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Quarantine Act 1908Act No. 3 of 1908 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 26 November 2008

taking into account amendments up to Act No. 117 of 2008

The text of any of those amendments not in forceon that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may beaffected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,Attorney-Generals Department, Canberra

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ContentsPart IIntroductory 1

1 Short title [ see Note 1].......................................................................1 2 Commencement [ see Note 1].............................................................1 2A Power to supersede Quarantine measures under State Acts............... 1 2B Proclamation in event of epidemic ...................... ....................... .......1 3 Coordinated response powers..................... ....................... ................ 2 4 Scope of quarantine ..................... ...................... ....................... ......... 5 5 Interpretation .................... ....................... ...................... .................... 6 5AA References to quarantine officer .....................................................23 5A Special Quarantine Zones.... ....................... ....................... .............. 23 5B When person or thing is taken to have been exposed to

another person or thing....................................................................24 5C Power or requirement to do or cause a thing to be done .................. 24 5D Level of quarantine risk... ....................... ....................... .................. 24 5E References to aircraft and commander of an aircraft ....................... 25 6 Extension of Act to Cocos Islands and Christmas Island................. 25 6AB Extension of Act to Ashmore and Cartier Islands...................... ......25 6A Special provision regarding resources installations in the

Joint Petroleum Development Area.................................................25 6B Power to make, vary, suspend or revoke various instruments

etc. ....................... ...................... ....................... ...................... ......... 26 6C Provisions relating to conditions, restrictions or requirements..... ...27 7 No appropriation....................... ....................... ...................... .......... 28

Part IIAdministration 29 8A Officers responsible for human quarantine........... ........................ ...29 8B Officers responsible for animal and plant quarantine ...................... 29 9 Appointment of officers responsible for human quarantine.............30 9AA Appointment of officers responsible for animal and plant

quarantine........................................................................................31 9A Temporary quarantine officers ....................... ........................ ......... 32 10 Delegation by Minister .................... ........................ ....................... .32 10A Delegation by Secretary................................... ...................... .......... 33 10B Delegation by Director of Quarantine ....................... ...................... 33 11 Arrangements with State and Territory Governments to aid

in carrying out this Act ..................... ...................... ....................... ..33

Part IIAProposed decisions affecting the environment 35 11A Definitions.......................................................................................35 11B Decisions under this Act not to be regarded as actions for the

purposes of the Environment Protection and BiodiversityConservation Act.............................................................................35

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11C Requirement to seek from Environment Minister adviceabout proposed decision involving significant risk of environmental harm.........................................................................35

11D Provision of advice by Environment Minister ....................... .......... 36 11E Director of Quarantine to take advice into account ......................... 36

Part IIIGeneral provisions 37 12 Declared places.............................. ...................... ....................... .....37 12A Minister may take quarantine measures in an emergency................37 12B Laboratories etc. .................... ...................... ....................... ............. 37 13 Proclamation of ports of entry etc.............................. ...................... 38 13A Emergency quarantine grounds ....................... ...................... .......... 43 14 Exemption of certain vessels and goods ..................... ..................... 43 14A Exemptions pursuant to Torres Strait Treaty ........................ ........... 44 15 Vessels may be directed to carry disinfecting equipment ................ 45 16AA Certain resources installations to be part of Australia ..................... 45 16AAA Certain sea installations to be part of Australia ..................... .......... 46 16AB Certain goods deemed to be imported into Australia............... ........47 16AC Notice of proposed importation of goods ...................... .................. 48 16AD Quarantine officer may require additional information about

goods .................... ....................... ....................... ........................ .....49 16AE False or misleading information ..................... ....................... .......... 50 16AF Manner of communicating decisions by quarantine officers ........... 50 16AG Evidence of giving of notices by electronic means.......................... 51 16AH Vessel arriving illegally at a place other than a port ........................ 51

Part IVQuarantine of vessels, persons and goods 52 Division 1AApplication 52

16A Part applies to animals and plants.............. ........................ .............. 52 Division 1Liability to quarantine 53

17 Vessels or installation subject to quarantine. ......................... .......... 53 18 Persons and goods subject to quarantine ....................... .................. 53 19 Revival of Quarantine (Cocos Islands)...................... ...................... 55 19AA Revival of quarantine (Christmas Island) ...................... .................. 56 19A Continuance of liability to quarantine ...................... ....................... 56 20 Vessels to enter only first ports of entry unless permission

given................................................................................................57 20A Overseas aircraft to land only at landing places unless

permission given..............................................................................58 20AA Permission to enter place other than first port of entry .................... 58

20B Prohibition of entry by air from proclaimed places ......................... 59 20C Aircraft landing at places other than landing places ........................ 61 20D Animals, plants or other goods to be landed at declared port .......... 62 21 Quarantine signals on vessels and installations ........................ .......63

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22 Notification of outbreak of a disease ..................... ........................ ..64 23 Signal...............................................................................................65 24 Unauthorised person not to board or approach vessel or

installation ........................ ....................... ....................... ................. 65 25 When required vessel to be brought to ...................... ...................... 66 25A Boarding of installations.................... ........................ ...................... 66 26 Limit in port for vessels subject to quarantine.. ........................ .......66 26A Vessels to be brought to mooring grounds ..................... ................. 67 27A Pre-arrival and pre-departure reports by certain vessels

(other than aircraft) and installations...............................................67 27B Pre-arrival and pre-departure reports by certain aircraft.......... ........70 28 Quarantine officer may require master and medical officer of

vessel or installation to answer questions ..................... ................... 72 29 People not to leave, or to remove goods from, vessel or

installation that is subject to quarantine...........................................75 29A Animal or thing that has been exposed to an animal that hasbeen killed or has died not to be removed from an overseas

vessel or an overseas installation without permission......................76 29B Directions about animals on vessels or installations............ ............ 78 30 Persons prohibited from quitting vessels, installations and

quarantine areas...............................................................................79 31 Apprehension of persons liable to quarantine............... ................... 80 32 Mooring of vessels from declared places............................... .......... 80 32A Vessel coming from declared place may be directed not to

enter a port.......................................................................................81 32B Pratique in relation to certain overseas aircraft.......................