{"id":"state-flag-act-2006","name":"State Flag Act 2006","slug":"state-flag-act-2006","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":110363,"registerId":"wa-state-flag-act-2006-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"State Flag Act 2006","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nState Flag Act 2006\n\nWestern Australia\n\nState Flag Act 2006\n\nContents\n\n1. Short title 1\n\n2. Commencement 1\n\n3. Interpretation 1\n\n4. The Western Australian State Flag 1\n\nSchedule — Western Australian State flag\n\nPart 1 — Description of flag\n\nPart 2 — Western Australian State flag\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 3\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nState Flag Act 2006\n\nAn Act to declare a certain Flag to be the Western Australian State Flag.\n\nThe Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:\n\n##### 1. Short title\n\nThis Act may be cited as the *State Flag Act 2006*.\n\n##### 2. Commencement\n\nThis Act comes into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.\n\n##### 3. Interpretation\n\nIn this Act ***the Western Australian State Flag*** means the flag declared to be the Western Australian Flag by section 4 of this Act.\n\n##### 4. The Western Australian State Flag\n\nThe flag described in Part 1 of the Schedule, being the flag a reproduction of which is set out in Part 2 of the Schedule, is declared to be the Western Australian State Flag.\n\nSchedule — Western Australian State flag\n\n[s. 4]\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 36(2).]\n\nPart 1 — Description of flag\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 36(2).]\n\nThe Western Australian State Flag is a blue flag with —\n\n(a) the Union flag occupying the upper quarter next to the staff; and\n\n(b) depicting a black swan (*cygnus atratus*) on a circle of yellow situated centrally in the fly (the half of the flag furthest from the staff) and facing the staff.\n\nPart 2 — Western Australian State flag\n\n[Heading inserted: No. 19 of 2010 s. 36(3)(a).]\n\n![WA state flag image]()\n\n[Part 2 amended: No. 19 of 2010 s. 36(3)(b).]\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *State Flag Act 2006* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Short title** | **Number and Year** | **Assent** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| *State Flag Act 2006* | 22 of 2006 | 24 Aug 2006 | 24 Aug 2006 (see s. 2) |\n| *Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010* s. 36 | 19 of 2010 | 28 Jun 2010 | 11 Sep 2010 (see s. 2(b) and *Gazette* 10 Sep 2010 p. 4341) |\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act simply declares and prescribes the state flag’s design. Subsequent amendments recorded in the compilation (Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010) are formatting and heading insertions and a minor amendment to the Schedule presentation; they do not expand the Act beyond its original purpose of declaring the State Flag."},"complexity_factors":["4 substantive sections (ss 1–4) plus a Schedule","1 defined term in interpretation (the Western Australian State Flag)","Schedule split into 2 short parts (textual description and reproduction image)","No cross-references to other Acts or extensive subordinate legislation","Minimal conditional logic and no exceptions or penalty provisions","Minor later formatting amendment (Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010) that did not add substantive complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this Act does, mechanically**\n\n- The Act declares and fixes the design of the Western Australian State Flag (the authoritative legal description and a reproduction image). (s 4; Schedule Parts 1–2)\n- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent. (s 2)\n- The Act contains one definitional note: “the Western Australian State Flag” means the flag declared under section 4. (s 3)\n\n**What the flag is, in plain terms**\n\n- The legal description in the Schedule says the flag is a blue flag with:\n  - the Union Flag (Union Jack) in the upper quarter next to the staff; and\n  - a black swan (cygnus atratus) on a yellow circle situated centrally in the fly (the half of the flag furthest from the staff) and facing the staff. (Schedule, Part 1)\n- The Schedule also includes a reproduction image of the flag (Schedule, Part 2), which serves as the authoritative visual reference.\n\n**Who this affects**\n\n- Government bodies and officials who must display or reproduce the state flag for official purposes (they now have a statutory specification to follow). (s 4; Schedule)\n- Manufacturers, printers, event organisers, schools, clubs, and others who make or use the state flag — they benefit from an authoritative specification when producing or ordering flags.\n\n**Why it matters (claimed purpose and practical effects)**\n\n- The Act’s explicit purpose is to declare a particular design as the Western Australian State Flag. That formal declaration provides an unambiguous legal source for the flag’s appearance. (s 4; Schedule)\n- Practical effects include reduced uncertainty about correct colours, motif and orientation, and a clear visual reference for reproduction (Schedule Part 2). This lowers the risk of inconsistent or incorrect reproductions.\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs**\n\n- Direct financial cost of the Act itself is negligible. The principal practical cost is the administrative effort required to replace any incorrectly produced flags in official use.