Commonwealth Numbered Acts

QUARANTINE AMENDMENT ACT (No. 2) 1979 No. 105, 1979 - SECT 7

7. After section 70 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:
Power to search baggage
''70A. (1) A quarantine officer may search any baggage that has been taken off
or out of an oversea vessel (whether it is the baggage of a passenger or
member of the crew of that vessel or of another vessel) or any goods that the
quarantine officer believes, on reasonable grounds, to be such baggage.

''(2) A quarantine officer may ask a person who owns, is carrying or is
otherwise associated with, or appears to the quarantine officer to be
associated with, baggage that the quarantine officer is searching or entitled
to search under sub-section (1) any question in respect of that baggage
relating to matters within the functions, duties or powers of the quarantine
officer.

''(3) A person shall not-

   (a)  without reasonable excuse, refuse or fail to answer a question put to
        him under sub-section (2); or

   (b)  in answer to such a question, make a statement that is false or
        misleading in a material particular.

Penalty: $2,000.

''(4) In this section-

'baggage', in relation to an oversea vessel, includes any parcel or other
goods that a passenger or member of the crew of the vessel has had with him on
the vessel;

'member of the crew' includes-

   (a)  in relation to a ship-the master, a mate or an engineer of the ship;
        and

   (b)  in relation to an aircraft-the pilot of the aircraft.''.