Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2013 An Act to apply the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth as a law of this State and for related purposes [Royal Assent 18 July 2013] Be it enacted by His Excellency the Governor of Tasmania, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly, in Parliament assembled, as follows: PART 1 - Preliminary 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2013 . 2. Commencement This Act commences on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent. 3. Object of Act (1) The object of this Act is to adopt in this State a uniform national approach to the regulation of water efficiency labelling and standards. (2) For that purpose, this Act – (a) applies the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth as a law of this State; and (b) makes provision to help ensure that the Commonwealth Act and the law of this State are administered on a uniform basis by the Commonwealth as if they constituted a single law of the Commonwealth. 4. Interpretation (1) In this Act – applied provisions means the Commonwealth water efficiency laws that apply as a law of this State because of section 6 including any modification under section 7 ; Commonwealth administrative laws means the following Acts and regulations of the Commonwealth: (a) the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (excluding Part IVA); (b) the Freedom of Information Act 1982; (c) the Ombudsman Act 1976; (d) the Privacy Act 1988; (e) the regulations in force under any of those Acts; Commonwealth Regulator means the WELS Regulator appointed under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth; Commonwealth water efficiency laws means – (a) the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth; and (b) all regulations, guidelines, principles, standards and codes of practice in force under that Act; function includes duty; modify includes add to, omit and substitute; offence includes a civil breach that gives rise to a civil penalty. (2) If an expression is defined in the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth and is also used in this Act, the expression as used in this Act has, unless the contrary intention appears, the same meaning as in that Act. (3) In this Act, a reference to a Commonwealth Act includes a reference to – (a) that Commonwealth Act, as amended and in force for the time being; and (b) an Act enacted in substitution for that Act and, if it is amended, as amended and in force for the time being. 5. Act to bind the Crown This Act binds the Crown in right of Tasmania and, so far as the legislative power of Parliament permits, in all its other capacities. PART 2 - The Applied Provisions 6. Application of Commonwealth water efficiency laws to this State (1) The Commonwealth water efficiency laws, as in force for the time being and as modified by or under this Act, apply as a law of this State. (2) Those Commonwealth water efficiency laws so apply as if they extended to matters in relation to which this State may make laws – (a) whether or not the Commonwealth may make laws in relation to those matters; and (b) even though the Commonwealth water efficiency laws provide that they apply only to specified matters with respect to which the Commonwealth may make laws. 7. Modification of Commonwealth water efficiency laws (1) The regulations under this Act may also modify the Commonwealth water efficiency laws for the purposes of this Act. (2) Without limiting subsection (1) , the regulations may provide that the Commonwealth water efficiency laws apply under section 6(1) as if an amendment to the Commonwealth water efficiency laws – (a) made by a law of the Commonwealth; and (b) specified in the regulations – had not taken effect. 8. Interpretation of Commonwealth water efficiency laws (1) The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 of the Commonwealth applies as a law of this State in relation to the interpretation of the applied provisions. (2) The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 of the Commonwealth so applies as if the applied provisions were a Commonwealth Act or were regulations or other instruments under a Commonwealth Act, as the case requires. (3) The Acts Interpretation Act 1931 of Tasmania does not apply to the applied provisions. PART 3 - Functions and Powers Under Applied Provisions 9. Functions and powers of Commonwealth Regulator and other authorities and officers The Commonwealth Regulator and other authorities and officers referred to in the applied provisions have the same functions and powers under the applied provisions as they have under the Commonwealth water efficiency laws, as those laws apply to the Commonwealth. 10. Delegations by the Commonwealth Regulator Any delegation by the Commonwealth Regulator under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth is taken to extend to, and have effect for the purposes of, the corresponding provision of the applied provisions. PART 4 - Offences 11. Object of this Part (1) The object of this Part is to further the object of this Act by providing for an offence against the applied provisions to be treated as if it were an offence against a law of the Commonwealth. (2) The purposes for which an offence is to be treated as mentioned in subsection (1) include, for example (but are not limited to) – (a) the investigation and prosecution of offences; and (b) the arrest, custody, bail, trial and conviction of offenders or persons charged with offences; and (c) proceedings relating to a matter referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) ; and (d) appeals and reviews relating to criminal proceedings and to proceedings of the kind referred to in paragraph (c) ; and (e) the sentencing, punishment and release of persons convicted of offences; and (f) fines, penalties and forfeitures; and (g) liability to make reparation in connection with offences; and (h) proceeds of crime; and (i) spent convictions. 