23Closure of lake area for safety, maintenance etc.

23  Closure of lake area for safety, maintenance etc.

 (1) The Minister may, by notice published on the NCA’s website, temporarily close a lake area or part of a lake area.

 (2) The Minister must not close an area under subsection (1) unless:

 (a) the Minister is satisfied the condition of the waters of a lake or a part of a lake, as the case may be, is such as to constitute a threat to the health of a person entering those waters; or

 (b) the Minister is satisfied the closure is reasonably necessary in connection with the maintenance or preservation of a lake or the maintenance, preservation or testing of an associated work; or

 (c) the chief police officer has given the Minister a certificate in writing, stating that the chief police officer is satisfied the closure is reasonably necessary to enable police officers to carry out their duties in a lake or in a lake area; or

 (d) the Minister is satisfied it is necessary or desirable to do so by reason of an emergency in a lake or a lake area; or

 (e) the Minister is satisfied it is otherwise in the public interest to do so.

 (3) The Minister must, at least 5 business days before the area is to be closed, publish a notice about the proposal to close the area on the NCA’s website.

 (4) Subsection (3) does not apply in urgent circumstances.

 (5) The Minister may cause a boundary of a closed area to be marked by such means as the Minister thinks necessary.

 (6) A person commits an offence of strict liability if:

 (a) the person enters or remains in an area that is closed under subsection (1); and

 (b) an inspector has told the person that:

 (i) the area is a closed area; and

 (ii) the person must not enter, or remain in, the area.