{"id":"sr:crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021","name":"Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021","slug":"crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":183811,"registerId":"vic-sr:crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021","content":"Version No. 003\n\n**Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021**\n\n**S.R. No. 64/2021**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n11 June 2025\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\nPart 1—Preliminary 1\n\n1 Objectives 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Definitions 1\n\nPart 2—Standard licence fees 3\n\n4 Application for standard licence 3\n\n5 Annual licence fee for standard licence 3\n\n6 Use fee for standard licence 4\n\n7 Use fee cap 4\n\n8 Payment of use fee 4\n\n9 Use fee form 5\n\nPart 3—Competitively allocated licence fees 6\n\n10 Application of Part 6\n\n11 Application for competitively allocated licence 6\n\n12 Annual licence fees for competitively allocated licence 6\n\n13 Use fees for competitively allocated licence 7\n\n14 Use fee form 7\n\nPart 4—Reduction, refund and waiver 9\n\n15 Reduction, waiver or refund of licence fees 9\n\n16 Fees cannot be waived, reduced or refunded in certain circumstances 10\n\n17 Surrender of licence 11\n\nPart 5—Expiry 12\n\n18 Expiry 12\n\nSchedule 1 13\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 14\n\n1 General information 14\n\n2 Table of Amendments 16\n\n3 Explanatory details 17\n\n**Version No.** **003**\n\n**Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021**\n\n**S.R. No. 64/2021**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n11 June 2025\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n\t1 Objectives\n\nThe objectives of these Regulations are—\n\n(a) to prescribe the fees payable in respect of tour operator licences granted in respect of land reserved under section 4 of the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**; and\n\n(b) to provide for the reduction, waiver or refund of tour operator licence fees.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 31 of the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**.\n\n\t3 Definitions\n\nIn these Regulations—\n\n***child*** means—\n\n(a) a person under the age of 16; or\n\n(b) a person of compulsory school age who is educated at a school;\n\n***competitively allocated licence*** means a tour operator licence granted to a person following a competitive licence application process;\n\n***compulsory school age*** has the same meaning as it has in the **Education and Training Reform Act 2006**;\n\n***Expression of Interest document*** means an invitation advertised to the public requesting persons interested in conducting organised tours or recreational activities for profit that are specified in the document to apply for a competitively allocated licence;\n\n***school*** has the same meaning as it has in the **Education and Training Reform Act 2006**;\n\n***standard licence*** means a tour operator licence granted to a person following a standard licence application process;\n\n***the Act*** means the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**;\n\n***use fee*** means the fee payable by the holder of a tour operator licence calculated by the land manager based on the number of individuals who, each day, enter land reserved under section 4 of the Act as part of an organised tour or recreational activity for profit conducted by the holder of the tour operator licence;\n\n***use fee cap*** means the maximum use fee specified in regulation 7.\n\nPart 2—Standard licence fees\n\n\t4 Application for standard licence\n\nFor the purposes of section 21C of the Act, an applicant for a standard licence is not required to pay a fee under that section but is required to pay an annual licence fee under regulation 5 if granted that licence.\n\n\t5 Annual licence fee for standard licence\n\n(1) For the purposes of section 21D of the Act, the annual licence fee for a standard licence granted for one year comprises—\n\n(a) a fee in accordance with subregulation (2); and\n\n(b) a use fee in accordance with regulation 6.\n\n(2) The holder of a standard licence granted for one year must pay a fee of 20·78 fee units on the granting of the licence.\n\n(3) For the purposes of section 21D of the Act, the annual licence fee for a standard licence granted for more than one year comprises—\n\n(a) the relevant fees in accordance with subregulation (4)(a) and (b); and\n\n(b) a use fee in accordance with regulation 6.\n\n(4) The holder of a standard licence granted for more than one year must pay a fee of 16·3 fee units—\n\n(a) on the granting of the licence, in respect of the period commencing on the granting of the licence and ending on 30 June of the financial year in which the licence was granted; and\n\n(b) by 30 June in respect of each subsequent financial year for which the licence is in force.