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Ports Management Act 2015
108Port authority charges
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108 Port authority charges
(1) The port operator of a designated port may, as a port authority of
the port, by written notice published on the port operator's website,
fix charges in respect of the use by a vessel of any or all of the
following:
(a) the waters of the designated port;
(b) port facilities of the designated port that are owned by, or
leased or licensed to, or operated or maintained by, the port
(2) The Minister may, as a port authority of a designated port, by
Gazette notice, fix charges in respect of the use by a vessel of any
or all of the following:
(a) the waters of the designated port;
(b) port facilities of the designated port that are owned by, or
leased or licensed to, or operated or maintained by, the
Minister or another public sector entity.
(3) Subsection (1) is subject to any conditions or restrictions on, or
exclusions from, the power of a port operator of a designated port
to fix charges imposed by a port operating agreement to which the
port operator is a party.
(4) Without limiting subsection (1) or (2), charges of the following kind
may be fixed in relation to a designated port:
(a) a port due, being a charge in respect of the entry (however
made) of a vessel into the port or its movement within the port;
(b) a wharfage charge, being a charge calculated by reference to
the quantity, volume or weight of cargo loaded on, or unloaded
from, a vessel occupying a berth, or transhipped between
vessels, within the port;
(c) a berthing charge, being a charge calculated by reference to
the amount of time, as determined by a port authority:
(i) that a vessel occupies a berth within the port for any
purpose; or
(ii) that a vessel anchors within the port in an area of water
that is not adjacent to a wharf, pontoon, mooring buoy,
dolphin or structure of any other kind; or
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(iii) for which a berth is reserved for occupation by a vessel
for any purpose.
(5) Different charges may be fixed in respect of different classes of
vessels, cargo or berths or according to such other factors as a port
authority thinks fit.
berth, in relation to a charge fixed by a port authority, means an
area of water within a designated port surrounding or adjacent to a
wharf, mooring buoy or dolphin that is owned by, leased or licensed
to, or operated or maintained by the port authority.
dolphin means an apparatus or structure (other than a wharf or
mooring buoy) that is permanently fixed to the bed of navigable
waters and that is used for securing a vessel.