{"id":"the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962","name":"The Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962","slug":"the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":31953,"registerId":"sa-the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"The Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962","content":"South Australia\nThe Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962\nAn Act to vest in the Electricity Trust of South Australia portion of Torrens Island and to authorise the Trust to construct certain embankments, barrages, bridges and other works, and for other purposes.\n\nContents\n1\tShort title\n2\tResumption of certain reserves\n3\tVesting of certain land in Electricity Trust of S.A.\n4\tConstruction of power station\n5\tPower to construct bridges etc\n6\tNon-liability of Trust for damages\n7\tSaving\nSchedule 1\nSchedule 2\nSchedule 3\nSchedule 4\nLegislative history\n\nThe Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows:\n1—Short title\nThis Act may be cited as The Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962.\n2—Resumption of certain reserves\n\t(1)\tNotwithstanding the provisions of section 64 of the Harbors Act 1936 the reserves defined in Schedule 1 to this Act and the land defined in Schedule 2 to this Act are hereby withdrawn from the South Australian Harbors Board.\n\t(2)\tNotwithstanding anything in the Crown Lands Act 1929 contained, the reserve defined in Schedule 3 to this Act is hereby resumed.\n3—Vesting of certain land in Electricity Trust of S.A.\nThe land shown in the plan in Schedule 4 to this Act and therein hatched in black being that portion of Torrens Island numbered section 453 Hundred of Port Adelaide and extending to low water mark is by force of this Act vested in The Electricity Trust of South Australia for an estate in fee simple.\n4—Construction of power station\nThe Electricity Trust of South Australia may on the land vested in it by section 3 of this Act construct and operate a power station or power stations together with any other structures, equipments, buildings, offices, ancillary works and facilities it may deem necessary for the purposes of its undertaking.\n5—Power to construct bridges etc\nNotwithstanding any other Act or law The Electricity Trust of South Australia may for the purposes of any power station to be constructed or which has been constructed by it on the land vested in it by section 3 of this Act—\n\t(a)\tconstruct a temporary barrage across Angas Inlet in a position approximately as shown on the plan in Schedule 4 and therein marked \"A\" from Torrens Island to Garden Island, thereby preventing access by water between Angas Inlet and North Arm; and\n\t(b)\tconstruct a temporary bridge across the North Arm in a position approximately as shown on the said plan and therein marked \"B\" from Torrens Island to the mainland on the southern side of the North Arm at low level and without any lifting or opening device; and\n\t(c)\tconstruct a permanent bridge or a permanent embankment across Angus Inlet in a position approximately as shown on the plan and therein marked \"C\" from Torrens Island to Garden Island and if a bridge without any lifting or opening device and if an embankment thereby permanently and completely preventing access by water between Angas Inlet and North Arm; and\n\t(d)\tconstruct a permanent bridge in a position approximately as shown on the plan and therein marked \"D\" from Garden Island across the North Arm to the mainland at low level and without any lifting or opening device.\n6—Non-liability of Trust for damages\nThe Electricity Trust of South Australia shall not be liable for any costs, charges, compensation or damages whatsoever to any person whatsoever arising from or out of the said constructions as provided by this Act whether by reason of hindering or preventing navigation between Angas Inlet and North Arm or by reason of diversion of waters or otherwise howsoever.\n7—Saving\nNothing in this Act shall take away or restrict any other rights or powers of The Electricity Trust of South Australia.\nSchedule 1\n1\tReserve, section 391, hundred of Port Adelaide, (formerly Reserve No. 8 adjoining section 867), the proclamation of which was published in the Government Gazette dated 24 April, 1879.\n2\tReserve, section 390, hundred of Port Adelaide, (formerly Reserve No. 9 adjoining section 872) the proclamation of which was published in the Government Gazette dated 24 April, 1879.\n3\tReserve, No. 10, south-west of and adjoining section 875, hundred of Port Adelaide, the proclamation of which was published in the Government Gazette dated 24 April, 1879.\nSchedule 2\t\nThat portion of the hundred of Port Adelaide, comprising the portion of Garden Island west of the eastern boundary of preliminary section 2020 and its production northerly to Angas Inlet, and southerly to the North Arm, being portion of the land acquired under the Harbors Act of 1913, as published in the Government Gazette dated 11 April, 1918.\nSchedule 3\t\nThe remaining portion of reserve for quarantine ground for stock, being portion of section 2016, hundred of Port Adelaide, the proclamation of which was published in the Government Gazette of the 5th March, 1891.\nSchedule 4\t\n\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nPrincipal Act\nYear\nNo\nTitle\nAssent\nCommencement\n1962\n31\nThe Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962\n1.11.1962\n1.11.1962\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as the legislative text was not accessible. The page returned a 404-style error due to a website migration on 24 March 2026. No comparison between original intent and current provisions is possible without the actual content of the Act."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was retrievable — only a website error page was returned","Cannot assess structural complexity, defined terms, cross-references, or regulatory obligations without the actual text","Complexity score of 1 reflects absence of analysable content, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"**No legislation content could be retrieved.**\n\nThe link provided for *The Electricity Trust of South Australia (Torrens Island Power Station) Act 1962* returned a **'Page Not Found'** error from the South Australian legislation website. This likely occurred because the website was updated on **24 March 2026**, and older bookmarks or hyperlinks may no longer work correctly.