\n\n(5) The holder of a standard licence granted for more than one year may elect to pay the fee payable under subregulation (4)(b) in a lump sum on the granting of the licence.\n\n\t6 Use fee for standard licence\n\n(1) Subject to regulation 7, the use fee payable on a standard licence is comprised of the amount calculated by the land manager under subregulations (2) and (3).\n\n(2) The use fee payable in respect of each person who is not a child is $2.40 for each day the person participates in an organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the standard licence holds the licence.\n\n(3) The use fee payable in respect of each child is $1.60 for each day the child participates in an organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the standard licence holds the licence.\n\n\t7 Use fee cap\n\nIf the use fees payable under regulation 6 by the holder of a standard licence at the end of each financial year exceed the use fee cap of 1018·74 fee units, the holder of the licence is not liable to pay any use fees in excess of that use fee cap.\n\n\t8 Payment of use fee\n\n(1) The holder of a standard licence may pay the use fees payable under the licence quarterly or annually.\n\n(2) If the holder of a standard licence pays the use fees payable under the licence and that licence holder pays more than the use fee cap, at the end of the financial year the licence holder is entitled to a refund for any amount paid in excess of the use fee cap.\n\n\t9 Use fee form\n\n(1) The holder of a standard licence must maintain a record of the number of persons that participate in any organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the standard licence holds the licence.\n\n(2) A record referred to in subregulation (1) must—\n\n(a) be kept in respect of each day the organised tour or recreational activity is conducted; and\n\n(b) be in Form 1 in Schedule 1; and\n\n(c) be provided to the land manager  on a quarterly or an annual basis.\n\nPart 3—Competitively allocated licence fees\n\n\t10 Application of Part\n\nThis Part applies if the land manager determines that it is necessary to limit the number of tour operator licences granted in respect of land reserved under section 4 of the Act for all or any of the following—\n\n(a) environmental reasons;\n\n(b) cultural reasons;\n\n(c) to ensure public safety.\n\n\t11 Application for competitively allocated licence\n\nFor the purposes of section 21C of the Act, an applicant for a competitively allocated licence is not required to pay a fee under that section but is required to pay an annual licence fee under regulation 12 if granted that licence.\n\n\t12 Annual licence fees for competitively allocated licence\n\n(1) For the purposes of section 21D of the Act, the annual licence fee for a competitively allocated licence comprises—\n\n(a) the fee fixed by the land manager and set out in the relevant Expression of Interest document for that competitively allocated licence, having regard to any guidelines issued by the Minister; and\n\n(b) a use fee calculated in accordance with regulation 13.\n\n(2) The fee fixed by the land manager under subregulation (1)(a) must be a minimum of 20·78 fee units.\n\n(3) The holder of a competitively allocated licence must pay the licence fee fixed under subregulation (1)(a)—\n\n(a) on the granting of the licence in respect of the period commencing on the granting of the licence and ending on 30 June of the financial year in which the licence was granted, and by 30 June in respect of each subsequent financial year for which the licence is in force; or\n\n(b) in a lump sum at the start of the licence period.\n\n\t13 Use fees for competitively allocated licence\n\n(1) The use fee payable on a competitively allocated licence is the amount calculated by the land manager as follows—\n\n(a) $2.40 in respect of each person who is not a child for each day the person participates in an organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the competitively allocated licence holds the licence;\n\n(b) $1.60 in respect of each child for each day the child participates in an organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the competitively allocated licence holds the licence.\n\n(2) The holder of a competitively allocated licence may pay the use fee quarterly or annually.\n\n\t14 Use fee form\n\n(1) The holder of a competitively allocated licence must maintain a record of the number of persons who participate in any organised tour or recreational activity for which the holder of the competitively allocated licence holds the licence.