the Commonwealth and the States dated 16th October 1967 –