{"id":"F2015L01483","name":"Norfolk Island Standard Time Ordinance 2015","slug":"norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":154583,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2015L01483-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-04","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n  This is the Norfolk Island Standard Time Ordinance 2015.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n  This Ordinance is made under section 19A of the Norfolk Island Act 1979.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 4 Definitions\n\n  In this Ordinance:\n\n> Co‑ordinated Universal Time means Co‑ordinated Universal Time (UTC) as determined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and maintained under section 8AA of the National Measurement Act 1960.\n\n> daylight saving period means:\n\n    (a) a period starting at 2 am on the first Sunday in October in each year and ending at 2 am on the first Sunday in the following April; or\n    (b) if the Minister declares a different period under section 4A of this Ordinance—that period.\n\n> daylight saving time means the time prescribed by section 7 of this Ordinance.\n\n> legal instrument means any of the following:\n\n    (a) an enactment;\n    (b) a law made under an enactment;\n    (c) a contract or agreement (whether made orally or in writing);\n    (d) a deed or other instrument having legal effect.\n\n> standard time means the time prescribed by section 6 of this Ordinance.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"4A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Declaration of daylight saving period","content":"#### 4A Declaration of daylight saving period\n\n  For the purposes of paragraph (b) of the definition of daylight saving period in section 4 of this Ordinance, the Minister may, by legislative instrument, declare a period to be a daylight saving period.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 does not apply","content":"#### 5 The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 does not apply\n\n  The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 does not apply to this Ordinance.\n\n> Note: The Interpretation Act 1979 (Norfolk Island) applies instead (because this Ordinance is an enactment for the purposes of that Act).","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Time in Norfolk Island","content":"## Part 2—Time in Norfolk Island","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Standard time in Norfolk Island","content":"#### 6 Standard time in Norfolk Island\n\n  Standard time in Norfolk Island is 11 hours in advance of Co‑ordinated Universal Time.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Daylight saving time in Norfolk Island","content":"#### 7 Daylight saving time in Norfolk Island\n\n  During a daylight saving period, daylight saving time in Norfolk Island is 1 hour in advance of standard time.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"References to time etc.","content":"#### 8 References to time etc.\n\n  (1) Subsection (2) applies if:\n    (a) a legal instrument includes an expression of time; or\n    (b) the doing or refraining from doing anything at, before or after a certain time has an effect in law.\n  (2) Unless there is a contrary intention, the time must be determined using:\n    (a) standard time; or\n    (b) for a time within a daylight saving period—daylight saving time.\n  (3) However, paragraph (2)(b) does not affect:\n    (a) the use of standard time for the purposes of astronomy, meteorology or navigation; or\n    (b) the meaning of a reference in a document to a time in connection with any of those purposes.\n  (4) Subsection (2) applies in relation to a legal instrument even if the instrument was made before the commencement of this section.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"Application, saving and transitional provisions","content":"## Part 3—Application, saving and transitional provisions","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Amendments made by the Norfolk Island Standard Time Amendment (Daylight Saving) Ordinance 2018","content":"#### 9 Amendments made by the Norfolk Island Standard Time Amendment (Daylight Saving) Ordinance 2018\n\n  The amendments made by the Norfolk Island Standard Time Amendment (Daylight Saving) Ordinance 2018 apply in relation to the daylight saving period that starts on 6 October 2019 and later daylight saving periods.","sortOrder":11}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Section 9 records that amendments made by the Norfolk Island Standard Time Amendment (Daylight Saving) Ordinance 2018 apply to the daylight saving period starting 6 October 2019 and later periods. The source text therefore alters the operative timeline and application of daylight saving provisions from that date; the 2018 amendments' substantive changes are not reproduced in this text, only their effective application is declared (s9)."},"complexity_factors":["Use of an external physical standard: definition of Co‑ordinated Universal Time cross‑references the National Measurement Act 1960 and an international bureau (s4).","Delegated discretion: Minister may declare a different daylight saving period by legislative instrument (s4A), creating administrative flexibility and potential variability year‑to‑year.","Timing and transitional rule interactions: explicit standard and daylight offsets (ss6–7) interact with timing rules for legal instruments, including application to instruments made before commencement (s8(4)).","Exceptions and specialised uses: carve‑outs for astronomy, meteorology and navigation (s8(3)) require separate treatment in those fields.","Interpretive nuance: non‑application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and application of the local Interpretation Act (s5) can change how expressions and dates are construed."],"plain_english_summary":"This Ordinance sets Norfolk Island standard time at UTC+11 and defines daylight saving time as one hour ahead of that during a specified annual period (first Sunday in October to first Sunday in April), subject to a ministerial declaration of a different period. It makes those time rules govern how times are read in laws, contracts and other legal instruments (with carve-outs for astronomy, meteorology and navigation). It therefore affects residents, businesses, courts and any party relying on statutory or contractual timing."},"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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The original 2015 Ordinance established standard time only. The 2018 Amendment (referenced in section 9) introduced daylight saving time, significantly expanding the scope from a simple time declaration to a system with variable time periods, ministerial discretion to alter dates, and complex rules about how time references in legal documents should be interpreted. The law evolved from a basic 'what time is it' statute to a more sophisticated temporal framework."},"complexity_factors":["Short length (9 sections total)","Only 5 defined terms in the interpretation section","Minimal cross-referencing (only references to the Norfolk Island Act 1979, National Measurement Act 1960, and Interpretation Act 1979 (Norfolk Island))","Simple conditional logic (single exception in section 8(3) for astronomy/meteorology/navigation)","No nested exceptions or complex temporal provisions","Straightforward declaratory structure (stating what the time is rather than creating regulatory obligations)"],"plain_english_summary":"This law fixes Norfolk Island time at UTC+11 and provides for daylight saving that moves clocks to UTC+12 during the declared summer period; the Minister may set different start and end dates. It applies to everyone and to legal instruments on Norfolk Island, so times in laws, contracts and similar documents are interpreted in Norfolk Island time unless they say otherwise.\n\nAstronomy, meteorology and navigation remain on standard time year‑round. The 2018 amendments (effective October 2019) introduced daylight saving to align the island’s hours with mainland Australia."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015","history":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015/history","analysis":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/norfolk-island-standard-time-ordinance-2015/documents"}}