New South Wales Bills

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]


This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT (ABORIGINAL FISHING) BILL 2017




                              New South Wales




Fisheries Management Amendment
(Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017
Contents
                                                                            Page


             1   Name of Act                                                  2
             2   Commencement                                                 2
Schedule 1       Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994 No 38             3
I certify that this public bill, which originated in the Legislative Assembly, has finally passed
the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.


                                                Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
                                                Legislative Assembly,
                                                Sydney,                                   , 2017




                                    New South Wales




Fisheries Management Amendment
(Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017

Act No      , 2017



An Act to amend the Fisheries Management Act 1994 in relation to the use of the Aboriginal
Fishing Trust Fund; and for related purposes.




I have examined this bill and find it to correspond in all respects with the bill as finally
passed by both Houses.


                                                Assistant Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017 [NSW]� 




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:
  1   Name of Act
             This Act is the Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Act 2017.
  2   Commencement
             This Act commences on the date of assent to this Act.




Page 2
Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017 [NSW]� 
Schedule 1 Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994 No 38



Schedule 1             Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994
                       No 38
[1]   Section 4 Definitions
      Insert in alphabetical order in section 4 (1):
                    Aboriginal fishing assistance program--see section 237B.
[2]   Section 222B Fisheries Administration Ministerial Corporation
      Insert after section 222B (1) (d):
                     (e) section 237B (4) (b) and (c) and (9) (power of Minister to acquire and
                           deal with fishing assets, and enter into contracts or other arrangements,
                           in connection with Aboriginal fishing assistance programs).
[3]   Section 237A Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund
      Insert after section 237A (1) (a):
                    (a1) any loan repayments, interest or other amounts payable or recovered in
                           respect of loans under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program, and
                    (a2) any repayment of the whole or any part of grants, or other amounts
                           recovered in respect of grants, under an Aboriginal fishing assistance
                           program, and
                    (a3) any fees or other amounts payable or recovered for access to or the use
                           of fishing assets under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program
                           (including any amounts payable under any contract or other agreement
                           for that access or use), and
                    (a4) the proceeds of the sale of any fishing assets acquired under an
                           Aboriginal fishing assistance program (less any reasonable costs
                           incurred in selling the assets), and
                    (a5) any money advanced by the Treasurer for the Fund, and
[4]   Section 237A (1) (b)
      Insert "grant, donation," after "any".
[5]   Section 237A (1) (c)
      Insert "or by the Parliament of the Commonwealth" after "Parliament".
[6]   Section 237A (2A) and (2B)
      Insert after section 237A (2):
           (2A)    Without limiting subsection (2), there may be paid out of that Fund the costs
                   of providing an Aboriginal fishing assistance program.
           (2B)    The costs of providing an Aboriginal fishing assistance program include the
                   following (if applicable):
                    (a) amounts paid by way of grants or loans under the program,
                   (b) the costs incurred in acquiring fishing assets under the program,
                    (c) administrative costs incurred in the operation of the program.
[7]   Section 237A (3)
      Omit "cultural".



Page 3
Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017 [NSW]� 
Schedule 1 Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994 No 38


[8]    Section 237A (4)
       Insert after section 237A (3):
             (4)    In this section:
                    fishing assets has the meaning given by section 237B.
[9]    Sections 237B-237D
       Insert after section 237A:
      237B   Aboriginal fishing assistance programs
             (1)    The Minister may approve one or more programs (an Aboriginal fishing
                    assistance program) for the purpose of providing assistance to Aboriginal
                    communities in relation to either or both of the following:
                    (a) Aboriginal cultural fishing,
                    (b) fishing or fishing-related activities for a commercial purpose
                           (commercial fishing activities).
             (2)    An Aboriginal fishing assistance program may include provision for any or all
                    of the following:
                    (a) the making of grants or loans to Aboriginal persons, Aboriginal entities
                           or persons acting on behalf of Aboriginal entities, for the purpose of
                           Aboriginal cultural fishing or commercial fishing activities,
                    (b) the acquisition of fishing assets by the Minister, for the purpose of
                           benefiting Aboriginal communities,
                    (c) access to, or the use of, those fishing assets by Aboriginal persons or
                           Aboriginal entities.
                    Note. Section 28 of the Public Authorities (Financial Arrangements) Act 1987 provides
                    that Part 3 of that Act (which regulates the investment of money by public authorities)
                    does not affect any statutory power to make grants, loans or other forms of financial
                    assistance that are not in the nature of investments.
             (3)    The Minister is to obtain and have regard to the advice or recommendations of
                    any relevant advisory council on Aboriginal fishing before approving an
                    Aboriginal fishing assistance program.
             (4)    The Minister may, for the purpose of giving effect to an Aboriginal fishing
                    assistance program:
                    (a) grant or lend money to an Aboriginal person, Aboriginal entity or
                           person acting on behalf of an Aboriginal entity, or
                    (b) acquire fishing assets, or
                    (c) enter into a contract or other arrangement with an Aboriginal person,
                           Aboriginal entity or person acting on behalf of an Aboriginal entity.
             (5)    Assistance granted under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program may be
                    subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister thinks fit.
             (6)    Loans granted under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program may be subject
                    to interest or interest free, and may be secured or unsecured.
             (7)    Fishing assets acquired under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program are to
                    be held by the Fisheries Administration Ministerial Corporation.
             (8)    Access to, or the use of, fishing assets under an Aboriginal fishing assistance
                    program may be subject to the payment of a fee or otherwise.




