{"id":"woolah-aboriginal-corporation-bylaws","name":"Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws","slug":"woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":183973,"registerId":"wa-woolah-aboriginal-corporation-bylaws-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nAboriginal Communities Act 1979\n\nWoolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws\n\n- **Reprinted under the *Reprints Act 1984* as**\n- **at 1 October 2004**\n\n\nWestern Australia\n\nWoolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws\n\nContents\n\nPart 1 — Preliminary\n\n1. Citation 1\n\n2. Commencement 1\n\n3. Definitions 1\n\nPart 2 — Community land\n\n4. Permission required to enter and remain on community land 3\n\n5. Restriction of entry into areas 4\n\n6. Homes 4\n\nPart 3 — Traffic\n\n7. Traffic signs 5\n\n8. Careless and dangerous driving 5\n\n9. Areas prohibited to vehicles 5\n\nPart 4 — Regulation of alcohol\n\n10. Powers of Council 6\n\n11. Offences relating to alcohol 6\n\n12. Children and alcohol 6\n\nPart 5 — Regulations of other matters\n\n13. Wilful damage 7\n\n14. Litter 7\n\n15. Supervision of children 7\n\n16. Offensive behaviour 7\n\n17. Disruption of meetings 7\n\nPart 6 — Enforcement and proceedings\n\n18. Powers of Police 8\n\n19. Wardens 8\n\n20. Offences 9\n\n21. Fine 9\n\n22. Restitution 9\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 10\n\nDefined terms\n\n  \n\n- Crest **Reprinted under the *Reprints Act 1984* as**\n- **at 1 October 2004**\n\n\nWestern Australia\n\nAboriginal Communities Act 1979\n\nWoolah Aboriginal Corporation By‑laws\n\n## Part 1 — Preliminary\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\nThese by‑laws shall be called the *Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By‑laws* 1.\n\n##### 2. Commencement\n\nThese by‑laws shall come into effect when approved by the Governor and published in the *Government Gazette* 1.\n\n##### 3. Definitions\n\nIn these by‑laws unless the context requires otherwise —\n\n  the Act means the *Aboriginal Communities Act 1979*;\n\n  community means the Woolah Aboriginal Corporation;\n\n  community land means that land declared by the Governor under section 6 of the Act to be the community lands of the community;\n\n  the Council means the Council of the Woolah Aboriginal Corporation;\n\n  member of the community means any person who is accepted as a member of the community for the time being;\n\n  vehicle has the same meaning as it has under the *Road Traffic Act 1974* (as amended).\n\n## Part 2 — Community land\n\n##### 4. Permission required to enter and remain on community land\n\n(1) Except as provided to the contrary in any Act or regulation a person who is not a member of the community shall not enter or remain on community land without the prior permission of the Council.\n\n(2) The Council may in its absolute discretion —\n\n(a) grant or refuse permission for a person to enter community land orally or in writing;\n\n(b) impose such conditions as it thinks fit in granting permission to enter community land; and\n\n(c) revoke such permission at any time.\n\n(3) The Council may delegate its power under this by‑law to any community adviser or other officer in the employ of the community as the Council thinks fit and without prejudice to its own exercise of its powers under this by‑law.\n\n(4) Except as provided to the contrary in any Act or regulation any person who —\n\n(a) enters community land without the prior permission of the Council or its duly authorised delegate;\n\n(b) having been granted permission to enter community land on certain conditions breaches any such condition; or\n\n(c) having entered community land with permission of the Council refuses to leave when requested to do so by the council or its duly authorised delegate,\n\ncommits an offence.\n\n##### 5. Restriction of entry into areas\n\nSubject to the provisions of any Act or regulation to the contrary —\n\n(1) the Council may place signs on community land for the purpose of prohibiting entry to the part of the land on which the sign is placed or to such part of the community land indicated by the inscription on the sign;\n\n(2) an inscription on such a sign operates and has effect according to its tenor;\n\n(3) any person who fails to obey the directions in the inscription on such a sign commits an offence.\n\n##### 6. Homes\n\n(1) A person shall not enter the home of another person without obtaining the prior permission of that person.\n\n(2) A person who is in a home other than his own shall leave that home if and when he is directed to do so by an occupier of that home.