{"id":"ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967","name":"Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967","slug":"ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":105919,"registerId":"wa-ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967","content":"Western Australia\n\nOrd River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967\n\nWestern Australia\n\nOrd River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967\n\nContents\n\n‑1. Citation 1\n\n2. Interpretation 1\n\n3. Property in certain cattle to vest in Crown 1\n\nSchedule — Ord River Dam Catchment Area\n\nPart I — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1969\n\nPart II — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1970\n\nPart III — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1985\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 5\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nOrd River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967\n\nAn Act to vest in the Crown the property in any cattle found at large on certain Crown lands; and for incidental and other purposes.\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\nThis Act may be cited as the *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967* 1.\n\n##### 2. Interpretation\n\nIn this Act, cattle includes bull, ox, cow, steer, heifer, horse or mule or their young.\n\n##### 3. Property in certain cattle to vest in Crown\n\n(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act or law, the property in and the right to possession of any cattle that are, on or after 1 January 1969, at large anywhere within the area of land described in Part I of the Schedule, are vested in the Crown, and any such cattle may be dealt with or disposed of in such manner as the Minister from time to time directs.\n\n(1a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act or law, the property in and the right to possession of any cattle that are, on or after 1 January 1970, at large anywhere within the area of land described in Part II of the Schedule, are vested in the Crown, and any such cattle may be dealt with or disposed of in such manner as the Minister from time to time directs.\n\n(1b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act or law, the property in and right to possession of any cattle that are, on or after 1 January 1985, at large anywhere within the area of land described in Part III of the Schedule, are vested in the Crown, and any such cattle may be dealt with or disposed of in such manner as the Minister from time to time directs.\n\n(2) No compensation is payable by or on behalf of the Crown by reason of the operation of this Act.\n\n[Section 3 amended: No. 56 of 1969 s. 2; No. 67 of 1984 s. 2.]\n\nSchedule — Ord River Dam Catchment Area\n\n[s. 3]\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 24(2).]\n\nPart I — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1969\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 24(2).]\n\nAll that area of land formerly comprised in Pastoral Leases Nos. 3114/633 and 3114/526 and resumed under section 109 of the *Land Act 1933*, for the purpose of “Regeneration of eroded areas in the Ord River Dam Catchment Area”, by proclamation published in the *Government Gazette* on 14 April 1967 and described in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to that proclamation.\n\nPart II — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1970\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 24(3).]\n\nAll that area of land formerly comprised in —\n\n(a) the whole of Pastoral Lease No. 396/780 resumed under section 109 of the *Land Act 1933* for the purpose of “Regeneration of eroded areas in the Ord River Dam Catchment Area” by proclamation published in the *Government Gazette* on 15 December 1967;\n\n(b) the portion of Pastoral Lease No. 3114/703 resumed for the purpose referred to in paragraph (a) by proclamation published in the *Government Gazette* on 14 April 1967 and described in Schedule 3 to that proclamation; and\n\n(c) the portions of Pastoral Leases Nos. 396/777 and 396/555 resumed for the purpose referred to in paragraph (a) by proclamation published in the *Government Gazette* on 30 June 1967 and described in Schedules 1 and 2 to that proclamation.\n\nPart III — Land within catchment area on or after 1 January 1985\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 24(4).]\n\nAll that area of land on the shores of Lake Argyle being more particularly delineated within the red border on Lands and Surveys 2 Miscellaneous Plan 1465 Sheets A and B.\n\nLands and Surveys 2 Public Plans: Deception Range NE 1:25 000, Burt Range NW 1:25 000, Cambridge Gulf 1:250 000 and Lissadell 1:250 000.\n\n[Schedule amended: No. 56 of 1969 s. 3.]\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table. The table also contains information about any reprint.