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New South Wales act
What is this? This is a very old New South Wales law from 1921 that deals with the rules around shipping goods by sea. It was designed to set out the rights and responsibilities of ship operators (carriers) and the people sending goods (shippers) when cargo is transported by sea.
Who does it affect? In principle, it would affect businesses and individuals involved in shipping goods by sea — importers, exporters, freight companies, and shipping lines operating in or out of NSW.
Why does it matter today? Honestly, this law has very limited practical relevance today. Sea carriage of goods in Australia has long been governed by federal (Commonwealth) legislation — most notably the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991 (Cth) — which overrides state laws in this area. This NSW Act has not been substantively updated since at least 1998 and appears to be largely a historical relic.
The bottom line: If you are shipping goods by sea to or from Australia, this Act is almost certainly not the law that governs your situation. Federal law takes precedence. This Act survives on the books but carries little practical weight for modern commerce.
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Direct links to the current provisions in Sea-carriage of Goods (State) Act 1921.
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View on official registerSourced from legislation.nsw.gov.au, CC BY 4.0.