\n\n**What this means for you:** No analysis of the actual law can be provided because the text of the legislation was not accessible. If you need to review this Act, try:\n- Visiting [www.legislation.sa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au) and searching directly for the Act by name\n- Contacting the Office of Parliamentary Counsel via OPCWeb@sa.gov.au\n- Checking a legal database such as AustLII\n\n**Background context only:** Historically, this 1962 Act related to the Electricity Trust of South Australia's (ETSA) authority to develop the Torrens Island Power Station — a major electricity generation facility in South Australia. ETSA itself was eventually privatised in the late 1990s, so this legislation may have limited or no ongoing practical effect."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This text appears to be the original, narrowly‑focused 1962 Act aimed at vesting land in the Electricity Trust of South Australia and authorising specific constructions for a power station. It does not show an expansion beyond that original purpose: the provisions consistently vest land, permit construction of specified works (including barrages and bridges), and remove liability for resulting damages. There is no evidence in the provided text of later additions that broaden the Act's purpose beyond the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["7 substantive sections (short, numbered statutory provisions)","4 schedules (Schedules 1–4) that specify land/reserve details and the plan referenced in the text","\"Notwithstanding\" clauses that override other Acts or laws (s2(1), s5), increasing legal consequence though not textual complexity","Broad immunity provision removing liability for any costs, charges, compensation or damages (s6) — wide substantive effect despite simple wording","Reliance on a plan in Schedule 4 for siting (wording: 'approximately as shown') — introduces factual interpretation but not many cross-references","Few defined terms and no nested exceptions or multi-step conditional logic","Cross-references only to the Harbors Act 1936 and Crown Lands Act 1929 (s2) but no extensive interlocking regulatory scheme"],"plain_english_summary":"The Act vests a parcel of Torrens Island in the Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA) to allow construction and operation of a power station, grants broad powers to build works across nearby waterways (barrages, bridges, embankments) and withdraws specified harbor/Crown reserves. Crucially, it shields ETSA from liability for damages or compensation arising from those works. That concentrates decision‑making and cost of construction with ETSA while potentially restricting navigation, altering water flows and leaving affected users and neighbours without statutory remedies."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: facilitating the Torrens Island Power Station construction. It has not expanded into broader regulatory schemes or acquired additional functions over time. The scope is precisely what the long title describes — vesting specific land and authorising specific works with associated immunity provisions."},"complexity_factors":["Very short statute — only 7 operative sections plus 4 schedules","Minimal defined terms — only standard statutory references (e.g., 'estate in fee simple' meaning full ownership)","No nested conditional logic or cross-references to other complex regulatory schemes beyond basic land resumption powers","Straightforward purpose-built structure: each section addresses one discrete task (resumption, vesting, construction powers, immunity)","Schedules contain only land descriptions referencing historical Gazette proclamations rather than technical regulatory content"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis 1962 South Australian law gives the state's electricity authority (the Electricity Trust of South Australia) specific powers to build a major power station on Torrens Island, near Port Adelaide.\n\n**Key things it does:**\n\n* **Takes land from other government bodies** — It removes certain parcels of land from the control of the South Australian Harbors Board and cancels a quarantine reserve, transferring them to the Electricity Trust.\n* **Gives the Trust ownership** — It formally vests (transfers legal ownership of) a specific portion of Torrens Island in the Electricity Trust, extending down to the low water mark.\n* **Allows major construction** — The Trust can build not just the power station itself, but also offices, equipment buildings, and any supporting facilities it needs.\n* **Lets the Trust block waterways** — Most unusually, it explicitly authorises the Trust to build bridges and embankments that permanently or temporarily cut off water access between Angas Inlet and North Arm. These structures can be built without lifting or opening devices (meaning boats cannot pass through).\n* **Shields the Trust from lawsuits** — Section 6 gives the Trust complete immunity from paying compensation or damages to anyone affected by these works, including people who can no longer navigate the waterways or who suffer from diverted water flows.\n* **Preserves other powers** — The law explicitly states it doesn't limit any other powers the Trust already has.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\nPrimarily the Electricity Trust itself (now part of SA Power Networks/ElectraNet history), but also any boat operators, fishermen, or businesses who previously used the waterways around Torrens Island and Garden Island for navigation. They lost their right to claim compensation for being blocked out.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis is a classic example of a \"special purpose\" statute that overrides normal planning and environmental laws to fast-track critical infrastructure. It shows how governments in the 1960s used specific Acts of Parliament to bypass usual harbour controls, resume land, and immunise public utilities from liability — all to ensure electricity supply for a growing state."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"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"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962","history":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962/history","analysis":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/the-electricity-trust-of-south-australia-torrens-island-power-station-act-1962/documents"}}