\n\n## Part 3 — Traffic\n\n##### 7. Traffic signs\n\n(1) The Council may cause signs called “traffic signs” to be erected on community land for the purpose of prohibiting, regulating or guiding vehicle traffic and the passage of pedestrians.\n\n(2) The inscription on a traffic sign operates and has effect according to its tenor.\n\n(3) Any person who fails to comply with the directions in an inscription on a traffic sign commits an offence.\n\n##### 8. Careless and dangerous driving\n\n(1) A person shall not drive a vehicle on community land without due care and attention.\n\n(2) A person shall not drive a vehicle on community land at a speed or in any other manner that is, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, dangerous to the public or to any person.\n\n##### 9. Areas prohibited to vehicles\n\n(1) The Council may declare any area of community land as an area to which access by vehicles or certain types of vehicles shall be prohibited.\n\n(2) Any person who drives a vehicle in an area declared to be a prohibited area by the committee under this by‑law commits an offence.\n\n## Part 4 — Regulation of alcohol\n\n##### 10. Powers of Council\n\n(1) No person shall bring alcohol onto community land, or supply it to another, possess or consume alcohol on community land without permission of the Council.\n\n(2) Subject to by‑law 12, the Council may, in its discretion and subject to such terms and conditions as it sees fit, permit any person to bring, possess, or consume alcohol, or supply alcohol to another person on community land.\n\n(3) In exercising its discretion under paragraph (2) the Council shall regard to the welfare of the community as the paramount consideration.\n\n(4) The Council may grant permission under paragraph (2) either orally or in writing and may revoke its permission at any time.\n\n##### 11. Offences relating to alcohol\n\nAny person who brings, possesses or consumes alcohol on community land without the permission of the Council or supplies it to others on community land without the permission of the Council or who, having been given permission in relation thereto subject to terms and conditions fails to comply with any term or condition, commits an offence.\n\n##### 12. Children and alcohol\n\n(1) No person shall supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years on community land.\n\n(2) No person under the age of 18 years shall consume alcohol on community land.\n\n## Part 5 — Regulations of other matters\n\n##### 13. Wilful damage\n\nA person shall not wilfully damage any tree, bush, flower, lawn, building, structure, vehicle or other thing.\n\n##### 14. Litter\n\nA person shall not leave any rubbish or litter —\n\n(1) in any home or in an enclosure around a home without the permission of the occupier of that home; or\n\n(2) in any other area of the community land except in a rubbish bin or in an area set aside by the Council for leaving rubbish and litter.\n\n##### 15. Supervision of children\n\nEvery person residing on community land shall before departing that land for any period of time make proper arrangements for the supervision and support of any children ordinarily in their custody who shall remain on the community land in their absence.\n\n##### 16. Offensive behaviour\n\nA person shall not cause a disturbance or annoyance to other persons by using abusive language or fighting or otherwise act in an offensive or disorderly manner.\n\n##### 17. Disruption of meetings\n\nA person shall not interrupt any meeting of the Council or the community or any customary meeting by noise or any other offensive or disorderly behaviour.\n\n## Part 6 — Enforcement and proceedings\n\n##### 18. Powers of Police\n\n(1) Where any person has committed or is committing an offence against a by‑law and it appears likely that injury to persons or damage to property will be caused by that person, a member of the Police Force may apprehend and remove that person from community land for a period not exceeding 24 hours and in any event that person shall be returned to community land if a Court is convened to deal with him according to law.\n\n(2) A member of the Police Force may request the name and address of any person who he believes on reasonable grounds to have committed a breach of any of these by‑laws.\n\n(3) Any person who when called upon to give their name and address under this by‑law fails to give their name and address commits an offence.\n\n(4) A member of the Police Force may commence proceedings for any breach of a by‑law.\n\n##### 19. Wardens\n\n(1) The Council may appoint such members of the community as it thinks fit to be wardens.