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


ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AMENDMENT BILL 2007

          Queensland



Environmental Protection
Amendment Bill 2007

 


 

 

Queensland Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 Contents Page 1 Short title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 Act amended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 Insertion of new ch 8, pt 3A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Part 3A Offences relating to depositing litter Division 1 Preliminary 440A Definitions for pt 3A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 440B Meaning of litter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Division 2 General offence 440C When deposit of litter unlawful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 440D Depositing litter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Division 3 Vehicle littering offence 440E Definitions for div 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 440F Application of div 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 440G Application of State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 8 440H Effect of passenger declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 440I Service of infringement notice for vehicle littering offence ............................... 9 440J Chief executive (transport) must disclose information 10 5 Insertion of new ch 9, pt 2A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Part 2A Power of authorised persons to give directions about litter removal 463A Direction to remove litter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 6 Insertion of new s 474A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 474A Failure to comply with authorised person's direction to remove litter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7 Amendment of sch 3 (Dictionary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

 


 

 

2007 A Bill for An Act to amend the Environmental Protection Act 1994

 


 

s1 4 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 The Parliament of Queensland enacts-- 1 Clause 1 Short title 2 This Act may be cited as the Environmental Protection 3 Amendment Act 2007. 4 Clause 2 Commencement 5 This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation. 6 Clause 3 Act amended 7 This Act amends the Environmental Protection Act 1994. 8 Clause 4 Insertion of new ch 8, pt 3A 9 After section 440-- 10 insert-- 11 `Part 3A Offences relating to depositing 12 litter 13 `Division 1 Preliminary 14 `440A Definitions for pt 3A 15 `In this part-- 16 deposit, litter, at a place, means-- 17 (a) throw, drop or otherwise put the litter on the place; or 18 (b) leave the litter at the place; or 19 (c) deal with the litter in a way that causes or allows it to 20 fall, blow, wash or otherwise escape onto the place. 21 Examples for paragraph (c)-- 22 A person disposes of litter on a road if the person-- 23

 


 

s4 5 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 (a) transports the litter in a trailer in a way that causes the litter 1 to be blown out of the trailer and onto the road; or 2 (b) leaves the litter on private land where it is then washed by 3 rain onto the road. 4 litter see section 440B. 5 place includes premises and a place, including a public place, 6 on land. 7 Note-- 8 Under schedule 3, land is defined to include waters. 9 `440B Meaning of litter 10 `(1) Litter includes-- 11 (a) any waste of a commercial or domestic nature; and 12 (b) anything that may reasonably be considered to be 13 refuse, debris or rubbish; and 14 Examples of material likely to be litter under paragraph (b)-- 15 · discarded glass, metal, wood, plastic, paper, fabric or food 16 · discarded soil, sand, concrete or rock 17 · garden remnants and clippings 18 (c) an abandoned vehicle or an abandoned part of a vehicle. 19 `(2) However, litter does not include any gas, dust or smoke 20 emitted or produced-- 21 (a) during, or as a result of, the normal operations of any 22 industry; or 23 (b) from machinery used for domestic purposes. 24 `Division 2 General offence 25 `440C When deposit of litter unlawful 26 `(1) For this part, the deposit of litter by a person at a place is 27 unlawful unless-- 28 (a) the person is an occupier of the place; or 29

 


 

s4 6 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 (b) the person deposits the litter with the consent of an 1 occupier of the place; or 2 (c) the person deposits the litter by placing it in a litter bin 3 or other container provided by an occupier of the place 4 for the purpose of depositing litter. 5 `(2) In this section-- 6 occupier, of a place, includes a person who exercises or may 7 exercise lawful authority or control in relation to the place. 8 `440D Depositing litter 9 `(1) A person must not unlawfully deposit litter at a place unless 10 the person has a reasonable excuse. 11 Maximum penalty-- 12 (a) if the offence involves depositing 200L or more of 13 litter--165 penalty units; or 14 (b) if the offence involves dangerous littering or involves 15 depositing more than 20L but less than 200L of 16 litter--40 penalty units; or 17 (c) if the offence involves depositing litter from a 18 vehicle--30 penalty units; or 19 (d) otherwise--20 penalty units. 20 `(2) In this section-- 21 dangerous littering means depositing litter that causes or is 22 likely to cause harm to a person, animal or property. 23 Examples of dangerous littering-- 24 · throwing a lit cigarette onto dry grass in extreme fire danger 25 conditions 26 · smashing a bottle and leaving the broken glass on a footpath 27 `Division 3 Vehicle littering offence 28 `440E Definitions for div 3 29 `In this division-- 30

