317Appeals

317 Appeals (1) Any person who is aggrieved by the refusal of the Drillers' Licensing Board to grant him or her a driller's licence or to endorse the licence with respect to a particular method of drilling or bore construction or by any revocation or suspension of his or her licence or by any endorsement on his or her licence may within 30 days after the refusal, revocation or suspension appeal to the Minister. (2) The Minister must hear and determine the appeal and his or her decision is final and must be given effect to by the Board. (3) The Minister may in writing designate any person (other than an officer or employee of the public service or of any public statutory body) to— (a) hear the whole or any part of an appeal under this section; and (b) report to him or her on that hearing; and (c) make any recommendation on the appeal. (4) A hearing by a person designated by the Minister under subsection (3) is for the purposes of this section to be taken to be a hearing by the Minister but in every case the final determination of the matter must be made by the Minister himself or herself.