Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

BIOSECURITY ACT 2015 - SECT 376

  (1)   A person contravenes this subsection if:

  (a)   the power referred to in paragraph   367(d) (setting traps or setting up equipment or other structures in a biosecurity response zone) is specified in the biosecurity response zone determination; and

  (b)   a biosecurity officer has, in accordance with the biosecurity response zone determination, set a trap or set up equipment or another structure in the zone; and

  (c)   the person interferes with, removes or defaces the trap, equipment or other structure (as the case may be); and

  (d)   none of the following applies:

  (i)   the person is authorised to engage in the conduct referred to in paragraph   (c) in accordance with an approved arrangement;

  (ii)   the person needs to engage in that conduct to comply with a direction given under another provision of this Act by a biosecurity official;

  (iii)   the person has been given permission to engage in that conduct under section   557.

Note:   The physical elements of an offence against subsection   (3) are set out in this subsection   (see section   534).

  (2)   Subsection   (1) does not apply if the person is authorised to engage in the conduct referred to in paragraph   (1)(c) under this Act or under another Australian law.

Note:   A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in this subsection   (see subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code and section   96 of the Regulatory Powers Act).

Fault - based offence

  (3)   A person commits an offence if the person contravenes subsection   (1).

Penalty:   Imprisonment for 5 years or 300 penalty units, or both.

Civil penalty provision

  (4)   A person is liable to a civil penalty if the person contravenes subsection   (1).

Civil penalty:   120 penalty units.