12. Application of Commonwealth criminal laws to offences against applied provisions (1) The relevant Commonwealth laws apply as laws of this State in relation to an offence against the applied provisions as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth and not a law of this State. (2) For the purposes of a law of this State, an offence against the applied provisions – (a) is taken to be an offence against the laws of the Commonwealth, in the same way as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth; and (b) is taken not to be an offence against the laws of this State. (3) Subsection (2) has effect for the purposes of a law of this State except as provided by the regulations under this Act. 13. Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities relating to offences (1) A Commonwealth law applying because of section 12 that confers on a Commonwealth officer or authority a function or power in relation to an offence against the Commonwealth water efficiency laws also confers on the officer or authority the same function or power in relation to an offence against the corresponding provision of the applied provisions. (2) In performing a function or exercising a power conferred by this section, the Commonwealth officer or authority must act as nearly as practicable as the officer or authority would act in performing or exercising the same function or power in relation to an offence against the corresponding provision of the Commonwealth water efficiency laws. 14. No double jeopardy for offences against applied provisions (1) If – (a) an act or omission is an offence against this Act and is also an offence against the Commonwealth Act; and (b) the offender has been punished for the offence under the Commonwealth Act – the offender is not liable to be punished for the offence under this Act. (2) If a person has paid, or been ordered to pay, a pecuniary penalty under the Commonwealth Act, the person is not liable to a pecuniary penalty under this Act in respect of the same conduct. PART 5 - Administration Laws 15. Application of Commonwealth administrative laws to applied provisions (1) The Commonwealth administrative laws apply as laws of this State to any matter arising in relation to the applied provisions as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth and not a law of this State. (2) For the purposes of a law of this State, a matter arising in relation to the applied provisions – (a) is taken to be a matter arising in relation to laws of the Commonwealth in the same way as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth; and (b) is taken not to be a matter arising in relation to laws of this State. (3) Subsection (2) has effect for the purposes of a law of this State except as provided by the regulations under this Act. (4) Any provision of a Commonwealth administrative law applying because of this section that purports to confer jurisdiction on a federal court is taken not to have that effect. (5) For the purposes of this section, a reference in a provision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 of the Commonwealth (as that provision applies as a law of this jurisdiction) to the whole or any part of Part IVA of that Act is taken to be a reference to the whole or any part of that Part as it has effect as a law of the Commonwealth. 16. Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities (1) A Commonwealth administrative law applying because of section 15 that confers on a Commonwealth officer or authority a function or power also confers on the officer or authority the same function or power in relation to a matter arising in relation to the applied provisions. (2) In performing a function or exercising a power conferred by this section, the Commonwealth officer or authority must act as nearly as practicable as the officer or authority would act in performing or exercising the same function or power under the Commonwealth administrative law. PART 6 - Miscellaneous 17. Things done for multiple purposes The validity of a licence, certificate or other thing issued, given or done for the purposes of the applied provisions is not affected only because it was issued, given or done also for the purposes of the Commonwealth water efficiency laws. 18. Reference in Commonwealth law to a provision of another law For the purposes of sections 12 and 15 , a reference in a Commonwealth law to a provision of that or another Commonwealth law is taken to be a reference to that provision as applying because of those sections. 19. Fees and other money All fees, penalties, fines and other money that, under this Act and the applied provisions, are authorised or directed to be payable by or imposed on any person (but not including an amount ordered to be refunded to another person) must be paid to the Commonwealth. 20. Amendments to Commonwealth Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005, &c. (1) The Minister is to cause any amendment to – (a) the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth; and (b) any regulations in force under that Act – to be tabled in each House of Parliament within 10 sitting-days from the date on which the amendment commences. (2) Nothing in this section affects the operation of that amendment. 21. Regulations The Governor may make regulations for the purposes of this Act. 22. Administration of Act Until provision is made in relation to this Act by order under section 4 of the Administrative Arrangements Act 1990 – (a) the administration of this Act is assigned to the Minister for Primary Industries and Water; and (b) the department responsible to that Minister in relation to the administration of this Act is the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. 23. Legislation repealed The legislation specified in Schedule 1 is repealed. 24. Legislation revoked The legislation specified in Schedule 2 is revoked. SCHEDULE 1 - Legislation repealed Section 23 Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 (No. 34 of 2005) SCHEDULE 2 - Legislation revoked Section 24 Proclamation under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 (No. 9 of 2006)