 


 

s4 7 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 passenger declaration, for a vehicle littering offence, means a 1 statutory declaration, made by a prescribed person for the 2 offence, stating-- 3 (a) that the person was not the person who deposited the 4 litter; and 5 (b) the name and address of the person who deposited the 6 litter. 7 prescribed person, for a vehicle littering offence, means-- 8 (a) the person in whose name the vehicle associated with 9 the commission of the offence is registered under a 10 registration Act; or 11 (b) a person named in a known user declaration or a sold 12 vehicle declaration under the State Penalties 13 Enforcement Act 1999 in relation to the offence. 14 vehicle littering offence see section 440F. 15 `440F Application of div 3 16 `(1) This division applies to an offence against 440D that is a 17 vehicle littering offence. 18 `(2) An offence against 440D is a vehicle littering offence if-- 19 (a) the offence is committed by a person who is, or 20 becomes, an occupant of a vehicle that is associated 21 with the commission of the offence; and 22 (b) under the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, an 23 offence against section 440D is prescribed to be an 24 offence to which that Act applies. 25 `(3) A vehicle is associated with the commission of an offence 26 against section 440D if, for example, the person who 27 committed the offence-- 28 (a) was in the vehicle when the offence was committed; or 29 (b) used the vehicle to transport litter to a place where the 30 offence was committed; or 31 (c) committed the offence near the vehicle and before 32 entering the vehicle. 33

 


 

s4 8 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 `(4) Despite subsection (1), this division does not apply to a 1 vehicle littering offence if-- 2 (a) the vehicle associated with the commission of the 3 offence was a public passenger vehicle being used to 4 transport members of the public; and 5 (b) the offence was committed by a person other than the 6 driver of the vehicle. 7 `440G Application of State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 8 `(1) For the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, a vehicle 9 littering offence is an offence involving a vehicle as defined 10 under that Act. 11 `(2) For applying the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999 to a 12 vehicle littering offence, the references in sections 17(3), 13 22(1)(c), 33(1)(d) and 157(2)(j) to an illegal user declaration, 14 a known or unknown user declaration or a sold vehicle 15 declaration are taken to include a reference to a passenger 16 declaration. 17 `(3) Subsection (2) does not affect a person's right under the State 18 Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, section 17(3) to give a SPEA 19 declaration for a vehicle for the offence. 20 `(4) However, if a person gives a passenger declaration for the 21 offence, another person may not give a SPEA declaration or a 22 passenger declaration for the same offence. 23 `(5) In this section-- 24 SPEA declaration means an illegal user declaration, a known 25 or unknown user declaration or a sold vehicle declaration 26 under the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999. 27 `440H Effect of passenger declaration 28 `(1) This section applies if-- 29 (a) a vehicle littering offence happens; and 30 (b) an infringement notice for the offence is served on a 31 prescribed person for the offence; and 32

 


 

s4 9 s4 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 (c) the prescribed person makes and gives to the 1 administering authority for the infringement notice a 2 passenger declaration for the offence. 3 `(2) The State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, section 171 applies 4 as if the person named in the declaration as the person who 5 deposited the litter (the passenger) were the owner of the 6 vehicle at the relevant time and date. 7 `(3) A proceeding for the offence may be started against the 8 passenger only if a copy of the declaration has been served on 9 the passenger. 10 `(4) In a proceeding for the offence against the passenger, the 11 declaration is evidence that the passenger deposited the litter 12 at the relevant time and date. 13 `(5) In a proceeding for the offence against the prescribed person, 14 a court must not find the prescribed person guilty of the 15 offence if it is satisfied, whether on the statements contained 16 in the declaration or otherwise, the prescribed person did not 17 deposit the litter at the relevant time and date. 18 `(6) In this section-- 19 administering authority, for the infringement notice, means 20 the administering authority for the notice under the State 21 Penalties Enforcement Act 1999. 22 relevant time and date means the time and date specified in 23 the infringement notice as the time and date of the vehicle 24 littering offence. 25 `440I Service of infringement notice for vehicle littering 26 offence 27 `(1) An infringement notice for a vehicle littering offence may be 28 served on the person named in a passenger declaration as the 29 person who deposited the litter. 30 `(2) If the infringement notice is to be served by post, the notice 31 may be addressed to the person at the person's address stated 32 in the declaration. 33 1 State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, section 17 (Liability for infringement notice offences involving vehicles)

