Australian Capital Territory
Nature Conservation (Fees) Determination 2015 (No 1)
Disallowable Instrument DI2015–119
made under the  
Nature Conservation Act 2014, s368 (Determination of fees etc)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The ACT Legislative Assembly passed the Nature Conservation Act 2014 (Act) in November 2014. When the Act commences it will repeal the Nature Conservation Act 1980 (former Act). The Act also revokes the Nature Conservation (Fees) Determination 2014 (No 2) – DI2014-161, which determined fees under the former Act for the 2014-15 financial year.

Section 368 of the Act permits the Minister to determine fees for the purposes of the Act. Section 81 of the Legislation Act 2001 applies to the exercise of a power to make a statutory instrument given by a law that has been notified but has not commenced. The Act was notified on the Legislation Register on 11 December 2014 and will commence by default on11 June 2015.

This instrument determines the fees for licence applications under the Act and entry fees for Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve from its commencement until 30 June 2016.

The fees from commencement until 30 June 2015 reflect the fees, where relevant, as are determined in DI2014-161. The fees for the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 represent a maximum increase of 4 per cent on the fees for the 2014-15 financial year, in accordance with ACT Treasury’s inflation factor. Appropriate rounding has occurred in relation to increases.

This instrument also waives the payment of daily entry fees to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Australia Day and Tidbinbilla Extravaganza. No entry fee is payable by pedestrians and cyclists.

A Regulatory Impact Statement is unnecessary as this fee determination disallowable instrument is an amendment of a fee consistent with announced government policy (s36(1)(k) of the Legislation Act).

A determination under section 368 of the Act is a disallowable instrument.