\n\n(2) A record referred to in subregulation (1) must—\n\n(a) be kept in respect of each day the organised tour or recreational activity is conducted; and\n\n(b) be in Form 1 in Schedule 1; and\n\n(c) be provided to the land manager  on a quarterly or an annual basis.\n\nPart 4—Reduction, refund and waiver\n\n\t15 Reduction, waiver or refund of licence fees\n\n(1) The holder of a standard licence or the holder of a competitively allocated licence may apply to the land manager for a fee payable under these Regulations—\n\n(a) to be waived in full or in part; or\n\n(b) to be reduced; or\n\n(c) to be refunded.\n\n(2) An application under subregulation (1) must be in writing.\n\n(3) Subject to regulation 16, the land manager may—\n\n(a) waive, in full or in part, a fee payable under these Regulations; or\n\n(b) reduce a fee payable under these Regulations; or\n\n(c) refund a fee paid under these Regulations.\n\n(4) The land manager must have regard to the following when making a decision under subregulation (3)—\n\n(a) whether payment of the fee would cause, or has caused, undue financial hardship to the holder of a licence;\n\n(b) whether payment of the fee by a holder of a licence would be manifestly unfair;\n\n(c) the impact a natural or unnatural event has had on the ability of a holder of a licence to continue to conduct organised tours or recreational activities on land reserved under section 4 of the Act.\n\n(5) A waiver, reduction or refund under subregulation (3) may be made—\n\n(a) on the land manager's own motion; or\n\n(b) on an application under subregulation (1).\n\n\t16 Fees cannot be waived, reduced or refunded in certain circumstances\n\n(1) The holder of a standard licence, or the holder of a competitively allocated licence, whose licence has been suspended under section 21H of the Act is not eligible to have—\n\n(a) outstanding fees payable under these Regulations waived; or\n\n(b) outstanding fees payable under these Regulations reduced; or\n\n(c) any fees paid under these Regulations refunded.\n\n(2) Subject to subregulation (3), a person whose licence has been cancelled under section 21J of the Act is not eligible to have—\n\n(a) outstanding fees payable under these Regulations waived; or\n\n(b) outstanding fees payable under these Regulations reduced; or\n\n(c) in the case of a licence granted for one year—any fees paid under these Regulations refunded; or\n\n(d) in the case of a licence granted for more than one year—any fees paid for any completed or commenced year of the licence refunded.\n\n(3) If a person whose licence has been cancelled under section 21J of the Act held that licence for a period greater than one year before that cancellation, that person remains eligible for a refund on a pro-rata basis of fees for a non‑commenced year of the licence if that person paid the fees in advance.\n\n\t17 Surrender of licence\n\nThe land manager may refund to a holder  \nof a licence on a pro-rata basis for any non‑commenced year of the licence any fees paid in advance under these Regulations if the holder of the licence surrenders the licence.\n\nPart 5—Expiry\n\nReg. 18 amended by S.R. Nos 41/2023 reg. 3, 41/2025 reg. 3.\n\n\t18 Expiry\n\nThese Regulations expire on 30 June 2026.\n\nSchedule 1\n\nForm 1\n\nRegulations 9 and 14\n\nTour Operator Trip Return\n\n|  | Licence No.:<br>Licence Holder: |\n| --- | --- |\n\n| **Date** | **Location** | **Activity** | **No. of adults** | **x No.    of    days/   trips** | **A**<br>**x $XX    = Total** | **Total** | **No. of students/   children** | **x No.    of    days/   trips** | **Total** | **B**<br>**x $XX = Total** | **A + B totals = Use fee total** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | **Use fee amount:** | **$** |\n\n| *I certify that the records above are a true and correct account of all tours conducted on public land for the period:*<br>Please tick  1 July–30 September  1 January–31 March<br>  1 October–31 December  1 April–30 June |\n| --- |\n\n| Address of land management agency: |\n| --- |\n\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021, S.R. No. 64/2021 were made on 29 June 2021 by the Governor in Council under section 31 of the **Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978**, No. 9212/1978 and came into operation on 29 June 2021.\n\nThe Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021 will expire on 30 June 2026: see regulation 18 (as amended by S.R. Nos 41/2023 and 41/2025).