\n\n(2) It is the duty of the wardens to inquire into alleged breaches of these by‑laws, co‑operate with members of the community, the Council and members of the Police Force in the enforcement of the by‑laws and to enforce the provisions of the by‑laws generally.\n\n(3) Any person who obstructs a warden in the lawful execution of his duty under these by‑laws commits an offence.\n\n##### 20. Offences\n\nA person who breaches or fails to comply with any of the provisions of by‑laws 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 commits an offence.\n\n##### 21. Fine\n\nA person who is convicted of an offence against a by‑law is liable to a fine of $100.\n\n[By‑law 21 inserted: Gazette 14 May 2004 p. 1458.]\n\n##### 22. Restitution\n\nIn addition to any fine imposed for breach of the by‑laws the Court may order a person convicted of an offence against these by‑laws to pay compensation of not more than $250 to the community or another person where, in the course of committing the offence the person convicted has caused damage to the property of the community or of that other person.\n\n[By‑law 22 amended: Gazette 14 May 2004 p. 1458.]\n\nNotes\n\n1 This reprint is a compilation as at 1 October 2004 of the *Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws* 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| **Citation** | **Gazettal** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| *Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By‑laws* | 26 Apr 1991 p. 1852‑5 | 26 Apr 1991 (see bl. 2) |\n| *Sentencing Legislation (Short Sentences ‑ Aboriginal Community By‑Laws) Amendment Regulations 2004* r. 20 | 14 May 2004 p. 1451‑8 | 15 May 2004 (see r. 2 and *Gazette* 14 May 2004 p. 1445) |\n| **Reprint 1: The *Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By‑*laws as at 1 Oct 2004**    (includes amendments listed above) | | |\n\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\ncommunity 3\n\ncommunity land 3\n\nmember of the community 3\n\nthe Act 3\n\nthe Council 3\n\nvehicle 3\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The by‑laws as reprinted at 1 October 2004 incorporate amendments made in 2004: by‑law 21 was inserted (establishing the $100 fine) and by‑law 22 was amended (authorising court‑ordered compensation up to $250) (see Gazette entries and compilation table). Those amendments altered the penalty regime but left the substantive prohibitions and Council powers intact."},"complexity_factors":["Broad discretionary powers granted to the Council to permit, condition or revoke entry and alcohol use (by‑laws 4(2), 10(2)–(4))","Council may delegate powers to community advisers or officers, expanding who can make binding decisions (by‑law 4(3))","Multiple enforcement actors: Council, appointed wardens with investigative duties, and Police with removal and prosecution powers (by‑laws 18, 19)","Offences defined across many short, overlapping provisions with a single monetary fine and separate restitution power (by‑laws 20, 21, 22)","Signs and inscriptions given legal effect to restrict access and traffic, creating on‑site regulatory instruments (by‑laws 5, 7)","Vehicle definition references Road Traffic Act 1974, requiring cross‑reference to external legislation for full effect (definition and by‑law 9)","Vague standards such as ‘absolute discretion’ and ‘paramount consideration’ (by‑laws 4(2), 10(3)) increase decision‑maker latitude and legal uncertainty","Short statutory removal power for Police (up to 24 hours) and requirement to produce name/address create procedural enforcement levers (by‑law 18)"],"plain_english_summary":"These by‑laws set rules for Woolah community land: who may enter, vehicle and traffic controls, alcohol possession and supply, conduct in homes and public spaces, and protection of property. The Council can grant, condition or revoke permission to enter, appoint wardens, and post signs enforcing restrictions.\n\nPolice, wardens and the Council enforce breaches; offences attract a $100 fine and courts may order up to $250 compensation. The rules apply to community members, visitors and service providers and affect choices about entry, alcohol, movement and behaviour on the land."},"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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The by-laws remain focused on their original purpose: providing a basic regulatory framework for entry, conduct, alcohol control, and enforcement on Woolah community land. The 2004 amendments only updated penalty provisions (fines and restitution) to align with sentencing legislation changes, without expanding the substantive scope."