NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ACT 2006
As in force at 20 November 2020
Table of provisions
Part 1 Preliminary matters
1 Short title ......................................................................................... 1
2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1
3 Object of Act .................................................................................... 1
4 Interpretation ................................................................................... 2
5 Meaning of bioprospecting............................................................... 3
6 Resource access provider ............................................................... 5
7 Meaning of biodiversity .................................................................... 6
Part 2 Application of Act
8 Act binds Crown .............................................................................. 6
9 Where Act applies ........................................................................... 6
10 Exemption for specified biological resources or collections ............. 7
Part 3 Process
Division 1 Application to take biological resources
11 Application for permit ....................................................................... 8
12 Process in relation to permit ............................................................ 8
13 CEO to consider application ............................................................ 8
14 Assessment of applications ............................................................. 9
15 CEO may require further information ............................................... 9
Division 2 If proposed activity comprises bioprospecting
16 If resource access provider is Territory ............................................ 9
17 Matters CEO may consider.............................................................. 9
18 If no agreement is entered into ...................................................... 10
19 If resource access provider is not Territory .................................... 10
20 CEO to notify permit issuing authority ........................................... 10
21 Permit issuing authority may issue permit ..................................... 10
22 Permit details to CEO .................................................................... 11
23 Permit details in register ................................................................ 11
Division 3 Process after samples taken
24 When samples taken ..................................................................... 12
25 Information to CEO ........................................................................ 12
Biological Resources Act 2006 ii
26 CEO to enter details in register...................................................... 12
Part 4 Benefit-sharing agreements
27 Benefit-sharing agreement required .............................................. 13
28 Informed consent ........................................................................... 13
29 Benefit-sharing agreements ........................................................... 14
30 Retrospectively entering into benefit-sharing agreement ............... 15
31 Details of benefit-sharing agreements in register .......................... 15
32 When benefit-sharing agreement comes into effect ...................... 16
Part 5 Register and certificates of provenance
Division 1 Register
33 CEO to maintain register ............................................................... 16
34 CEO to make some details from register available ........................ 17
Division 2 Certificates of provenance
35 Holder of rights to sample may request certificate ......................... 17
36 Certificate of provenance ............................................................... 17
37 Revocation of certificate of provenance ......................................... 18
Part 6 Offences
38 Bioprospecting without permit........................................................ 19
39 Giving false information ................................................................. 19
40 Breach of permit conditions ........................................................... 19
41 Breach of benefit-sharing agreement ............................................ 19
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
42 Bioprospector to keep records ....................................................... 19
43 Disposal of samples ...................................................................... 20
44 No exclusive rights to biological resources .................................... 20
44A Permit not transferable .................................................................. 21
45 Pre-existing benefit-sharing agreements ....................................... 21
46 Delegation ..................................................................................... 21
47 Regulations.................................................................................... 21
ENDNOTES
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ACT 2006
An Act to provide for and regulate bioprospecting in the Territory and
for related purposes
Part 1 Preliminary matters
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Biological Resources Act 2006.
2 Commencement
This Act commences on the date fixed by the Administrator by
Gazette notice.
3 Object of Act
(1) The object of this Act is to facilitate bioprospecting in the Territory.
(2) The object is to be achieved by the following:
(a) promoting the conservation of biological resources in the
Territory and the ecologically sustainable use of those
biological resources;
(b) establishing an access regime designed to give certainty and
minimise administrative cost for persons seeking to engage in
bioprospecting in the Territory;
(c) establishing a contractual framework for benefit-sharing
agreements to be entered into between bioprospectors and
resource access providers for the use of Territory biological
resources to ensure the equitable sharing of benefits arising
from the use of those biological resources for biodiscovery;
(d) recognising the special knowledge held by indigenous persons
about those biological resources;
(e) seeking to ensure that social, economic and environmental
benefits arising from the use of Territory biological resources
for biodiscovery accrue to the Territory;
Part 1 Preliminary matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 2
(f) contributing to a nationally consistent approach to
bioprospecting in Australia.
4 Interpretation
(1) In this Act:
Aboriginal land, see section 3(1) of the Aboriginal Land Rights
(Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth).
biodiscovery means research on samples of biological resources,
or extracts from those samples, to discover and exploit genetic or
biochemical resources of actual or potential value for humanity.
biodiversity, see section 7.
biological resources includes genetic resources, organisms, parts
of organisms, populations and any other biotic component of an
ecosystem with actual or potential use or value for humanity.
bioprospecting, see section 5.
bioprospector means a person engaged in bioprospecting.
