Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current Acts(1) This section sets out a simplified outline of this Act.
(2) This Act sets up a system for regulating the following activities in the offshore area—
(a) exploration for petroleum;
(b) recovery of petroleum;
(c) construction and operation of infrastructure facilities relating to petroleum or greenhouse gas substances;
(d) construction and operation of pipelines for conveying petroleum or greenhouse gas substances;
(e) exploration for potential greenhouse gas storage formations;
(f) injection and storage of greenhouse gas substances.
(3) The offshore area—
(a) starts from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured off Victoria; and
(b) extends to 3 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured off Victoria.
(4) This Act provides for the grant of the following titles—
(a) a petroleum exploration permit (see Part 2.2);
(b) a petroleum retention lease (see Part 2.3);
(c) a petroleum production licence (see Part 2.4);
(d) an infrastructure licence (see Part 2.5);
(e) a pipeline licence (see Part 2.6);
(f) a petroleum special prospecting authority (see Part 2.7);
(g) a petroleum access authority (see Part 2.8);
(h) a greenhouse gas assessment permit (see Part 3.2);
(i) a greenhouse gas holding lease (see Part 3.3);
(j) a greenhouse gas injection licence (see Part 3.4);
(k) a greenhouse gas search authority (see Part 3.5);
(l) a greenhouse gas special authority (see Part 3.6).
S. 4(5) amended by No. 74/2012 s. 4(1).
(5) The Minister is generally responsible for the administration of this Act, other than the provisions of this Act for which the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is responsible.
S. 4(6) substituted by No. 74/2012 s. 4(2).
(6) The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority is responsible for the administration of—
(a) the occupational health and safety provisions in Schedule 3; and
(b) the provisions relating to petroleum safety zones and the area to be avoided in Part 6.6; and
(c) the regulations to the extent that they relate to occupational health and safety for offshore petroleum operations and offshore greenhouse gas storage operations within the meaning of Part 6.9; and
(d) the regulations to the extent that they relate to the structural integrity of—
(i) facilities within the meaning of Schedule 3, other than vessels or structures described in clause 7 of that Schedule;
(ii) wells or well-related equipment used for the purposes of offshore petroleum operations within the meaning of Part 6.9.
(7) This section is intended only as a guide to readers as to the general scheme and effect of this Act.
Note
Generally, the baseline is the line of lowest astronomical tide along the coast, but it also encompasses straight lines across bays (bay closing lines), rivers (river closing lines) and between islands, as well as along heavily indented areas of coastline (straight baselines) under certain circumstances.