Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

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WATER ACT 2007 - SECT 51

Authority to prepare discussion paper and seek submissions

  (1)   This section applies if the Authority undertakes a review of the Basin Plan.

  (2)   The Authority must consult with:

  (a)   the Basin States; and

  (b)   the Basin Officials Committee; and

  (c)   the Basin Community Committee;

in preparing a discussion paper in relation to the review.

  (3)   In preparing the discussion paper, the Authority may undertake such other consultation as it considers appropriate.

  (4)   Without limiting subsection   (3), the discussion paper must set out the issues to be addressed in the review.

  (5)   The Authority must make the discussion paper available on its website.

  (6)   The Authority must:

  (a)   give a copy of the discussion paper to the relevant State Minister for each of the Basin States; and

  (b)   invite the Basin State to make submissions to the Authority on the review; and

  (c)   allow the Basin State at least 12 weeks from when the invitation is given to make submissions to the Authority on the review.

  (7)   The Authority must:

  (a)   publish an invitation to members of the public to make submissions to the Authority on the review; and

  (b)   allow at least 12 weeks from the start of the consultation period for submissions to be made to the Authority on the review.

  (8)   The invitation under paragraph   (7)(a) must be published:

  (a)   in the Gazette ; and

  (b)   in a newspaper circulating generally in each Basin State; and

  (c)   on the Authority's website.

The consultation period starts when the invitation is published in the Gazette .

  (9)   The invitation under paragraph   (7)(a) must:

  (a)   specify how a person may obtain a copy of the discussion paper; and

  (b)   specify a physical address, and an email address, to which a person may send submissions on the review to the Authority; and

  (c)   specify the date by which submissions must be received by the Authority; and

  (d)   indicate that submissions that a person makes to the Authority on the review will be published on the Authority's website unless the person specifically requests the Authority to treat the submissions (or a particular part of the submissions) confidentially.

  (11)   The Authority must publish on its website the submissions it receives on the review in response to the invitations issued under subsections   (6) and (7).

  (12)   Subsection   (11) does not apply to the submissions (or a part of the submissions) that a person makes to the Authority if the person requests the Authority to treat the submissions (or that part of the submissions) confidentially.

Note:   See paragraph   (9)(d).

  (13)   The Authority must consider any submissions it receives in response to the invitations issued under subsections   (6) and (7).


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