CEO means the Chief Executive Officer (within the meaning of the
Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993) of the
Agency administering this Act.
certificate of provenance, see section 36.
ecosystem means a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-
organism communities and their non-living environment interacting
as a functional unit.
genetic resources means any material of plant, animal, microbial
or other origin that contains functional units of heredity and has
actual or potential value for humanity.
Land Council, see Part III of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern
Territory) Act 1976 (Cth).
Land Trust, see Part II of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern
Territory) Act 1976 (Cth).
organism includes:
(a) a virus; and
(b) the reproductive material of an organism; and
(c) an organism that has died.
Part 1 Preliminary matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 3
permit issuing authority means any of the following:
(a) the Agency responsible for issuing permits under the Territory
Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976;
(b) the Agency responsible for issuing permits under the Fisheries
Act 1988;
(c) any other body as prescribed.
register means the register maintained by the CEO under
section 33.
resource access provider, see section 6.
(2) A person is an indigenous person if the person is:
(a) a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia; or
(b) a descendant of an indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait
Islands.
(3) A resource has value for humanity if an extract or compound
derived from the resource is used, directly or indirectly, with
advantage in any field of human endeavour, whether agricultural,
industrial, veterinarian, pharmaceutical or other.
5 Meaning of bioprospecting
(1) Bioprospecting is the taking of samples of biological resources,
existing in situ or maintained in an ex situ collection of such
resources, for research in relation to any genetic resources, or
biochemical compounds, comprising or contained in the biological
resources.
(2) However, the following activities do not constitute bioprospecting:
(a) taking biological resources from an area of land or water by
indigenous people who have traditionally used the area of land
or water in accordance with aboriginal tradition for hunting,
food gathering (other than for sale) and for ceremonial and
religious purposes;
(b) dealing with any biological material of human origin;
(c) taking samples of biological resources that have been
cultivated or tended for a purpose other than biodiscovery and
where the samples are not to be used for biodiscovery;
Part 1 Preliminary matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 4
(d) taking samples of biological resources specified in a
declaration under section 10;
(e) taking samples of biological resources that are available to the
public on an unrestricted basis (whether on commercial or
non-commercial terms);
(f) taking samples of a biological resource that is:
(i) a genetically modified organism for the purposes of
section 10 of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (Cth); or
(ii) a plant variety for which a Plant Breeder's Right has
been granted under section 44 of the Plant Breeder's
Rights Act 1994 (Cth);
(g) taking aquatic life, within the meaning of the Fisheries
Act 1988, that:
(i) has been caught, taken or harvested under a licence or
permit granted under that Act (other than a permit
granted under section 17 of the Fisheries Act 1988 for
bioprospecting); or
(ii) comprises a managed fishery or part of a managed
fishery within the meaning of that Act.
(3) The following activities, if undertaken for a purpose other than
biodiscovery, also do not constitute bioprospecting:
(a) fishing for commerce or recreation, game or charter fishing or
collecting broodstock for aquaculture;
(b) harvesting wildflowers;
(c) taking wild animals or plants for food;
(d) collecting peat or firewood;
(e) taking essential oils from wild plants;
(f) collecting plant reproductive material for propagation;
(g) commercial forestry.
(4) In subsection (1):
ex situ collection means a collection of physical samples of
genetic resources that have been previously obtained from an in
situ location and which are preserved or maintained in a location
external to the in situ location.
Part 1 Preliminary matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 5
in situ means the location in which genetic resources exist within
ecosystems and natural habitats within the Territory.
