{"id":"tas:sr-2004-073","name":"Mineral Resources Development (Fossil Site) Order 2004","slug":"mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"tas","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"73 of 2004","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":318145,"registerId":"tas-tas:sr-2004-073-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Short title","content":"### 1 Short title\n\n> This order may be cited as the [Mineral Resources Development (Fossil Site) Order 2004](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/sr-2004-073) .","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"### 2 Commencement\n\n> This order takes effect on the day on which its making is notified in the *Gazette*.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Fossil site","content":"### 3 Fossil site\n\n> The area specified in [Schedule 1](#JS1@EN) to this order is declared to be a fossil site.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE 1 - Fossil Site","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE 1 - Fossil Site","content":"# SCHEDULE 1 - Fossil Site SCHEDULE 1 - Fossil Site\n\n[Schedule 2](#JS2@EN)","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE 2 - Plan","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE 2 - Plan","content":"# SCHEDULE 2 - Plan SCHEDULE 2 - Plan\n\n[![graphic image](/image/cpr6533.gif)](/image/cpr6533.gif)\n\nDisplayed and numbered in accordance with the *[Rules Publication Act 1953](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1953-050)*.\n\nNotified in the *Gazette* on 1 September 2004\n\nThis order is administered in the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources.","sortOrder":4}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument is a standalone declaration of a fossil site and contains no amendments or provisions expanding or narrowing that declaration. The text shows no apparent change from its stated purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Single, short operative declaration (s 3) — limited textual complexity.","Clear commencement tied to Gazette notification (s 2) — straightforward temporal trigger.","Use of a plan/image in Schedule 2 to define the area — boundary certainty depends on map interpretation.","No operational rules, penalties or fee schedules included — downstream complexity may arise from cross‑referenced statutes or agency decisions.","Administrative responsibility identified (Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources) but enforcement mechanisms are not detailed."],"plain_english_summary":"This order designates the area shown in Schedule 1 as a fossil site and takes effect on Gazette notification (ss 2–3). It is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources.\n\nThe order changes the legal status of that land; it does not itself set permissions, fees or penalties, so who bears compliance costs or operational limits will depend on other laws and later administrative decisions. Affected parties include landowners, occupiers and mineral operators who may face altered access or development rules."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This order appears to serve its original narrow purpose: declaring a specific fossil site under the parent Act. There is no evidence of scope creep — it does not expand beyond the simple declaratory function contemplated by the *Mineral Resources Development Act 1995*."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short — only 3 operative sections plus schedules","No defined terms section — relies on definitions in the parent Act (*Mineral Resources Development Act 1995*)","No conditional logic or exceptions — simple declaratory language ('is declared to be')","Single cross-reference to Schedule 1, which immediately references Schedule 2 (the map)","Substantive content (the actual site boundaries) is contained in a graphic image rather than textual description","No penalties, enforcement mechanisms, or procedural requirements contained within the instrument itself"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short legal order that declares a specific area of land to be a 'fossil site' under Tasmanian law.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Declares a protected area**: The order designates a particular geographic area (shown in Schedule 2's map) as a legally recognised fossil site.\n- **Triggers legal protections**: Once declared, this site receives special protections under the *Mineral Resources Development Act 1995* (Tas). This typically means:\n  - Restrictions on mining and mineral exploration activities\n  - Protection of paleontological (fossil) resources from damage or removal\n  - Potential requirements for permits to conduct research or collect specimens\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Mining companies** — cannot explore or extract minerals in this area without specific approval\n- **Scientists and researchers** — may need permits to excavate or remove fossils\n- **Land managers** — must ensure activities on the site protect fossil deposits\n- **The public** — generally restricted from removing fossils or disturbing the site\n\n**Why it matters:**\nFossil sites preserve important scientific evidence about past life, climate, and geological history. This order ensures a specific location with significant fossil deposits is protected from destruction by mining or careless collection, preserving it for scientific study and future generations.\n\n**Note on structure**: The actual geographic boundaries are defined in Schedule 2 (a map), which is referenced but not fully described in the text provided."},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The order appears to have remained unchanged since its commencement on 1 September 2004, suggesting its scope has not drifted from its original intent of designating a specific fossil site for protection."},"complexity_factors":["Very narrow, single-purpose instrument with limited operational provisions","Derives meaning from a parent Act (Mineral Resources Development Act 1995), requiring cross-reference to understand full legal effect","Geographic/spatial legal descriptions can be technically complex, but the core mechanism is straightforward","No amending instruments appear to have altered the original text significantly since 2004"],"plain_english_summary":"This Tasmanian government order designates a specific area as a protected fossil site under the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995, restricting mining, exploration and related activities to preserve significant fossil remains. It primarily affects miners, prospectors, landowners and researchers by limiting commercial extraction, and serves to safeguard Tasmania’s scientific and heritage values so that fossil sites aren’t destroyed by resource development."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004","history":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004/history","analysis":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/mineral-resources-development-fossil-site-order-2004/documents"}}