ACTIn ForceAct
Environment Protection Act 1997
91IChoice of appropriate person
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91I Choice of appropriate person
(1) For section 91C (1) and section 91D (1), an appropriate person must
be chosen from among the following people in the following order:
(a) a person who had principal responsibility for the contamination
of the land with the substance (whether or not there were other
people who had responsibility for the contamination of the land
with the substance) or, if that is not practicable, the person
referred to in paragraph (b);
(b) either—
(i) a lessee of the land (whether or not the person had any
responsibility for the contamination of the land with the
substance) or if that is not practicable, the person
mentioned in paragraph (c); or
(ii) if the land is land under a land sublease—the sublessee of
the land (whether or not the person had any responsibility
for the contamination of the land with the substance) or if
that is not practicable, the following people in the
following order:
(A) the sublessor of the land (whether or not the person
had any responsibility for the contamination of the
land with the substance);
(B) the person mentioned in paragraph (c);
Note A sublessor, under a land sublease, is the lessee under the
Crown lease under which the sublease is granted
(c) a notional lessee of the land (whether or not the person had any
responsibility for the contamination of the land with the
substance).
(2) If there is more than 1 person in the category of appropriate person
specified in subsection (1), the authority may, but is not required to,
make more than 1 person in the category the subject of the order.
(3) For this section, the choice of a person is to be regarded as not
practicable if—
(a) the authority cannot, after reasonable inquiry, ascertain the
identity or location of the person; or
(b) in the opinion of the authority, the person does not have the
resources to comply with the order.
(4) In this section:
financial controller means a receiver, manager or other person who
has possession or control of land for the purpose of realising part or
all of the value of the land to discharge an obligation secured over the
land.
notional lessee, in relation to land—
(a) means a person who has vested rights in relation to the land
(i) carry an entitlement to have the lease (or land sublease)
transferred to the person; or
(ii) enable the person to dispose of or otherwise deal with the
land;
so that the person is able to benefit from the value of the lease
(or land sublease), or a substantial part of it, by the transfer,
disposal or dealing; and
(b) includes a mortgagee in possession of the land the subject of the
lease (or land sublease); but
(c) does not include—
(i) a person having security over the lease (or land sublease);
or
(ii) a person who is a legal personal representative of a person
who was the lessee (or for land under a land sublease, the
sublessee) of the land immediately before the appointment
of the representative took effect or who was a lessee
(or sublessee) of the land immediately before the lessee’s
(or sublessee’s) death; or
(iii) the public trustee and guardian because of the operation of
the Public Trustee and Guardian Act 1985, section 19; or
(iv) a person who would otherwise be a notional lessee if—
(A) the person has some security of the lease (or land
sublease); and
(B) the person, or a financial controller appointed by the
person, has entered into a contract to sell the land for
the purpose of realising all or part of the value of the
land to discharge an obligation so secured.