Victorian Numbered Acts Victorian Numbered Actss. 17
(1) Subject to this section, a party to a proceeding under section 12 must not be ordered to pay costs incurred by any other party to the proceeding unless the court hearing the matter is satisfied that the party—
(a) instituted the proceeding vexatiously or without reasonable cause; or
(b) because of an unreasonable act or omission in connection with the party's conduct of the proceeding, caused the costs to be incurred by that other party.
(2) Subsection (1) does not empower a court to award costs in circumstances specified in that subsection if the court does not otherwise have the power to do so.
(3) In this section, "costs" includes all legal and professional costs and disbursements and expenses of witnesses.