6 Resource access provider
(1) Resource access provider, for biological resources in the Territory
to which this Act applies, means the following:
(a) for freehold land – the owner of the fee simple (including
where the land is subject to a lesser interest such as a lease
or licence);
(b) for Aboriginal land – the owner of the fee simple (the
Aboriginal Land Trust established under the Corporations
(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth);
(c) for an Aboriginal community living area – the owner of the fee
simple (an association within the meaning of the Associations
Act 2003 or an Aboriginal association within the meaning of
the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 (Cth));
(d) for land subject to Native Title (exclusive possession) – the
registered native title body corporate;
(e) for land held under Park freehold title – the owner of the fee
simple (the relevant Park Land Trust established under the
Parks and Reserves (Framework for the Future) Act 2003);
(f) for Crown land (including land subject to a Crown term lease
or Crown perpetual lease) – the Territory;
(g) for land subject to a lease under the Special Purposes Lease
Act 1953 – the Territory;
(h) for land subject to a pastoral lease under the Pastoral Land
Act 1992 – the Territory;
(i) for Territory waters – the Territory.
(2) A bioprospector must make any necessary arrangements for
physical access to the resource with the person who controls the
physical access.
Example for subsection (2)
If the land is the subject of a pastoral lease under the Pastoral Land Act 1992,
the resource access provider for the purposes of bioprospecting is the Territory,
but physical access must be arranged with the lessee.
Part 2 Application of Act
Biological Resources Act 2006 6
7 Meaning of biodiversity
Biodiversity means the natural diversity of biological resources,
together with the environmental conditions necessary for their
survival, and includes the diversity of:
(a) the landforms, soils and water of a region, and the functional
relationships that affect environmental conditions within
ecosystems (called regional diversity); and
(b) the different types of communities formed by living organisms
and the relations between them (called ecosystem diversity);
and
(c) species (called species diversity); and
(d) genes within each species (called genetic diversity).
Part 2 Application of Act
8 Act binds Crown
This Act binds the Crown in the right of the Territory and, so far as
the legislative power of the Legislative Assembly permits, the
Crown in all its other capacities.
9 Where Act applies
(1) This Act applies throughout the Territory (including the air above,
the water and the seabed or riverbed below the water).
Note for subsection (1)
Part 8A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Regulations 2000 (Cth) applies to Commonwealth areas in the Territory.
Commonwealth areas is defined in section 525 of the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and, so far as is relevant to the
Territory, includes the following:
(1) Each of the following, and any part of it, is a Commonwealth area:
(a) land owned by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency
and airspace over the land;
(b) an area of land held under lease by the Commonwealth or a
Commonwealth agency and airspace over the land;
(d) the coastal sea of Australia or an external Territory;
(e) the continental shelf, and the waters and airspace over the
continental shelf;
(f) the waters of the exclusive economic zone, the seabed under
those waters and the airspace above those waters;
Part 2 Application of Act
Biological Resources Act 2006 7
(g) any other area of land, sea or seabed that is included in a
Commonwealth reserve.
(3) Despite paragraphs (1)(d), (e) and (f), none of the following areas (or
parts of them) are Commonwealth areas:
(b) the seabed vested in the Northern Territory under section 4 of the
Coastal Waters (Northern Territory Title) Act 1980; and
(c) the subsoil under the seabed described in paragraph (b); and
(d) any water and airspace over seabed described in paragraph (b).
(2) This Act also applies outside the Territory, to the extent of the
extraterritorial legislative competence of the Legislative Assembly,
in relation to biological resources of Territory origin.
10 Exemption for specified biological resources or collections
(1) The Minister may declare that this Act does not apply to specified
biological resources or a specified collection of biological resources
(including future additions to the collection).
Examples for subsection (1)
The resources are held away from their natural environment (whether in a
collection or otherwise) by an Agency or other body and there are reasonable
grounds to believe that bioprospecting of the biological resources is
administered by the Agency or body in a manner that is consistent with this
Act.
Use of the resources (including by way of bioprospecting) is required to be
controlled under any international agreement to which Australia is a party.
Note for subsection (1)
Samples of biological material from plants are held by the Northern Territory
Herbarium. Samples of biological material from fish and animals are held by the
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
(2) A holder of biological resources mentioned in subsection (1) may, in
writing, request the Minister to make a declaration.
(3) A declaration under subsection (1) may provide that this Act does
not apply to the biological resources in specified circumstances.
(4) A declaration under subsection (1) must be published in the
Gazette.
Part 3 Process
Division 1 Application to take biological resources
Biological Resources Act 2006 8
Part 3 Process
Division 1 Application to take biological resources
11 Application for permit
A person who wishes to engage in bioprospecting in the Territory
must apply to the appropriate permit issuing authority for a permit.