Page 4
Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017 [NSW]� 
Schedule 1 Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994 No 38



             (9)   The Minister may sell any fishing asset held by the Fisheries Administration
                   Ministerial Corporation under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program and
                   exercise any other functions of the owner of a fishing asset.
            (10)   The regulations may make further provision for Aboriginal fishing assistance
                   programs, including by providing for application and assessment processes in
                   relation to a program.
            (11)   In this section:
                   Aboriginal entity means any partnership, trust, corporation, joint venture,
                   syndicate or other body (whether or not incorporated) owned, managed or
                   operated by Aboriginal persons.
                   fishing assets means the following:
                    (a) shares in a share management fishery,
                   (b) any operational items or operating equipment necessary to the function
                          of fishing operations (for example, fishing vessels, fishing gear or
                          hatchery infrastructure),
                    (c) any other thing prescribed by the regulations as being included in this
                          definition.
    237C     Rural Assistance Authority may administer Aboriginal fishing assistance
             program
             (1)   The Minister may authorise the Rural Assistance Authority (the Authority):
                   (a) to enter into a loan or other contract under an Aboriginal fishing
                        assistance program on behalf of the Minister, and
                   (b) to administer any loan or other contract entered into under an
                        Aboriginal fishing assistance program.
             (2)   The Authority is subject to the control and direction of the Minister in the
                   exercise of any functions conferred on it by or under this section.
             (3)   Subject to subsection (2):
                   (a) the Authority may exercise in relation to a loan or other contract entered
                         into under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program any function that
                         the Authority has under section 35 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 in
                         relation to assistance granted by it (as if a loan granted under the
                         Aboriginal fishing assistance program were assistance granted by the
                         Authority under that Act), and
                   (b) section 44 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 applies to assistance
                         granted under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program as if
                         applications for loans under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program
                         were made to the Authority, and
                   (c) section 46 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 applies to loans granted
                         under an Aboriginal fishing assistance program as if they were
                         assistance granted under a program under that Act and as if statements
                         made to the Minister in connection with loans were statements made to
                         the Authority.
             (4)   The regulations may apply, with or without modification, any other provisions
                   of the Rural Assistance Act 1989 to or in respect of an Aboriginal fishing
                   assistance program administered wholly or partly by the Authority.
             (5)   All money received or recovered by or on account of the Authority under an
                   Aboriginal fishing assistance program is to be paid into the Aboriginal Fishing
                   Trust Fund, despite Part 5 of the Rural Assistance Act 1989.


Page 5
Fisheries Management Amendment (Aboriginal Fishing) Bill 2017 [NSW]� 
Schedule 1 Amendment of Fisheries Management Act 1994 No 38



              (6)   The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, deduct from any money
                    received or recovered by the Authority under an Aboriginal fishing assistance
                    program the costs incurred by the Authority in the exercise of its functions
                    under this section (being costs that would otherwise be payable from the
                    Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund).
              (7)   Money deducted under subsection (6) is to be paid into the Rural Assistance
                    Authority Fund established under the Rural Assistance Act 1989.
              (8)   Despite subsection (5), the Minister may transfer the amount of any loan under
                    an Aboriginal fishing assistance program into the Rural Assistance Authority
                    Fund to facilitate the administration of the loan by the Authority under this
                    section. The amount so transferred is to be paid out of that Fund only for that
                    purpose.
       237D   Special exemptions for Aboriginal fishing assistance programs
              (1)   Section 65 does not apply to the Fisheries Administration Ministerial
                    Corporation as the holder of shares in a share management fishery under an
                    Aboriginal fishing assistance program, in relation to a designated
                    contravention (within the meaning of section 65 (2)) of a management plan by
                    a person nominated by the Corporation to take fish in the fishery.
              (2)   Section 75 does not apply to shares in a share management fishery held by the
                    Fisheries Administration Ministerial Corporation under an Aboriginal fishing
                    assistance program. Accordingly, shares so held cannot be forfeited under that
                    section.
              (3)   The Fisheries Administration Ministerial Corporation is not liable to pay any
                    community contribution or management charge under Division 7 of Part 3 as
                    the holder of shares in a share management fishery under an Aboriginal fishing
                    assistance program.
              (4)   Section 81 (1) does not apply to the Fisheries Administration Ministerial
                    Corporation as the holder of shares in a share management fishery under an
                    Aboriginal fishing assistance program, in relation to the taking of fish by a
                    person nominated by the Corporation to take fish in the fishery.
[10]    Section 288C Recovery of money
        Omit "or contribution". Insert instead ", contribution or other money due or".




Page 6


 


[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]