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ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION (ALLIGATOR RIVERS REGION) ACT 1978 - SECT 3

Interpretation

  (1)   In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

"Administrator of the Northern Territory" means the Administrator of the Northern Territory acting with the advice of the Executive Council of the Northern Territory .

"Advisory Committee" means the Advisory Committee established under section   16.

"Alligator Rivers Region" or Region means:

  (a)   the area shown on the map set out in the Schedule, being a copy of the map appearing on page 14 of the Ranger Inquiry report, that is described as the "Area generally referred to in the report as the Region ";

  (aa)   so much of the area described as Gimbat on that map (being an area of land that is or was the subject of a pastoral lease) as is outside the area referred to in paragraph   ( a);

  (ab)   so much of the area described as Goodparla on that map (being an area of land that is or was the subject of a pastoral lease) as is outside the area referred to in paragraph   ( a);

  (ac)   the area bounded on the south by the parallel of latitude 13 ï‚° 30 ï‚¢ south and on all other sides by part of the boundary of the area referred to in paragraph   ( a);

  (ad)   the area bounded on the east by the meridian of longitude 133 ï‚° east, on the south by the parallel of latitude 13 ï‚° 30 ï‚¢ south and on all other sides by part of the boundary of the area referred to in paragraph   ( a);

  (b)   the territorial sea adjacent to the area referred to in paragraph   ( a); and

  (c)   the sea (if any) on the landward side of the territorial sea referred to in paragraph   ( b).

"appointed member" means a member of the Advisory Committee other than the Supervising Scientist or the Director of National Parks.

"appropriate" Aboriginal Land Council means such Aboriginal Land Council established under the Aboriginal Land Rights ( Northern Territory ) Act 1976 as the Minister declares by instrument under his or her hand to be the Aboriginal Land Council responsible for the Alligator Rivers Region for the purposes of this Act.

"Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee, or the Chairperson of the Technical Committee, as the context requires.

"Committee" means the Advisory Committee or the Technical Committee, as the context requires.

"conservation zone" means an area that was a conservation zone declared under section   8A of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 .

"Director of Conservation of the Northern Territory" means the person holding office as Director of Conservation under the Conservation Commission Act 1980 of the Northern Territory or, if a person is acting as the Director, the person so acting.

"Director of National Parks" means the person holding the appointment as the Director of National Parks under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 .

"ecosystem" means a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro - organism communities and their non - living environment interacting as a functional unit.

"environment" includes:

  (a)   ecosystems and their constituent parts, including people and communities; and

  (b)   natural and physical resources; and

  (c)   the qualities and characteristics of locations, places and areas; and

  (d)   the social, economic and cultural aspects of a thing mentioned in paragraph   ( a), (b) or (c).

"general mining operations" means mining operations other than uranium mining operations.

"Institute" means the Alligator Rivers Region Research Institute.

"member" means a member of the Advisory Committee, or a member of the Technical Committee, as the context requires.

"mineral" means a naturally occurring substance or mixture of substances.

"mining operations" means any operations or activities for or in connection with, or incidental to, the mining (whether by underground or surface working) or recovery of minerals or the production of material from minerals and, in particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes:

  (a)   exploring and prospecting for minerals;

  (b)   milling, refining, treating and processing minerals; and

  (c)   handling, transporting, storing and disposing of minerals and material produced from minerals;

but does not include the construction or use of:

  (d)   towns or camps, or structures connected with the construction or use of towns or camps; or

  (e)   facilities for, or connected with, the supply of water, electricity or gas to towns or camps or to structures connected with the construction or use of towns or camps.

"prescribed instrument" means any of the following, whether in force at the commencement of this Act or coming into force after that commencement:

  (a)   a law of the Commonwealth or of the Northern Territory ; or

  (b)   an instrument made, granted or issued under or for the purposes of any such law, including:

  (i)   a permit, licence or lease under any such law; and

  (ii)   an authority under section   41 of the Atomic Energy Act 1953 ; and

  (iii)   an agreement under Part   IV of the Aboriginal Land Rights ( Northern Territory ) Act 1976 .

"Ranger Inquiry report" means the report known as the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry Second Report that was presented to the Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development and the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs on 17   May 1977.

"requirement" means an obligation, condition, restriction or prohibition.

"sea" includes any waters within the ebb and flow of the tide.

"Supervising Scientist" means the Supervising Scientist for the Alligator Rivers Region.

"Technical Committee" means the Technical Committee established under section   22A.

"uranium mining operations" has the meaning it would have if in the definition of mining operations the references to minerals were references to uranium - bearing ore.

  (2)   A reference in this Act to the environment in a conservation zone includes a reference to the environment in so much of the Alligator Rivers Region as is adjacent to the zone.


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