Note
A permit to take aquatic life is issued by the Agency responsible for administering
the Fisheries Act. A permit to take indigenous flora or fauna is issued by the
Agency responsible for administering the Territory Parks and Wildlife
Conservation Act 1976.
12 Process in relation to permit
(1) Subsection (2) applies if a permit issuing authority:
(a) receives an application for a permit to take biological material;
and
(b) is satisfied, in terms of the authority's regulatory role, it would
be appropriate to issue the permit; and
(c) considers the applicant's proposed activity may comprise
bioprospecting.
(2) The authority must:
(a) refer the application to the CEO; and
(b) advise the applicant:
(i) the application is approved in-principle by the authority;
and
(ii) the application has been referred to the CEO for
consideration in relation to bioprospecting matters.
13 CEO to consider application
(1) If a permit issuing authority refers an application to the CEO, the
CEO must consider the application.
(2) The CEO must advise the permit issuing authority whether the CEO
considers the proposed activity comprises bioprospecting or not.
(3) If the CEO considers the proposed activity comprises
bioprospecting, Division 2 applies.
Part 3 Process
Division 2 If proposed activity comprises bioprospecting
Biological Resources Act 2006 9
14 Assessment of applications
(1) In considering an application, the CEO may consult any
Department, Agency or body of the Commonwealth or the Territory,
or any other body or person that may have information relevant to
the application.
(2) A person or body giving information for subsection (1) in good faith
is not civilly or criminally liable for the giving of the information.
15 CEO may require further information
If the CEO considers the activities proposed in an application for a
permit to take biological resources may comprise bioprospecting,
the CEO may require further information from the applicant,
including:
(a) the biodiscovery activities the applicant proposes carrying out
or that is proposed by a person who has engaged the
applicant to collect biological resources; and
(b) a proposed timetable for carrying out the activities; and
(c) other details the CEO considers appropriate.
Division 2 If proposed activity comprises bioprospecting
16 If resource access provider is Territory
If the resource access provider is the Territory, the CEO is the
person responsible for entering into a benefit-sharing agreement
with the applicant on behalf of the Territory.
Note
Part 4 sets out matters relating to benefit-sharing agreements.
17 Matters CEO may consider
(1) The CEO must not enter into a benefit-sharing agreement unless
the CEO is satisfied the terms of the agreement are fair to the
Territory.
(2) The CEO may consider the reputation of the applicant in relation to
the following matters when deciding to enter into a benefit-sharing
agreement on behalf of the Territory:
(a) compliance with recognised standards of operation;
(b) commitment to ecological sustainability;
Part 3 Process
Division 2 If proposed activity comprises bioprospecting
Biological Resources Act 2006 10
(c) compliance with conditions imposed in relation to permits and
approvals (for example, approval by an ethics committee);
(d) honouring commitments under benefit-sharing agreements.
18 If no agreement is entered into
(1) If the CEO and the bioprospector do not enter into a benefit-sharing
agreement:
(a) the CEO must advise the permit issuing authority of that fact;
and
(b) the authority must decline to issue a permit.
(2) The CEO must record in the register the reason no agreement was
entered into.
19 If resource access provider is not Territory
(1) If the resource access provider is not the Territory, the resource
access provider and the applicant must confirm to the CEO that a
benefit-sharing agreement that meets the requirements of this Act
has been negotiated and is in place.
(2) When confirming that a benefit-sharing agreement is in place, the
parties must certify that the requirements of section 29 have been
met.
20 CEO to notify permit issuing authority
When the CEO is satisfied that a benefit-sharing agreement,
addressing the required criteria, is in place, the CEO must advise
the permit issuing authority of that fact.
21 Permit issuing authority may issue permit
(1) On receiving advice from the CEO under section 20, the permit
issuing authority may issue the applicant with a permit to take the
specified biological resources, under the conditions the authority
considers appropriate.
(2) The CEO may advise the permit issuing authority of conditions the
CEO considers appropriate for the permit.
Example for subsection (2)
A requirement that voucher specimens, identical to samples taken for the
purpose of biodiscovery, be lodged with the Northern Territory Herbarium or the
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Part 3 Process
Division 2 If proposed activity comprises bioprospecting
Biological Resources Act 2006 11
22 Permit details to CEO
The permit issuing authority must:
(a) provide the CEO with full details, or a copy, of the permit and
conditions; or
(b) if the authority declines to issue the permit – advise the CEO
of that fact and the reason for declining.