\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the Crown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Regulations 2021 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\nCrown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Amendment Regulations 2023, S.R. No. 41/2023\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 6.6.23 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | 6.6.23 |\n\n\nCrown Land (Reserves) (Tour Operator Licence Fee) Amendment Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 41/2025\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 11.6.25 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | 11.6.25 |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n**Fee Units**\n\nThese Regulations provide for fees by reference to fee units within the meaning of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**. The amount of the fee is to be calculated, in accordance with section 7 of that Act, by multiplying the number of fee units applicable by the value of a fee unit.\n\nThe value of a fee unit for the financial year commencing 1 July 2024 is $16.33 and for the financial year commencing 1 July 2025 is $16.81. The amount of the calculated fee may be rounded to the nearest 10 cents.\n\nThe value of a fee unit for future financial years is to be fixed by the Treasurer under section 5 of the **Monetary Units Act 2004**. The value of a fee unit for a financial year must be published in the Government Gazette and a Victorian newspaper before 1 June in the preceding financial year.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations appear to remain within their original intended scope of setting tour operator licence fees for Crown land reserves. There is no evidence from the available text of scope creep or expansion beyond this narrow purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, single-purpose instrument focused only on licence fees","Operates as subordinate legislation (regulations) under a parent Act, requiring understanding of that broader framework","Limited substantive content visible in the provided text — primarily metadata","Fee-based regulations are generally straightforward in structure"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set the licence fees that tour operators must pay to run commercial tours on Victorian Crown land reserves. They apply to businesses running guided or commercial activities in parks and reserves and matter because holding the correct licence (and paying the fee) is a legal requirement; non‑compliance can lead to penalties."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument retains the original, narrow purpose stated in regulation 1: prescribing tour-operator licence fees for reserved Crown land and providing for reductions, waivers and refunds. Amendments incorporated in this version update operational details (fee‑unit conversions and values for particular financial years, and technical updates such as the expiry date) and adjust numeric figures where necessary, but they do not materially broaden the regulatory scope beyond charging, recording and administering licence and per‑person use fees or the waiver/refund framework. The substantive coverage—standard and competitively allocated licences, per‑person use fees, a use-fee cap for standard licences, record‑keeping, and land‑manager discretion on waivers—remains consistent with the instrument’s original purpose (see Regs 1, 5–7, 12–13, 15–17)."},"complexity_factors":["9 defined terms in regulation 3 (child; competitively allocated licence; compulsory school age; Expression of Interest document; school; standard licence; the Act; use fee; use fee cap).","Five Parts plus Schedule; 18 regulations and a Schedule (Form 1).","Multiple cross-references to other Acts: Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 (ss 4, 21C, 21D, 21H, 21J), Education and Training Reform Act 2006, Monetary Units Act 2004.","Two parallel fee regimes (standard licence v competitively allocated licence) with distinct rules for fee-setting, payment timing and caps (Parts 2 and 3).","Nested conditionality around multi-year licences (reg 5(3)–(5), reg 12(3)) and around suspension/cancellation exceptions (reg 16(1)–(3)).","Discretionary decision points concentrated at the land manager (fee-setting for competitive licences, waiver/reduction/refund decisions) with Ministerial guidelines referenced (reg 12(1)(a), reg 15).","Use-fee calculations plus a use-fee cap denominated in fee units (reg 6, reg 7) requiring annual conversion to dollars under the Monetary Units Act (explanatory details).","Record‑keeping and reporting obligations (daily records, quarterly/annual returns, prescribed Form 1) create repetitive compliance steps (regs 9, 14; Schedule 1)."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics)**\n\n- Sets the fees that apply to people or businesses who hold a tour operator licence to run organised tours or recreational activities for profit on land reserved under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 (the Act). (Regs 1, 5–7, 12–13.)\n\n- Distinguishes two paths for licences:\n  - **Standard licence** (granted through a standard application process). Different annual fee rules apply depending on whether the licence is for one year or multiple years. (Regs 4–6.)