70General investigative powers of authorised officers

70 General investigative powers of authorised officers

(1)  An authorised officer who enters a place under this Part may exercise any one or more of the following powers:

(a) investigate whether the provisions of this Act are being, or have been, complied with;

(b) examine and test any gas infrastructure in the place to ascertain whether it complies with the requirements of this Act;

(c) investigate a suspected interference with any gas infrastructure;

(d) investigate a suspected theft or diversion of a regulated substance;

(e) search for, examine and copy, or take an extract from, a document or record of any kind as reasonably required for the purposes of the enforcement of this Act;

(f) take photographs or make films or other records of activities on the land or any gas infrastructure;

(g) take possession of any thing that may be evidence of an offence against this Act.

(2)  If an authorised officer takes possession of a thing that may be evidence of an offence against this Act –

(a) the authorised officer must give the occupier of the place a receipt for the thing; and

(b) the thing must be returned to its owner –

(i) if proceedings for an offence are not commenced within 6 months after the authorised officer takes possession of the thing – at the end of that period; or

(ii) if such proceedings are commenced within that period – on completion of the proceedings, unless the court, on application by the Regulator, orders confiscation of the thing.

(3)  A court may order the confiscation of a thing of which an authorised officer has taken possession under subsection (1) if of the opinion that the thing has been used for the purpose of committing an offence or that there is some other proper reason for ordering its confiscation.

(4)  If the court orders the confiscation of a thing –

(a) the Regulator may dispose of the thing; and