},"complexity_factors":["Short document: only 22 by-laws across 6 parts","Minimal cross-referencing: only references to the parent Aboriginal Communities Act 1979 and Road Traffic Act 1974 for vehicle definitions","Simple conditional structure: most provisions are straightforward prohibitions ('A person shall not...') with limited exceptions","Only 6 defined terms in the interpretation section","No nested exceptions or complex definitional chains","Enforcement framework is basic: standard fine amount ($100) with single restitution provision","Amendment history is minimal (only 2 entries in compilation table, both procedural)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this is:** These are local rules (called \"by-laws\") made by the Woolah Aboriginal Corporation under Western Australia's *Aboriginal Communities Act 1979*. They set out the ground rules for living on and visiting Woolah community land.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Community members** — people formally accepted as belonging to the Woolah community\n- **Visitors** — anyone else wanting to enter the community\n- **The Council** — the governing body that makes decisions about access, alcohol, and traffic rules\n- **Police and wardens** — who enforce the rules\n\n**What it does:**\n\n**Entry and access:**\n- Non-members need permission from the Council to enter or stay on community land\n- The Council can set conditions, give verbal or written approval, and kick people out if needed\n- Certain areas can be declared off-limits with signs\n- You can't enter someone's home without their permission\n\n**Traffic and driving:**\n- The Council can put up traffic signs (speed limits, stop signs, etc.)\n- No careless or dangerous driving\n- Some areas can be declared vehicle-free zones\n\n**Alcohol:**\n- **Default rule:** No alcohol on community land — no bringing it in, possessing it, drinking it, or giving it to others\n- The Council can grant exceptions with conditions, but must put community welfare first\n- **Strict ban:** No supplying alcohol to anyone under 18, and no under-18s drinking\n\n**General behaviour:**\n- No wilful damage to property, plants, or buildings\n- No littering (must use bins or designated areas)\n- Parents must arrange proper care for kids before leaving the community\n- No offensive behaviour, fighting, or abusive language\n- No disrupting Council or community meetings\n\n**Enforcement:**\n- **Police** can arrest and remove someone for up to 24 hours if they're causing harm, ask for names/addresses, and start court proceedings\n- **Wardens** (appointed by the Council) help investigate breaches and enforce the rules\n- **Penalties:** Fines up to $100 per offence, plus possible compensation up to $250 for damage caused\n\n**Why it matters:** These by-laws give the Woolah community legal tools to control who enters their land, manage alcohol use, keep the peace, and maintain their physical environment — while balancing community autonomy with police involvement when things get serious."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as no legislative content was retrievable. The page returned is a standard website error message, not legislation."},"complexity_factors":["No actual legislative content was provided — only a broken link / error page","Cannot assess complexity of the underlying by-laws without access to the document","The error message itself is straightforward and requires no legal interpretation"],"plain_english_summary":"**No legislation could be retrieved.**\n\nThe link provided does not lead to any actual legislation. Instead, it returns a 'page not found' error from the Western Australian legislation website, explaining that the page for the **Woolah Aboriginal Corporation By-laws** is no longer available due to system upgrades.\n\n**What this means for you:** If you were trying to find the rules and by-laws governing the Woolah Aboriginal Corporation (an incorporated Aboriginal community organisation), you will need to:\n- Navigate the Western Australian legislation website using its menu to search for the document\n- Contact the Parliamentary Counsel's Office Helpdesk directly\n- Try searching the ORIC (Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations) website, as Aboriginal corporations are typically registered federally under the *Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006* (Cth)\n\nNo legal analysis of the by-laws themselves is possible from the information provided."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws","history":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws/history","analysis":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/woolah-aboriginal-corporation-by-laws/documents"}}