\n- Incentives: private suppliers and government purchasers are incentivised to follow the statutory design to avoid producing flags that are not the legally declared flag.\n- The Act does not create licensing, monopoly rights or fees for reproducing the flag. It therefore standardises the specification without granting exclusive commercial rights.\n\n**Implementation risk, compliance burden and discretion**\n\n- Implementation and compliance burden are low: the law is prescriptive and self-contained (a description and an image), so there is little need for further regulation or delegated rule‑making.\n- There are no enforcement or penalty provisions in the Act itself for misuse or incorrect reproduction; enforcement, if any, would depend on other laws or administrative practices. (No sections imposing penalties or licensing were enacted.)\n- Bureaucratic discretion is minimal because the Act states the design rather than delegating design decisions to an agency.\n\n**Who pays, who decides, and what behaviour changes**\n\n- Who pays: private producers of flags and public agencies bear the small costs of ensuring their flags match the statutory design when ordering or replacing flags.\n- Who decides: Parliament by this Act has declared the design; no new administrative decision‑maker or regulator is created by the Act. (s 4)\n- Behaviour change: bodies that display or reproduce the state flag will align to the description/image in the Schedule to ensure consistency with the statutory flag.\n\n**Other notes**\n\n- The compilation table shows a later formatting amendment (Standardisation of Formatting Act 2010) inserted headings and adjusted the Schedule presentation; those are formatting/structural edits rather than substantive change to the flag description. (Compilation table)\n\nSource sections cited: s 2 (commencement), s 3 (interpretation), s 4 (declaration), Schedule Parts 1–2 (description and reproduction image)."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed — the legislative text was not available for review. The retrieved content is a website error message, not the legislation itself. No comparison between original intent and enacted provisions is possible."},"complexity_factors":["The actual legislative text was not retrievable — analysis is based on a website error page only","State flag legislation is typically narrow and straightforward in scope","No substantive provisions, schedules, or cross-references could be assessed","Complexity score is indicative only and may not reflect the true complexity of the Act"],"plain_english_summary":"The State Flag Act 2006 likely establishes Western Australia’s official state flag and sets rules on its design, authorised use and protections against misuse or unauthorised reproduction. It primarily affects government bodies, organisations and individuals who display or reproduce the WA State flag. For the authoritative text, consult the Western Australian legislation website and search “State Flag Act 2006.”"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of declaring and describing the Western Australian State Flag. The 2010 amendments were purely technical formatting changes (standardising headings and structure) that did not alter the substantive content or expand the scope beyond flag declaration."},"complexity_factors":["Only 4 operative sections (short title, commencement, interpretation, and declaration)","Single defined term ('the Western Australian State Flag')","No cross-references to other legislation","No conditional logic, exceptions, or procedural requirements","Straightforward descriptive language with minimal legal machinery","Schedule contains only a simple visual and textual description of the flag"],"plain_english_summary":"This law officially declares what the Western Australian State Flag looks like and makes it the official flag of Western Australia.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Declares the official flag**: The Act legally establishes a specific design as the Western Australian State Flag.\n- **Describes the design**: The flag is blue with two main features:\n  - The **Union Jack** (the flag of the United Kingdom) in the top left corner (the quarter next to the flagpole)\n  - A **black swan** (Western Australia's state bird) on a yellow circle, positioned in the centre of the half of the flag furthest from the flagpole, with the swan facing toward the flagpole\n- **Includes a picture**: The Schedule contains both a written description and an image of the flag so there's no confusion about what it looks like.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Government departments and agencies who need to use the official state flag\n- Anyone manufacturing or selling flags who wants to know the official design\n- The general public, by establishing a single, legally recognised symbol for the state\n\n**Why it matters:**\nWithout this law, there would be no official legal definition of what the Western Australian flag actually looks like. This ensures consistency in how the flag is displayed at official events, on government buildings, and in commercial reproductions. It prevents variations or unofficial versions from being treated as legitimate."},"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":[]}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006","history":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006/history","analysis":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/state-flag-act-2006/documents"}}