Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

NATURE CONSERVATION ACT 2014 - SECT 252

    (1)     This section applies if a person has the benefit of the chapter 9 exceptions for an offence.

    (2)     The offence does not apply to the person if—

        (a)     the conduct constituting the offence is—

              (i)     a restricted activity under an activities declaration and the person is complying with the directions and requirements stated in the declaration; or

Note     Activities declaration —see  s 256.
Restricted activity —see  s 256.

              (ii)     undertaken in accordance with a management agreement; or

Note     Management agreement —see  s 310.

              (iii)     undertaken in implementing a controlled native species management plan under section 167 (Controlled native species management plan—conservator etc to implement); or

Note     Controlled native species management plan —see  s 158.

              (iv)     undertaken in carrying out minor public works on a reserve in accordance with a minor public works code approved by the conservator of flora and fauna under section 318A; or

Note     Minor public works —see the Planning (General) Regulation 2023 , sch 1, s 1.1.

"     Minor public works code"—see s 318A.

              (v)     undertaken in accordance with a cultural resource management plan; or

Note     Cultural resource management plan —see s 168A.

        (b)     the person is authorised to engage in the conduct constituting the offence under—

              (i)     a nature conservation licence; or

Note     Nature conservation licence —see  s 262.

              (ii)     a strategic bushfire management plan under the Emergencies Act 2004

, section 72; or

              (iii)     a development approval under the Planning Act 2023

, chapter 7; or

              (iv)     a public unleased land permit; or

              (v)     a licence under the Planning Act 2023

, section 378 (Decision on licence applications for unleased land); or

        (c)     the person is a conservation officer exercising a function under this Act.

Note 1     The defendant has an evidential burden in relation to the matters mentioned in s (2) (see Criminal Code

, s 58).

Note 2     This Act does not apply to emergency services personnel exercising functions under the Emergencies Act 2004

for the purpose of protecting life or property or controlling, extinguishing or preventing the spread of a fire (see  s 7).

Note     Because reserves are public unleased land, the provisions of the Public Unleased Land Act 2013

also apply. For example, a person wishing to camp in a reserve may need a public unleased land permit if the camping is not authorised under this Act.