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Petroleum Act 1984
15AAppropriate person to hold permit or licence
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15A Appropriate person to hold permit or licence
(1) In determining whether to grant or renew a permit or licence, the
Minister must be satisfied that the applicant, and any associated
entity of the applicant, is an appropriate person to hold a permit or
licence under this Act, having regard to the following matters:
(a) the applicant or entity's record of compliance with the
prescribed legislation, including:
(i) whether the applicant or entity has contravened any of
the prescribed legislation; and
(ii) the seriousness of any contraventions; and
(iii) the length of time since the contraventions (if any)
occurred; and
(iv) any other matter the Minister considers relevant;
(b) whether the applicant or entity has held a licence or other
authority under the prescribed legislation where that licence or
authority has been suspended or revoked;
(c) whether in the opinion of the Minister, the action or thing to be
authorised by the permit or licence is or will be under the
control of a technically competent person;
(d) whether in the opinion of the Minister, the applicant or entity is
of good repute, having regard to character, honesty and
integrity;
(e) whether the applicant or entity has, within the previous
10 years, been convicted in the Territory or elsewhere of an
offence involving fraud or dishonesty;
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(f) whether the applicant or entity, within the previous 3 years:
(i) was an undischarged bankrupt; or
(ii) applied to take the benefit of any law for the relief of
bankrupt or insolvent debtors; or
(iii) entered into an arrangement with the applicant or entity's
creditors or made an assignment of the applicant or
entity's remuneration for their benefit;
(g) whether the applicant or entity is or was a director of a body
corporate that is the subject of a winding-up order or for which
a controller or administrator has been appointed within the
previous 3 years;
(h) whether the applicant has demonstrated to the Minister the
financial capacity to comply with the applicant's obligations
under the permit or licence;
(i) whether the applicant or entity is in partnership, in connection
with the action that is the subject of the permit or licence, with
a person whom the Minister does not consider to be an
appropriate person having regard to the matters listed in this
subsection and subsection (2);
(j) any other matters the Minister considers relevant in
determining whether a person is an appropriate person to hold a
permit or licence.
(2) If the applicant or entity is a body corporate, the Minister must
consider the following additional matters:
(a) whether a director of the body corporate:
(i) has contravened the prescribed legislation or has held a
licence or other authority under the prescribed legislation
that has been suspended or revoked; or
(ii) is or has been the director of another body corporate
that has contravened the prescribed legislation or has
held a licence or other authority under the prescribed
legislation that has been suspended or revoked;
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(b) in the case of a body corporate that is the subsidiary of
another body or company (the parent company) – whether:
(i) the parent company or a director of the parent company
has contravened the prescribed legislation or has held a
licence or other authority under the prescribed legislation
that has been suspended or revoked; or
(ii) a director of the parent company is or has been the
director of another body corporate that has contravened
the prescribed legislation or has held a licence or other
authority under the prescribed legislation that has been
suspended or revoked;
(c) the record of compliance with the prescribed environmental
legislation of any director of the body corporate;
(d) whether in the opinion of the Minister, a director of the body
corporate is of good repute, having regard to character,
honesty and integrity;
(e) whether a director of the body corporate has, within the
previous 10 years, been convicted in the Territory or
elsewhere of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty;
(f) whether the body corporate is the subject of a winding up
order or has had a controller or administrator appointed within
the previous 3 years.
(3) In this section, a reference to a director of a body corporate
includes a reference to a person concerned in the management of
the body corporate.
(4) The Minister may require an applicant or associated entity to
provide more information in relation to any matter in order for the
Minister to determine whether the applicant or entity is an
appropriate person to hold a permit or licence under this Act.
(5) The Minister must publish, on the Agency's website, the reasons
why the Minister has determined that an applicant, and any
associated entity of the applicant, is or is not an appropriate person
to hold a licence or permit under this Act.
(6) In this section:
prescribed environmental legislation means the following:
(a) the Environment Protection Act 2019;
(b) the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 1998;
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(c) the Water Act 1992;
(d) the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999 (Cth);
(e) the Environment Protection Act 1997 (ACT);
(f) the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997
(NSW);
(g) the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld);
(h) the Environment Protection Act 1993 (SA);
(i) the Environmental Management and Pollution Control
Act 1994 (Tas);
(j) the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic);
(k) the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA);
(l) an Act of another jurisdiction that is similar in nature and
purpose to an Act listed above.
prescribed legislation means the following:
(a) prescribed environmental legislation;
(b) the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989;
(ba) the Petroleum Royalty Act 2023;
(c) the Taxation Administration Act 2007;
(d) the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976;
(e) the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation)
Act 2011;
(f) the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth);
(g) the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (ACT);
(h) the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW);
(i) the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld);
(j) the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA);
(k) the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (Tas);
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(l) the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic);
(m) the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 (WA);
(n) the Petroleum Act 1984;
(o) the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Storage Amendment
Act 2013 (Cth);
(p) the Petroleum Act 1998 (VIC);
(q) the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 (NSW);
(r) the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004
(QLD);
(s) the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act 1967
(WA);
(t) the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 2000 (SA);
(u) the Mineral Resources Development Act 1995 (TAS);
(v) the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
(w) the Australian Securities and Commission Act 2001 (Cth);
(x) an Act of another jurisdiction that is similar in nature and
purpose to an Act listed above.