68Recovery of costs

68 Recovery of costs

(1)  If an authorised officer under this Part destroys, renders harmless or disposes of a thing or vehicle, the owner or the person who had possession of the thing or vehicle immediately before it was seized, destroyed, rendered harmless or disposed of by the authorised officer, as the case requires, is liable for the costs and expenses reasonably incurred as a result of an authorised officer taking that action.

(2)  The Director of Public Health may recover the costs and expenses specified in subsection (1) in a court of competent jurisdiction as a debt due to the Crown.

(3)  The Crown is not liable in respect of any costs and expenses incurred by a person in complying with a direction given under this Part.

(4)  If the Director of Public Health receives any proceeds as a consequence of disposing of a thing or vehicle as referred to in subsection (1) , those proceeds less the costs and expenses reasonably incurred in disposing of that thing or vehicle are to be paid to the owner or the person who had possession of that thing or vehicle immediately before it was seized or disposed of by the authorised officer, as the Director of Public Health determines appropriate.