200Compensation payable to water entity

200 Compensation payable to water entity

(1)  A court by which a person is convicted of an offence against section 199 may, where the complaint contains a claim for damages arising from the commission of the offence, order the defendant to pay to the responsible water entity damages representing the actual or expected cost of restoring its works or repairing damage.

(2)  For the purposes of subsection (1)  –

(a) the responsible water entity is taken to be the complainant in the proceedings; and

(b) an amount of damages ordered to be paid is recoverable in a court of competent jurisdiction as if it were a debt owing to the responsible water entity.