\n  - **Competitively allocated licence** (granted following a public competitive process because the land manager has limited the number of licences for reasons such as environmental, cultural or public safety). The land manager fixes the licence fee (subject to a statutory minimum) and sets it out in the Expression of Interest document. (Regs 3 definition, 10–13.)\n\n- Requires a per-person “use fee” for each day a person participates in an organised tour on reserved land. The rates are $2.40 per adult per day and $1.60 per child per day, applied to both standard and competitively allocated licences (subject to the cap for standard licences). (Regs 6(2)–(3), 13(1).)\n\n- Caps total use-fee liability for standard licences at 1018.74 fee units per financial year; once that cap is reached the licence-holder pays no further use fees for that year. (Reg 7.)\n\n- Permits quarterly or annual payment of use fees and allows lump-sum pre-payments for multi‑year licences. If pre-payments exceed the cap, a refund is due at financial-year end. (Regs 5(4)–(5), 8(1)–(2), 12(3).)\n\n- Requires licence-holders to keep daily records of participants and to provide those records to the land manager quarterly or annually using the prescribed Form 1 (Tour Operator Trip Return). (Regs 9, 14; Schedule 1.)\n\n- Gives the land manager discretion to waive, reduce or refund fees in defined circumstances (undue financial hardship, manifest unfairness, or significant impact from events), subject to exclusions where licences have been suspended or cancelled. Applications must be in writing, but the land manager may also act on their own motion. (Regs 15–16.)\n\n- Provides for pro‑rata refunds when a licence is surrendered or, in certain cases, when a cancelled licence had fees paid in advance for a non‑commenced year. (Regs 16(3), 17.)\n\n- The Regulations expire on 30 June 2026. (Reg 18.)\n\n**Who pays and who decides**\n\n- Tour operator licence-holders pay:\n  - an annual licence fee (amount varies by licence type and term) and\n  - a use fee charged per person per day on tours conducted under the licence. (Regs 5–6, 12–13.)\n\n- The land manager (the statutory official/agency responsible for that reserved land) decides:\n  - when the competitive allocation process applies (reasons listed in reg 10),\n  - the licence fee for competitively allocated licences (subject to a minimum of 20.78 fee units and any Ministerial guidelines) and\n  - whether to waive, reduce or refund fees. (Regs 10, 12(1)–(2), 15.)\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and operational effects)**\n\n- The Regulations implement the stated objective of prescribing fees and providing for reductions, waivers and refunds for tour operator licences on reserved Crown land. (Reg 1.)\n\n- Direct fiscal effect on tour operators: a per‑person, per‑day charge (adults $2.40; children $1.60) plus annual licence fees expressed in fee units. For standard licences there is an upper bound on use-fee liability each year (reg 7), which limits exposure for high-volume operators.\n\n- Administrative and compliance effects on operators: daily record‑keeping and quarterly or annual return to the land manager (Regs 9, 14, Schedule 1). That imposes time and transaction costs and creates a verifiable basis for fee collection.\n\n- Discretionary elements give the land manager flexibility (fee-setting for competitive licences and waiver/refund power). This produces variability across sites and licence types and concentrates decision-making with the land manager (Regs 12(1)(a), 15).\n\n**Costs, incentives and implementation trade-offs (concrete mechanisms)**\n\n- Who pays: licence-holders directly pay per-person fees and annual licence fees (Regs 5–6, 12–13). Those costs are likely to be factored into tour pricing or operator margins.\n\n- Revenue concentration: the land manager receives the fee revenue (mechanism: licence and use-fee payments to the land manager) and controls some fee-setting for competitively allocated licences (Reg 12(1)).\n\n- Compliance burden: daily participant counts, maintenance of Form 1 and quarterly/annual reporting create ongoing administrative work for operators (Regs 9(1)–(2), 14(1)–(2), Schedule 1).\n\n- Risk and discretion: the land manager’s discretion to set competitive-licence fees and to grant waivers or refunds introduces variability and potential for case-by-case outcomes (Regs 12(1)(a), 15(3)). Guidelines by the Minister may constrain the land manager but are not specified in these Regulations (Reg 12(1)(a)).\n\n- Protection for high-volume operators: the use-fee cap for standard licences limits exposure in high‑volume years but applies only to standard licences (Reg 7).