Commonwealth Numbered Acts

PETROLEUM (SUBMERGED LANDS) AMENDMENT ACT 1980 No. 80, 1980 - SECT 3

3. The Preamble to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the third, fourth
and fifth paragraphs and substituting the following paragraphs.



"AND WHEREAS, by the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973, it is declared and
enacted that the sovereignty in respect of the territorial sea of Australia
and in respect of the airspace 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 airspace over those waters and in respect of
the sea-bed and subsoil beneath those waters is vested in and exerciseable 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 lieu of the scheme provided for by an agreement
between the Commonwealth and the States dated 16 October, 1967-

   (a)  legislation of the Parliament of the Commonwealth in respect of the
        exploration for and the exploitation of the petroleum resources of
        submerged lands should be limited to the resources of lands beneath
        waters that are beyond the outer limits of the territorial sea
        adjacent to the States and the Northern Territory (being outer limits
        based, unless and until otherwise agreed, on the breadth of that sea
        being three nautical miles), and that the States and the Northern
        Territory should share, in the manner provided in this Act, in the
        administration of that legislation;

   (b)  legislation of the Parliament of each State should apply in respect of
        the exploration for and the exploitation of the petroleum resources of
        such part of the submerged lands in an area adjacent to the State as
        is on the landward side of the waters referred to in paragraph (a);

   (c)  legislation of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
        should apply in respect of the exploration for and the exploitation of
        the petroleum resources of such part of the submerged lands in an area
        adjacent to the Northern Territory as is on the landward side of the
        waters referred to in paragraph (a); and

   (d)  the Commonwealth, the States and the Northern Territory should
        endeavour to maintain, as far as practicable, common principles, rules
        and practices in the regulation and control of the exploration for and
        the exploitation of the petroleum resources of all the submerged lands
        referred to above that are on the seaward side of the inner limits of
        the territorial sea of Australia:".