Victorian Bills Explanatory Memoranda Victorian Bills Explanatory Memoranda[Index] [Search] [Download] [Bill] [Help]
Electricity Industry Amendment
(Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2009
Introduction Print
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
General
The Bill amends the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to protect critical
electricity infrastructure and plant and equipment or related vehicles on a
critical electricity infrastructure site.
Clause Notes
Clause 1 sets out the purpose of the Bill.
Clause 2 sets out the commencement for the Bill. The Bill will come into
operation on the day after the day it receives the Royal Assent.
Clause 3 provides that references in the Bill to the Principal Act are to the
Electricity Industry Act 2000.
Clause 4 amends section 3 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to insert
the following new definitions for the purpose of new Part 4:
critical electricity infrastructure, critical generation facility and
related coal mine.
The term critical electricity infrastructure is defined to mean
generators with generation capacity of 1000 kVA or greater,
related coal mines and water storage facilities, and substations,
terminal stations and switchyards.
Clause 5 inserts a new Part 4 into the Electricity Industry Act 2000.
New section 79 makes it an offence for a person to be present on
land or premises on which or in an enclosure in which critical
electricity infrastructure is situated and who knows he or she
does not have authority to be on that land or premises or in that
enclosure. The maximum penalty for this offence is
imprisonment for one year.
561445 1 BILL LA INTRODUCTION 13/10/2009
New section 80(1) and (2) makes it an offence for a person to
damage, interfere or tamper with, or attach a thing to, plant or
equipment that forms part of critical electricity infrastructure or
plant or equipment or a relevant infrastructure vehicle on land
or premises on which, or in an enclosure in which, critical
electricity infrastructure is situated and who knows he or she
does not have authority to do such an act and who is reckless
as to whether such an act will result in the disruption of the
generation, transmission or distribution of electricity.
The maximum penalty for the two offences in section 80(1)
and (2) is imprisonment for two years. The term relevant
infrastructure vehicle is defined in new section 80(3).
Clause 6 provides for the repeal of the Act on the first anniversary of its
commencement. The repeal of the Act does not affect the
operation of the amendments made by the Act (see section 15(1)
of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).
2