Note for paragraph (b)
Despite approving the application for a permit in-principle, a permit issuing
authority could decline to issue the permit because, for example, an intervening
cyclone, bushfire or other natural disaster may have affected the sustainability of
the biological resources in the area proposed for taking samples.
23 Permit details in register
(1) The CEO must record in the register information about permits
issued (or declined to be issued) for this Act.
(2) Information must not be included on the register if the CEO believes
the information:
(a) is culturally sensitive; or
(b) if disclosed, could:
(i) unwarrantedly damage a person's commercial interests;
or
(ii) result in a risk to the environment; or
(iii) harm the national interest.
(3) The register must contain the following particulars in relation to
each permit issued:
(a) the name of the bioprospector to whom the permit was
granted;
(b) the date it was granted;
(c) its term;
(d) other particulars both the CEO and the bioprospector agree
may be disclosed to the public under section 34.
(4) If a permit issuing authority declines to issue a permit, the register
must also contain the reason for declining.
Part 3 Process
Division 3 Process after samples taken
Biological Resources Act 2006 12
Division 3 Process after samples taken
24 When samples taken
(1) When the bioprospector has taken the biological resource samples,
the bioprospector must report to the permit issuing authority in
accordance with the conditions of the permit under which the
samples were taken.
(2) The report must contain the following details of the samples to
which the report relates:
(a) the date each sample was taken;
(b) the location from which the sample was taken (by GPS
coordinates using WGS84 datum);
(c) the species of each sample;
(d) the quantity of the sample taken.
(3) If it is a condition of the permit, the bioprospector must lodge
samples of the biological resources taken with the Territory
Herbarium or Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, as
appropriate.
(4) The bioprospector must advise the permit issuing authority of the
date on which the samples were lodged.
25 Information to CEO
(1) The permit issuing authority must provide the CEO with details of
the samples taken.
(2) The permit issuing authority must also inform the CEO if the
authority has any concerns the bioprospector has not complied with
any of the conditions under which the permit was issued.
26 CEO to enter details in register
The CEO must enter in the register the details provided by the
permit issuing authority.
Part 4 Benefit-sharing agreements
Biological Resources Act 2006 13
Part 4 Benefit-sharing agreements
27 Benefit-sharing agreement required
(1) A bioprospector must enter into a benefit-sharing agreement with
each resource access provider in relation to the resources to be
taken under a permit.
(2) The Minister may publish in the Gazette a model benefit-sharing
agreement as a guide.
(3) A benefit-sharing agreement is not valid unless the resource access
provider has given prior informed consent to the terms of the
agreement.
28 Informed consent
(1) If a resource access provider is not the Territory or a statutory
corporation, the CEO must be satisfied the resource access
provider has given prior informed consent to the terms of a benefit-
sharing agreement.
(2) In considering whether a resource access provider has given
informed consent, the CEO must consider the following matters:
(a) whether the resource access provider had adequate
knowledge of this Act and was able to engage in reasonable
negotiations with the applicant for the permit about the benefit-
sharing agreement;
(b) whether the resource access provider was given adequate
time:
(i) to consult with relevant people; and
(ii) if the biological resources are in an area that is
Aboriginal land and a resource access provider for the
resources is a Land Trust – for the responsible Land
Council to consult with the traditional owners for the
land; and
(iii) to negotiate the benefit-sharing agreement;
(c) whether the resource access provider has received
independent legal advice about the application and
requirements of this Act.
Part 4 Benefit-sharing agreements
Biological Resources Act 2006 14
29 Benefit-sharing agreements
(1) A benefit-sharing agreement must provide for reasonable benefit-
sharing arrangements, including protection for, recognition of and
valuing of any indigenous people's knowledge to be used, and must
include the following:
(a) full details of the parties to the agreement;
(b) if the resource access provider is the person granting physical
access to the area – details regarding the time and frequency
of entry to the area that has been agreed to be granted;
(c) the resources (including the name of the species, or lowest
level of taxon, to which the resources belong, if known) to
which access has been agreed to be granted;
(d) the quantity of the resources that has been agreed can be
removed from the area;
(e) the purpose of the access, as disclosed to the resource
access provider;
(f) a statement setting out the proposed means of labelling
samples;
(g) the agreed disposition of ownership in the samples, including
details of any proposed transmission of samples to third
parties;
(h) a statement regarding any use of indigenous people's
knowledge, including details of the source of the knowledge,
such as, for example, whether the knowledge was obtained
from the resource access provider or from other indigenous
persons;
(i) a statement regarding benefits to be provided or any agreed
commitments given in return for the use of the indigenous
people's knowledge;
(j) the details of any proposals of the applicant to benefit
biodiversity conservation in the area if access is granted;
(k) details of the benefits that the resource access provider will
receive in return for the taking of the resources.