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and year** | **Assent** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967* | 36 of 1967 | 21 Nov 1967 | 21 Nov 1967 |\n| *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act Amendment Act 1969* | 56 of 1969 | 29 Sep 1969 | 29 Sep 1969 |\n| *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Amendment Act 1984* | 67 of 1984 | 5 Nov 1984 | 3 Dec 1984 |\n| **Reprint 1: The *Ord River Dam Catchment Area (Straying Cattle) Act 1967* as at 12 Mar 2004** (includes amendments listed above) | | | |\n| *Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010* s. 24 | 19 of 2010 | 28 Jun 2010 | 11 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and *Gazette* 10 Sep 2010 p. 4341) |\n\n\n2 Lands and Surveys plans now being held by the Western Australian Land Information Authority (see the *Land Information Authority Act 2006* s. 100).\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\ncattle 2\n","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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The legislation has expanded geographically over time through amendments. Originally enacted in 1967 with Part I lands only, it was amended in 1969 to add Part II lands (commencing 1970) and again in 1984 to add Part III lands around Lake Argyle (commencing 1985). While the core mechanism remains unchanged (Crown vesting of straying cattle), the geographic scope has tripled through these staged amendments, extending the regime from the original eroded regeneration areas to eventually include the shores of the newly created Lake Argyle."},"complexity_factors":["Very short statute — only 3 operative sections plus a Schedule describing land areas","Single defined term ('cattle') with an expansive but simple definition","Minimal conditional logic — essentially three parallel provisions with different dates and geographic areas","No cross-references to other legislation except historical references to the Land Act 1933 and specific survey plans","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested conditions","Straightforward vesting mechanism with ministerial discretion — no procedural requirements or administrative steps specified"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis law is a straightforward piece of Western Australian legislation that deals with **stray livestock** in a specific region around the Ord River Dam (in the Kimberley area of WA).\n\n**The core rule:** If cattle (which the law defines broadly to include bulls, cows, horses, mules and their young) are found wandering loose on certain Crown lands around the Ord River Dam, **ownership automatically transfers to the Crown** (the government). The Minister can then decide what to do with the animals — sell them, remove them, or otherwise dispose of them.\n\n**How it works:**\n- The law applies to three different zones, with different start dates:\n  - **Part I lands:** From 1 January 1969 — specific former pastoral leases resumed for \"regeneration of eroded areas\"\n  - **Part II lands:** From 1 January 1970 — additional former pastoral leases added later\n  - **Part III lands:** From 1 January 1985 — land on the shores of Lake Argyle (created by the dam)\n\n**Key points:**\n- **No compensation:** The original owner gets nothing if their cattle are seized under this law (Section 3(2)).\n- **\"Notwithstanding\" clause:** This law overrides any other law that might otherwise protect the owner's property rights.\n- **Minister has discretion:** The Minister decides how to deal with the cattle — there's no set procedure.\n\n**Why it exists:**\nThe Ord River Dam was a major irrigation and hydroelectric project. Straying cattle could damage the catchment area, cause erosion, or interfere with the dam's operation. Rather than trying to identify owners and manage trespassing livestock case-by-case, the government opted for a blunt instrument: if it's loose in the catchment, it belongs to the Crown.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Pastoralists and cattle owners in the Ord River region\n- The Crown (specifically the Minister responsible)\n- Anyone who might find or deal with stray cattle in the designated areas"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act's scope has been expanded since its original enactment. The original 1967 enactment vested property in cattle found at large in the initial catchment area (now reflected as Part I). Subsequent amendments extended the areas and dates to which the vesting applies: the 1969 amendment added the land described in Part II with effect from 1 January 1970, and the 1984 amendment added the area described in Part III with effect from 1 January 1985 (see amending notes and s. 3(1a)–(1b) and the Schedule). The changes broadened the geographic coverage and the set of animals that could vest in the Crown, rather than altering the fundamental mechanism (state vesting of stray animals without compensation)."},"complexity_factors":["Very short Act: 3 substantive sections (citation, interpretation, vesting) plus a Schedule","Single defined term (\"cattle\") in s. 2, but definition is broad","Three separate vesting clauses with different commencement dates (s. 3(1), (1a), (1b))","Schedule splits land into Parts I–III with references to multiple historical proclamations and cadastral plans (requires external documents/plans to identify exact boundaries)","No detailed procedure, remedies, or dispute-resolution provisions in the Act (simplicity here lowers internal complexity but increases practical cross-referencing to other instruments and to administrative practice)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (mechanically)\n\n- The Act says that certain stray animals found at large in a defined area around the Ord River Dam become the property of the Crown (the State). See s. 3(1), (1a) and (1b).