{"id":"C1928A00037","name":"Transport Workers Act 1928","slug":"transport-workers-act-1928","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"37 of 1928","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":3500,"registerId":"commonwealth-C1928A00037-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-03-30","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Transport Workers Act 1928","content":"TRANSPORT WORKERS.\n\nNo. 37 of 1928.\n\nAn Act relating to Employment in relation to Trade and Commerce with other Countries and among the States.\n\n\\[Assented to 24th September, 1928.\\]\n\nBE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—\n\nShort title and citation.\n\n1. This Act may be cited as the Transport Workers Act 1928.\n\nInterpretation.\n\n2. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—\n\n“Transport Workers” means persons offering for or engaged in work in or in connexion with the provision of services in the transport of persons or goods in relation to trade or commerce by sea with other countries or among the States.\n\nPower to make regulations.\n\n3. The Governor-General may make regulations, which, notwithstanding anything in any other Act but subject to the Acts Interpretation Act 1901–1918 and the Acts Interpretation Act 1904–1916, shall have the force of law, with respect to the employment of transport workers, and in particular for regulating the engagement, service, and discharge of transport workers, and the licensing of persons as transport workers, and for regulating or prohibiting the employment of unlicensed persons as transport workers, and for the protection of transport workers.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The text provided sets out a limited, delegation‑focused regime: it defines the class of transport workers covered (section 2) and delegates to the Governor‑General power to make binding regulations about employment, licensing and protection (section 3). The document shows no amendments or alterations to that scope; the Act as written creates regulatory authority rather than prescribing detailed substantive rules."},"complexity_factors":["Very short primary statute with broad delegation to the executive (section 3).","Key substantive details (licence criteria, fees, penalties, protections) are not in the Act but in subordinate regulations (section 3).","Cross‑reference to historical Acts Interpretation Acts constrains interpretation but requires familiarity with those instruments (section 3).","Narrow substantive scope (sea transport in interstate and international trade) simplifies coverage but still covers multiple actor types (workers, employers, regulators) (section 2).","Potential for regulatory complexity exists in subordinate instruments and enforcement practice, not in the primary Act itself (section 3)."],"plain_english_summary":"The Act defines who counts as a \"transport worker\" for sea transport in interstate or international trade and gives the Governor‑General power to make binding regulations about their employment, licensing, and protections.  \n\nThat means substantive rules—who may work, licence requirements, employer obligations and protections—are left to executive regulations, creating enforceable duties and compliance costs set when those regulations are made."},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":2299},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This appears to be the original 1928 enactment. The scope remains limited to the regulation of employment in maritime transport connected with interstate and international trade, consistent with the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 sections total","Single defined term (Transport Workers)","Simple delegation of power without conditional exceptions or nested logic","Minimal cross-referencing (only standard Acts Interpretation Acts)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does**\n\nThis Act gives the Australian Government power to create rules about employment in the maritime transport industry—specifically for jobs involving the movement of goods or people between Australian states or between Australia and other countries.\n\n**Key points:**\n\n* **Who it covers**: Transport workers—people working in or offering to work in sea transport connected with interstate or international trade.\n* **What it allows**: The Governor-General can make regulations (subordinate laws) controlling how these workers are hired, managed, and dismissed.\n* **Licensing system**: The regulations can introduce a licensing scheme (work permits) and make it illegal to employ unlicensed workers in these roles.\n* **Worker protection**: The regulations can also include measures to protect the welfare of these workers.\n\n**Why it matters**\n\nThis is an enabling Act—it does not set detailed rules itself, but creates the legal foundation for the government to intervene heavily in the waterfront and maritime transport labour market. It allows the executive to determine who may work in these industries through a permit system, effectively giving the government a veto over employment in this sector."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928","history":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928/history","analysis":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/transport-workers-act-1928/documents"}}