(2) In subsection (1), knowledge:
(a) is indigenous person's knowledge if it is obtained from an
indigenous person or indigenous persons; and
Part 4 Benefit-sharing agreements
Biological Resources Act 2006 15
(b) is not indigenous person's knowledge if it was obtained from
scientific or other public documents, or otherwise from the
public domain.
30 Retrospectively entering into benefit-sharing agreement
(1) This section applies if:
(a) a sample of biological resources has been taken, not in
accordance with this Act; or
(b) a sample of biological resources, initially taken for a purpose
other than biodiscovery, is later used for biodiscovery.
(2) The person who holds the sample can legitimise the sample for this
Act by:
(a) advising the CEO of the approximate date on which, and
location from where, and by whom, the sample was taken; and
(b) providing the CEO with a unique identifier for the sample; and
(c) advising the CEO of the nature and scientific details of the
sample (if required, providing a portion of the sample for
identification by the Territory Herbarium or Museum and Art
Gallery of the Northern Territory); and
(d) entering into a benefit-sharing agreement with the resource
access provider and providing the CEO with the details
required under section 29 (as appropriately modified) in
relation to the benefit-sharing agreement.
(3) The effect of legitimising a sample of biological resources for this
Act is that the CEO, if satisfied it is appropriate, may issue a
certificate of provenance in relation to the sample.
(4) The legitimising of a sample does not prevent a prosecution for a
breach of the Act.
31 Details of benefit-sharing agreements in register
(1) If an agreement is negotiated on behalf of the Territory, the CEO
must keep a copy of the agreement in the register.
(2) If an agreement is negotiated with a resource access provider who
is not the Territory, the CEO must keep the following information in
the register:
(a) full details of the parties to the agreement;
Part 5 Register and certificates of provenance
Division 1 Register
Biological Resources Act 2006 16
(b) details of the time and frequency of entry to the area that has
been agreed to be granted;
(c) the resources (including the name of the species, or lowest
level of taxon, to which the resources belong, if known) of
which samples have been agreed may be taken;
(d) the quantity of the resources that has been agreed can be
removed from the area;
(e) the purpose of the taking of the resources, as disclosed to the
resource access provider;
(g) the agreed disposition of ownership in the samples, including
details of any proposed transmission of samples to third
parties.
32 When benefit-sharing agreement comes into effect
(1) A benefit-sharing agreement has no effect unless a permit is issued
in relation to the biological resources in relation to which the
benefit-sharing agreement was entered into.
(2) A benefit-sharing agreement comes into effect when a permit is
issued and samples are taken under the permit.
(3) If the resource access provider is not the Territory, the
bioprospector must:
(a) give the resource access provider a copy of the permit when
issued; and
(b) advise the resource access provider when samples have been
taken under the permit.
Part 5 Register and certificates of provenance
Division 1 Register
33 CEO to maintain register
The CEO must maintain a register of information about:
(a) permits, relating to biodiscovery, issued (or declined to be
issued) by permit issuing authorities; and
(b) samples taken under those permits and details of samples
being lodged under section 24 or transferred to other parties;
and
Part 5 Register and certificates of provenance
Division 2 Certificates of provenance
Biological Resources Act 2006 17
(c) benefit-sharing agreements; and
(d) certificates of provenance.
34 CEO to make some details from register available
(1) For reporting to the Legislative Assembly or for providing statistics
in relation to biodiscovery in the Territory, the CEO may make
available certain information from the register.
(2) Confidential information must not be divulged under subsection (1).
Division 2 Certificates of provenance
35 Holder of rights to sample may request certificate
(1) A person who takes a sample of biological resources in accordance
with this Act, or a successor in title to such a sample or extract from
the sample, may request from the CEO a certificate of provenance
in relation to the sample.