 


 

s5 10 s5 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 `440J Chief executive (transport) must disclose information 1 `(1) This section applies if-- 2 (a) an authorised person is reasonably satisfied that vehicle 3 registry information may be used-- 4 (i) in a proceeding against a person for a vehicle 5 littering offence; or 6 (ii) for the service of an infringement notice on a 7 person for a vehicle littering offence; and 8 (b) the authorised person asks the chief executive 9 (transport) for the information. 10 `(2) The chief executive (transport) must disclose the information 11 to the authorised person if-- 12 (a) the chief executive (transport) reasonably considers that 13 the information may be used-- 14 (i) in a proceeding against the person for the vehicle 15 littering offence; or 16 (ii) for the service of an infringement notice on the 17 person for the vehicle littering offence; or 18 (b) the disclosure is authorised by the person to whom the 19 information relates. 20 `(3) In this section-- 21 chief executive (transport) means the chief executive of the 22 department in which the Transport Operations (Road Use 23 Management) Act 1995 is administered. 24 vehicle registry information means information kept in the 25 register of registered vehicles under a regulation under the 26 Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.'. 27 Clause 5 Insertion of new ch 9, pt 2A 28 After section 463-- 29 insert-- 30

 


 

s6 11 s6 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 `Part 2A Power of authorised persons to 1 give directions about litter 2 removal 3 `463A Direction to remove litter 4 `(1) An authorised person may give a person a direction under 5 subsection (2) if-- 6 (a) the authorised person finds the person committing a 7 relevant offence; or 8 (b) the authorised person-- 9 (i) finds the person in circumstances that lead; or 10 (ii) has information that leads; 11 the authorised person to reasonably suspect the person 12 has just committed a relevant offence. 13 `(2) The authorised person may direct the person to remove the 14 litter that is the subject of the offence within a reasonable time 15 after the person is given the direction. 16 `(3) The direction may be given orally or by written notice. 17 `(4) However, if the direction is given orally, the authorised person 18 must, as soon as practicable, confirm the direction by written 19 notice given to the person. 20 `(5) The authorised person may impose reasonable conditions on 21 the direction. 22 `(6) In this section-- 23 relevant offence means an offence against section 440D 24 involving the deposit of more than 20L of litter. 25 remove includes collect, transport, store, treat or dispose.'. 26 Clause 6 Insertion of new s 474A 27 After section 474-- 28 insert-- 29

 


 

s7 12 s7 Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2007 `474A Failure to comply with authorised person's direction 1 to remove litter 2 `(1) A person to whom a direction is given under section 463A 3 must comply with the direction, including a condition of the 4 direction, unless the person has a reasonable excuse for not 5 complying with it. 6 Maximum penalty--100 penalty units. 7 `(2) The person does not commit an offence against subsection (1) 8 if the person is not proved to have committed the relevant 9 offence under section 463A.'. 10 Clause 7 Amendment of sch 3 (Dictionary) 11 Schedule 3-- 12 insert-- 13 `deposit, for chapter 8, part 3A, see section 440A. 14 infringement notice see the State Penalties Enforcement Act 15 1999, schedule 2. 16 infringement notice offence see the State Penalties 17 Enforcement Act 1999, schedule 2. 18 litter, for chapter 8, part 3A, see section 440B. 19 passenger declaration, for chapter 8, part 3A, division 3, see 20 section 440E. 21 place, for chapter 8, part 3A, see section 440A. 22 prescribed person, for chapter 8, part 3A, division 3, see 23 section 440E. 24 public passenger vehicle see the Transport Operations 25 (Passenger Transport) Act 1994, schedule 3. 26 registration Act see the State Penalties Enforcement Act 1999, 27 schedule 2. 28 vehicle littering offence, for chapter 8, part 3A, division 3, see 29 section 440F.'. 30 © State of Queensland 2007

 


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