\n- \"Cattle\" is defined broadly in s. 2 to include bulls, cows, oxen, steers, heifers, horses, mules and their young.\n- The Minister may deal with or dispose of any such animals as the Minister directs (s. 3(1)–(1b)).\n- The Act also says no compensation is payable by or on behalf of the Crown because of this transfer of ownership (s. 3(2)).\n- The geographic areas to which the vesting rule applies are listed in the Schedule and are split into three parts, each referring to specific lands or plan boundaries and to different commencement dates for when the rule applies in that part (Parts I–III of the Schedule).\n\nWho is affected\n\n- Private owners of animals (including pastoralists and leaseholders) whose animals stray into the specified parts of the Ord River Dam catchment. If an animal is found at large in the listed area on or after the applicable date, the animal ceases to belong to the private owner and vests in the Crown (s. 3(1)–(1b)).\n- The Minister and State agencies: they gain legal title and control over any such animals and can sell, destroy or otherwise deal with them.\n- Land managers and lessees inside or adjoining the catchment area: the rule changes the practical costs and risks of allowing animals to stray into the listed areas.\n\nWhy this matters (stated purpose and practical effects)\n\n- The statutory purpose (seen in the long title and the Schedule references to proclamations for \"Regeneration of eroded areas in the Ord River Dam Catchment Area\") is to protect the catchment area by removing private title over animals that enter it, so the State can control their disposition.\n- Practical effects and incentives:\n  - Owners bear the risk of losing animals that stray into the specified area; there is no right to compensation (s. 3(2)). That creates a direct financial incentive for owners to prevent straying (for example by fencing, mustering, or contractual arrangements with neighbouring lessees).\n  - The Minister acquires discretion to decide what happens to animals found in the area; that concentrates decision rights with the executive (s. 3(1)–(1b)).\n  - The rule can reduce private property rights and therefore affects decisions about herd management, sale, and contract drafting (for example, who is responsible for stray animals crossing boundaries).\n\nCosts, trade-offs and implementation issues\n\n- Costs fall primarily on animal owners: potential loss of stock without compensation (s. 3(2)). The Act does not set out a process for identifying former ownership, for notice, or for disputes — this creates potential for litigation or administrative complaint if ownership is contested.\n- The Minister’s broad disposal power is efficient for rapid action but creates administrative discretion and the possibility of inconsistent decision-making unless the Minister publishes or follows clear procedures.\n- The geographic scope is defined by historical proclamations and cadastral/plan references in the Schedule; practical enforcement requires up-to-date mapping and on‑the‑ground identification of whether an animal is 'within' the described area.\n- The measure affects private enterprise decisions (pastoral operations) by raising the expected loss from straying; that may raise costs (more fencing, mustering), change stocking decisions, or alter lease negotiations with neighbouring properties.\n\nKey provisions cited: s. 2 (definition of \"cattle\"), s. 3(1), s. 3(1a), s. 3(1b) (vesting of property), s. 3(2) (no compensation), Schedule Parts I–III (land descriptions and applicable dates)."},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Insufficient information to assess whether the scope changed from original intent. No legislative text was returned — only a website error page. The Act's title suggests a narrow, specific original purpose (managing straying cattle in the Ord River Dam catchment area) that was unlikely to have expanded significantly, but this cannot be confirmed without the actual text."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was retrievable — the page is unavailable due to a website migration","Based on title alone, the Act appears narrow and specific in scope (one geographic area, one type of livestock issue)","1967 Western Australian legislation of this type was typically straightforward and prescriptive","Likely a short, single-purpose Act with limited cross-referencing to other laws","Complexity cannot be properly assessed without access to the actual text"],"plain_english_summary":"Likely aimed at protecting the Ord River Dam catchment by letting authorities deal with cattle that stray into the protected water‑supply area. It would affect cattle owners and managers in the Kimberley by imposing duties to prevent stray stock and by authorizing removal, impoundment or penalties for animals found in the catchment.\n\nNote: this is inferred from the title only; consult the WA legislation source for the actual text."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967","history":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ord-river-dam-catchment-area-straying-cattle-act-1967/documents"}}