(2) An application for a certificate must be in writing and include the
following:
(a) the unique identifier allocated to the sample;
(b) proof the applicant has the right to title in relation to the
sample or extract.
36 Certificate of provenance
(1) On receiving an application under section 35, accompanied by the
prescribed fee, the CEO may issue a certificate of provenance in
relation to an identified sample of biological resources.
(2) A certificate of provenance is an original document issued by the
Territory and stating that, consistent with Australia's international
obligations at time the sample was taken:
(a) the specified biological resources, or extracts from a named
organism were taken:
(i) under a permit scheme intended to minimise negative
impacts on biodiversity; and
(ii) with the informed consent of resource access providers;
and
(b) a benefit-sharing agreement had been negotiated and was in
place.
Part 5 Register and certificates of provenance
Division 2 Certificates of provenance
Biological Resources Act 2006 18
(3) A certificate of provenance must, in addition to the statement
mentioned in subsection (2), contain the following details:
(a) a unique identifier of the certificate;
(b) the date of issue of the certificate;
(c) a description of the sample, and the unique identifier of the
sample, to which the certificate relates;
(d) the general geographic region from where the sample was
taken, as advised by the bioprospector;
(e) the date the sample was taken, as advised by the
bioprospector;
(f) the quantity of the sample taken, as advised by the
bioprospector;
(g) the identifying number of the permit under which the sample
was taken and the following information about the permit:
(i) the period of validity of the permit;
(ii) the general geographic area for which the permit was
granted;
(iii) the species in relation to which the permit was granted
and the quantity that was authorised to be taken.
(4) The CEO must record the details of a certificate of provenance in
the register.
37 Revocation of certificate of provenance
(1) If a certificate of provenance is issued in relation to a sample of
biological resources and it later appears that circumstances are
such that, if known, the certificate would not have been issued, the
CEO may revoke the certificate.
(2) If a certificate is revoked, the CEO must publish a notice of the
revocation in the Gazette, and may publish the notice in any other
manner the CEO considers appropriate.
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 19
Part 6 Offences
38 Bioprospecting without permit
(1) A person must not engage in bioprospecting except in accordance
with a permit registered with the CEO.
Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units.
(2) A person is taken to engage in bioprospecting if there is a
reasonable prospect that biological resources taken by the person
will be subject to research and development on any genetic
resources, or biochemical compounds, comprising or contained in
the biological resources.
39 Giving false information
A person, in making an application to a permit issuing authority, or
in providing information to the CEO under section 15, must not
knowingly give information that is false or misleading in a material
particular.
Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units.
40 Breach of permit conditions
A bioprospector must not breach the conditions of a permit relating
to bioprospecting and registered with the CEO.
Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units.
41 Breach of benefit-sharing agreement
A person who is bound by the terms of a benefit-sharing agreement
under this Act must not breach a condition of the agreement.
Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units.
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
42 Bioprospector to keep records
(1) A bioprospector issued a permit in relation to bioprospecting must
keep the following records for each sample taken:
(a) for each record about a sample – a unique identifier for the
sample that is also on a label attached to the sample or its
container;
(b) the date the sample was taken;
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 20
(c) the location from which the sample was taken;
(d) an indication of the quantity or size of the sample (for
example, approximate weight or physical dimensions of the
sample);
(e) the scientific name of, or given to, the sample;
(f) the location of the sample when first entered in the record;
(g) the details of any subsequent disposition of the sample,
including the names and addresses of others having
possession of the sample or a part of the sample.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
(2) A copy of the records must be sent to each relevant resource
access provider, the permit issuing authority and the CEO within a
reasonable time after the sample is taken.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
(3) A record mentioned in subsection (1) for a sample must be retained
by the bioprospector while the sample is in the bioprospector's
possession.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
43 Disposal of samples
(1) If a bioprospector does not intend to keep a sample for which the
bioprospector has a record of the type mentioned in section 42(1),
the bioprospector must offer the sample and record to each
resource access provider.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
(2) If no resource access provider agrees to take the sample and
record, the bioprospector may dispose of the sample and, at that
time, must send the record and details of the disposal of the sample
to the CEO.
Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.
