4General definitions

4 General definitions In this Act— S. 4 def. of *authority* amended by No. 57/2009 s. 35(b). ***authority*** means an exploration permit, a retention lease, a production licence, special access authorisation or a special drilling authorisation; ***Crown land*** means land that is, or that is by any Act deemed to be, unalienated land of the Crown, and includes— (a) land of the Crown that is reserved permanently or temporarily by or under any Act; and (b) land of the Crown occupied by a person under a lease, licence or other right under this or any other Act— but does not include— (c) native title land that is not also wilderness Crown land; or (d) land that is subject to a licence granted under Part 3A of the **Victorian Plantations Corporation Act** **1993**; S. 4 def. of *current authority holder* inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a). ***current authority holder*** means a holder of a primary authorisation; S. 4 def. of *Department* amended by Nos 56/2003 s. 11(Sch. item 14), 70/2013 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 34), 20/2020 s. 5(1), 41/2025 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 21). ***Department*** means the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action; S. 4 def. of *drilling authorisation area* inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a). ***drilling authorisation area*** means the area specified in a special drilling authorisation granted under Part 6A; ***gathering line*** has the meaning set out in section 82; S. 4 def. of *good oil-field practice* repealed by No. 55/2010 s. 58. S. 4 def. of *hydraulic fracturing* inserted by No. 8/2017 s. 8. ***hydraulic fracturing*** means the injection of a substance or substances into a bore under pressure for the purposes of stimulating a geological formation; ***improvement notice*** means a notice issued under section 216; ***inspector*** means a person authorised by the Minister under section 198 to act as an inspector; ***Native Title Act*** means the Native Title Act 1993 of the Commonwealth; ***native title land*** means land in which native title (within the meaning of the Native Title Act) may exist; S. 4 def. of *offshore area* inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1). ***offshore area*** has the same meaning as in the **Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010**; S. 4 def. of *offshore petroleum exploration permit* inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1). ***offshore petroleum exploration permit*** means a petroleum exploration permit within the meaning of the **Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010**; S. 4 def. of *offshore petroleum production licence* inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1). ***offshore petroleum production licence*** means a petroleum production licence within the meaning of the **Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010**; S. 4 def. of *offshore petroleum retention lease* inserted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(1). ***offshore petroleum retention lease*** means a petroleum retention lease within the meaning of the **Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2010**; ***owner*** means— (a) in relation to land that is subject to a licence granted under Part 3A of the **Victorian Plantations Corporation Act 1993**, the licensee of that land under that Part; (b) in relation to native title land, the native title holder (within the meaning of the Native Title Act) of the land; ***parks Crown land*** means any land that is a national, State or other park under the **National Parks Act 1975**; ***petroleum*** has the meaning set out in section 6; ***petroleum exploration*** has the meaning set out in section 7; ***petroleum operation*** means any activity relating to petroleum exploration or to petroleum production; ***petroleum pool*** means a naturally occurring discrete accumulation of petroleum; ***petroleum production*** has the meaning set out in section 8; ***petroleum register*** means the register established under Division 1 of Part 14; S. 4 def. of *primary authorisation* inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a), substituted by No. 64/2012 s. 46(2). ***primary authorisation*** means— (a) an exploration permit; or (b) a retention lease; or (c) a production licence; or (d) an offshore petroleum exploration permit; or (e) an offshore petroleum retention lease; or (f) an offshore petroleum production licence; ***private land*** means land that is not Crown land or native title land; ***prohibition notice*** means a notice issued under section 217; S. 4 defs of *P(SL)A lease*, *P(SL)A licence*, *P(SL)A permit* inserted by No. 57/2009 s. 35(a), repealed by No. 64/2012 s. 46(3). ***reservoir*** means an underground natural reservoir that is suitable for the storage of petroleum; S. 4 def. of *restricted Crown land* amended by No. 63/2006 s. 61(Sch. item 27). ***restricted Crown land*** means any land specified in Schedule 3 to the **Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990**; ***retention period*** means a period of 60 days after the seizure of a thing under this Act; S. 4 def. of *Secretary* inserted by No. 20/2020 s. 5(2). ***Secretary*** means the Department Head, within the meaning of the **Public Administration Act 2004**, of the Department; ***Tribunal*** means the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal; ***unit development agreement*** means an agreement made under Division 9 of Part 5; ***unrestricted Crown land*** means any Crown land other than wilderness Crown land, parks Crown land and restricted Crown land; ***vary***, in relation to the conditions of an authority, includes adding conditions to, and removing conditions from, the authority; ***well*** means a hole in the sub-soil made by drilling, boring or any other means in connection with a petroleum operation, but does not include a seismic shot hole; ***well-head*** has the meaning set out in section 151; ***wilderness Crown land*** means land that is a reference area under the **Reference Areas Act 1978** or that is a wilderness zone or wilderness park under the **National Parks Act 1975**; ***work program*** has the meaning set out in section 97.