146Power of authorised officers to require documents

146 Power of authorised officers to require documents

146 Power of authorised officers to require documents

(1) An authorised officer may direct a person to give a document to the officer or another authorised officer.

Note—

The Interpretation Act 1987, Schedule 4 defines a document to mean any record of information, including maps, plans, drawings and photographs.

(2) The direction may be given if the authorised officer requires the document for an authorised purpose.

(3) The direction must be in the form of a written order given to the person.

(4) The order must specify—

(a) the way the document must be given, and

(b) the form in which the document must be given, and

(c) a reasonable date by which the document must be given.

(5) The order may only require a person to give existing documents that—

(a) are in the person’s possession, or

(b) are within the person’s power to obtain lawfully.

(6) An authorised officer may make copies of the document.

(7) A person must not, without reasonable excuse, fail to comply with a direction under this section.

Maximum penalty for subsection (7)—

(a) for an individual—600 penalty units, or

(b) otherwise—3,000 penalty units.

Note—

The Crimes Act 1900, Part 5A contains offences relating to providing false or misleading information or documents. The offences have a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 2 years or a fine of $22,000, or both.