44 No exclusive rights to biological resources
(1) No exclusive rights, or access, to a biological resource arises
merely from:
(a) the issue of a permit by a permit issuing authority; or
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 21
(b) the entering into a benefit-sharing agreement by a resource
access provider.
(2) The CEO cannot purport to grant exclusive rights or access to
biological resources in relation to which the Territory is the resource
access provider.
(3) A term of a benefit-sharing agreement that purports to grant
exclusive rights or access in contravention of subsection (2) is void.
44A Permit not transferable
A permit to take biological resources is not transferable by the
person to whom the permit is issued.
45 Pre-existing benefit-sharing agreements
(1) This section applies to a benefit-sharing agreement entered into
between the Territory and a bioprospector before the
commencement of this Act under which:
(a) the Territory gave the bioprospector the right to use, for
biodiscovery, biological resources:
(i) taken from Territory land or waters; or
(ii) sourced from biological resources from Territory land or
waters; and
(b) the bioprospector agreed to provide benefits to the Territory
arising from biodiscovery.
(2) On and from the commencement, the agreement is taken to be a
benefit-sharing agreement entered into under section 16(1) and the
CEO must enter the agreement in the register.
46 Delegation
The CEO may delegate in writing to an employee within the
meaning of the Public Sector Employment and Management
Act 1993 any of the CEO's powers and functions under this Act or
the Regulations.
47 Regulations
(1) The Administrator may make regulations for this Act.
Part 7 Miscellaneous matters
Biological Resources Act 2006 22
(2) The regulations may:
(a) deal with the disposition of ownership in samples of biological
resources, including details of any proposed transmission of
samples to third parties; and
(b) prescribe fees payable under this Act; and
(c) for an offence against the regulations, prescribe a fine not
exceeding 200 penalty units; and
(d) provide for an offence against the Regulations to be a
regulatory offence; and
(e) provide for the enforcement of a code of practice, including by
providing that a contravention of the code is an offence
against the regulations; and
(f) provide for:
(i) the payment of a prescribed amount instead of a penalty
that may otherwise be imposed for an offence against
this Act; and
(ii) the service of a notice relating to payment of the amount
on a person alleged to have committed the offence; and
(iii) the particulars to be included in the notice; and
(g) apply, adopt or incorporate (with or without changes) the
whole or part of a document as in force or existing at a
particular time or time to time.
ENDNOTES
Biological Resources Act 2006 23
ENDNOTES
1 KEY
Key to abbreviations
amd = amended od = order
app = appendix om = omitted
bl = by-law pt = Part
ch = Chapter r = regulation/rule
cl = clause rem = remainder
div = Division renum = renumbered
exp = expires/expired rep = repealed
f = forms s = section
Gaz = Gazette sch = Schedule
hdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision
ins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation
lt = long title sub = substituted
nc = not commenced
2 LIST OF LEGISLATION
Biological Resources Act 2006 (Act No. 31, 2006)
Assent date 3 November 2006
Commenced 14 February 2007 (Gaz G7, 14 February 2007, p 3)
Personal Property Securities (National Uniform Legislation) Implementation Act 2010
(Act No. 30, 2010)
Assent date 9 September 2010
Commenced ss 58 to 60: 30 January 2012 (Gaz S2, 24 January 2012);
rem: 25 November 2011 (Gaz S68, 25 November 2011)
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory Act 2014 (Act No. 6, 2014)
Assent date 20 March 2014
Commenced 1 July 2014 (s 2)
Statute Law Revision and Repeals Act 2019 (Act No. 33, 2019)
Assent date 6 November 2019
Commenced pts 2 and 3: 11 December 2019 (Gaz G50,
11 December 2019, p 2); rem: 7 November 2019 (s 2)
Statute Law Act 2020 (Act No. 26, 2020)
Assent date 19 November 2020
Commenced 20 November 2020
3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS
General amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table
of amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation
Amendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22, 2018) to: ss 1, 4, 5, 6 and 46.
ENDNOTES
Biological Resources Act 2006 24
4 LIST OF AMENDMENTS
s 6 amd No. 33, 2019, s 49; No. 26, 2020, s 3
s 10 amd No. 6, 2014, s 43
s 21 amd No. 6, 2014, s 43
s 24 amd No. 6, 2014, s 43
s 30 amd No. 6, 2014, s 43
s 44A ins No. 30, 2010, s 28