20Acting Designated Authority

##### 20 Acting Designated Authority (1) The Minister may appoint a person to act as the Designated Authority: (a) during a vacancy in the office of Designated Authority; or (b) during any period, or during all periods, when the Designated Authority is absent from duty or from Australia or is, for any other reason, unable to perform the functions of the office; but a person appointed to act during a vacancy shall not continue so to act for more than 12 months. (2) An appointment of a person under subsection (1) may be expressed to have effect only in such circumstances as are specified in the instrument of appointment. (3) The Minister may: (a) determine the terms and conditions of appointment, including remuneration and allowances, of a person acting as the Designated Authority; and (b) terminate such an appointment at any time. (4) Where a person is acting as Designated Authority in accordance with paragraph (1)(b) and the office of Designated Authority becomes vacant while that person is so acting, then, subject to subsection (2), that person may continue so to act until the Minister otherwise directs, the vacancy is filled or a period of 12 months from the date on which the vacancy occurred expires, whichever first happens. (5) The appointment of a person to act as the Designated Authority ceases to have effect if the person resigns the appointment by writing signed by the person and delivered to the Minister. (6) Where a person is acting as Designated Authority, the person has and may exercise all the powers, and may perform all the functions, of the Designated Authority under this Act. (7) The validity of anything done by a person purporting to act under subsection (1) shall not be called in question on the ground that the occasion for the appointment or acting had not arisen, that there is a defect or irregularity in or in connection with the appointment, that the appointment had ceased to have effect or that the occasion for the person to act had not arisen or had ceased.