\n\n- Treatment of licence suspension/cancellation: operators suspended under the Act are ineligible for waivers/refunds of outstanding fees; cancelled licences generally forfeit refunds for completed/commenced years, though limited pro‑rata refunds for non‑commenced years may apply in multi‑year licences paid in advance (Reg 16(1)–(3)). These rules create incentives around licence compliance and the timing of pre-payments.\n\n**Key cross-references and implementation details to note**\n\n- The Regulations operate under s. 31 of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 and interact with Act provisions about licence grant, suspension and cancellation (see regs 2, 4, 11, 16 and citations to ss 21C, 21D, 21H, 21J of the Act).\n\n- Fees are expressed in fee units and converted to dollar amounts under the Monetary Units Act 2004; fee-unit values are set annually by the Treasurer and published (Explanatory details at end of instrument). The fee-unit conversion affects actual dollar amounts of licence fees and the use-fee cap.\n\n- Children are defined for fee purposes (persons under 16 or of compulsory school age educated at school) — that affects which participants attract the lower child rate (Reg 3 definitions)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of prescribing fees for tour operator licences on Crown land reserves. The 2023 and 2025 amendments appear limited to extending the expiry date (now 30 June 2026) rather than expanding substantive scope."},"complexity_factors":["Dual fee structures (standard vs competitively allocated) with different calculation methods","Use of 'fee units' requiring cross-reference to Monetary Units Act 2004 for actual dollar values","Multiple timing options for payment (lump sum vs annual vs quarterly)","Pro-rata refund calculations for surrendered or cancelled multi-year licences","Nested conditions in Part 4 distinguishing between suspension, cancellation, and surrender scenarios","Cross-references to Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 sections 21C, 21D, 21H, 21J","Defined terms rely on external legislation (Education and Training Reform Act 2006 for 'school' and 'compulsory school age')","Use fee cap creates a conditional ceiling that requires year-end reconciliation and potential refunds"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set out the fees that tour operators must pay to run commercial tours on Crown land reserves in Victoria (public land set aside for specific purposes like conservation or recreation).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Tour operators** running organised tours or recreational activities for profit on Crown land reserves\n- **Land managers** (government agencies managing the reserves)\n- **The Minister** who issues guidelines for competitive licensing\n\n**What it does:**\n\n**Two types of licences:**\n1. **Standard licences** – for regular commercial tour operations\n   - **Annual fee:** About $339 (20.78 fee units) for a one-year licence, or about $266 (16.3 fee units) per year for multi-year licences\n   - **Use fee:** $2.40 per adult per day, $1.60 per child per day (capped at roughly $16,636 or 1018.74 fee units per year)\n   - Operators must keep daily records of participants using Form 1\n\n2. **Competitively allocated licences** – used when the government limits the number of operators for environmental, cultural or safety reasons\n   - **Annual fee:** Minimum $339 (20.78 fee units), but can be higher based on competitive bidding\n   - **Use fee:** Same rates as standard licences ($2.40/$1.60 per person per day)\n\n**Financial hardship provisions:**\n- Land managers can waive, reduce or refund fees if paying would cause \"undue financial hardship,\" would be \"manifestly unfair,\" or if natural disasters have affected operations\n- **No relief available** if your licence has been suspended or cancelled (except partial refunds for cancelled multi-year licences if paid in advance)\n\n**Key features:**\n- Fees are calculated using \"fee units\" (a system where the dollar value changes yearly with inflation—currently about $16.33–$16.81 per unit)\n- Operators can pay use fees quarterly or annually\n- There's a \"use fee cap\" so successful operators don't pay unlimited fees\n- The regulations automatically expire on 30 June 2026\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThese rules ensure commercial tour operators pay for using public land while keeping fees manageable for small operators through caps and hardship provisions. The competitive allocation system lets the government restrict access to sensitive areas."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021","history":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021/history","analysis":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/crown-land-reserves-tour-operator-licence-fee-regulations-2021/documents"}}