Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Act 2020

No. 63, 2020

An Act to amend the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, and for related purposes

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedules

Schedule 1—Amendments

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Act 2020

No. 63, 2020

An Act to amend the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, and for related purposes

[Assented to 19 June 2020]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Act 2020.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3  Schedules

  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975

1  At the end of Division 2 of Part VA

Add:

39FAA  One‑off waiver of environmental management charge payable by permission holder—coronavirus economic response

Object

 (1) The object of this section is to waive certain charge payable by holders of chargeable permissions to:

 (a) assist holders of such permissions directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and

 (b) facilitate interstate and overseas trade by helping sustain the viability of Australian businesses engaged, or usually engaged, in such trade.

Scope

 (2) This section applies in relation to an amount of charge that is or was payable (the charge amount) by the holder of a chargeable permission in relation to the period (the relevant period):

 (a) beginning on 1 January 2020; and

 (b) ending on 31 March 2020.

Waiver of charge etc.

 (3) On the commencement of this section, payment of the charge amount, and any late payment penalty that relates to the charge amount, is taken to be waived.

Refund for charge already paid

 (4) If, before the commencement of this section:

 (a) the holder of a chargeable permission paid a charge amount; and

 (b) the charge amount related to the relevant period;

the Commonwealth must refund to the holder an amount equal to the charge amount.

 (5) Amounts payable under subsection (4) are to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

Sunset of appropriation

 (6) The appropriation set out in subsection (5) ceases to have effect at the end of 31 December 2020.

2  At the end of Division 2A of Part VA

Add:

39FG  One‑off grant to holders of chargeable permissions—coronavirus economic response

Object

 (1) The object of this section is to provide a one‑off grant to holders of chargeable permissions to:

 (a) assist holders of such permissions directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus known as COVID‑19; and

 (b) facilitate interstate and overseas trade by helping sustain the viability of Australian businesses engaged, or usually engaged, in such trade.

Scope

 (2) This section applies if a collected amount relates to a service provided by the holder of a chargeable permission in the period:

 (a) beginning on 1 January 2020; and

 (b) ending on 31 March 2020.

One‑off grant

 (3) On the commencement of this section:

 (a) a grant is payable to the holder of the chargeable permission equal to the amount of the collected amount; and

 (b) sections 39FB and 39G are taken not to apply, and to never have applied, in relation to the collected amount.

Note: Section 39FB requires permission holders to pay collected amounts to the Authority on time and section 39G deals with late payment penalties.

Set‑off

 (4) The Commonwealth must set off an amount payable to it under section 39FD against a payment the Commonwealth must make under paragraph (3)(a).

 (5) Amounts payable under paragraph (3)(a) are to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

Sunset of appropriation

 (6) The appropriation set out in subsection (5) ceases to have effect at the end of 31 December 2020.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 14 May 2020

Senate on 16 June 2020]