Major Events Act 2014

The dictionary at the end of this Act defines certain terms used in this Act, and includes references (signpost definitions) to other terms defined elsewhere in this Act.

A definition in the dictionary (including a signpost definition) applies to the entire Act unless the definition, or another provision of the Act, provides otherwise or the contrary intention otherwise appears (see Legislation Act, s 155 and s 156 (1)).

See the Legislation Act, s 127 (1), (4) and (5) for the legal status of notes.

Criminal Code

Penalty units

The Executive may, not later than 28 days before the proposed date of an event, declare the event to be a major event (a major event declaration).

The Executive may only make a major event declaration in relation to an event if satisfied—

that the event is a major event at an international, national, State or Territory level; and

it is in the public interest to do so; and

on reasonable grounds it is necessary and appropriate to do so.

In deciding whether to make a major event declaration, the Executive must consider whether the event will do any of the following:

generate significant tourism opportunities for the ACT by attracting a large number of international participants or spectators;

significantly raise the ACT’s international profile;

require a high level of professional management and coordination;

attract significant sponsorship and media coverage;

attract large numbers of people as participants or spectators;

offer substantial cultural, economic, social, sporting or other benefits for the ACT and ACT residents.

The Executive may not declare a public protest or demonstration to be a major event.

A major event declaration is a disallowable instrument.

The Executive must give additional public notice of the major event declaration.

Public notice means notice on an ACT government website or in a daily newspaper circulating in the ACT (see Legislation Act, dict, pt 1). The requirement in s (6) is in addition to the requirement for notification on the legislation register as a disallowable instrument.

Failure to publish a declaration in accordance with subsection (6) does not affect the validity of the declaration.

A major event declaration for an event must—

describe the event; and

state the organiser of the event; and

state the proposed time and date of the event; and

state the location of the venue for the event; and

state the period for which the declaration is in force; and

state that a notice may be given under the following provisions for the event:

section 26 (Notice of protected symbol);

section 32 (Notice of clean zone);

section 39 (Notice of protection of ticketing arrangements); and

state anything else prescribed by regulation.

A major event declaration for an event may state that a specified item is a prohibited item for section 12 (1), definition of prohibited item, paragraph (b) if the Executive considers—

the item could be—

used to interfere with the event; or

a risk to public safety; and

it reasonable in the circumstances.

A major event declaration for an event may also exclude an item mentioned in s 12 (1), def prohibited item, par (a).

The Minister may, not later than 7 days before the proposed date of a major event, vary the major event declaration for the event in relation to any of the matters mentioned in section 7.

The Minister may only vary a major event declaration for a major event if satisfied on reasonable grounds that the variation is necessary and appropriate for—

the good management of the event; or

the safety and enjoyment of people at the event.

A variation is a disallowable instrument.

The Minister must give additional public notice of the major event declaration variation.

Public notice means notice on an ACT government website or in a daily newspaper circulating in the ACT (see Legislation Act, dict, pt 1). The requirement in s (4) is in addition to the requirement for notification on the legislation register as a disallowable instrument.

Failure to publish a variation in accordance with subsection (4) does not affect the validity of the variation.

For part 3 (Crowd management), the Minister may, not later than 7 days before the proposed date of a sporting event, give notice that the event is an important sporting event (an important sporting event notice).

Pt 4 (Protection of commercial arrangements) and pt 5 (Protection of ticketing arrangements) do not apply to an important sporting event.

The Minister may only give an important sporting event notice in relation to an event if satisfied on reasonable grounds that its making is necessary and appropriate for—

the safety of people attending the event; and

the avoidance of disruptions to the event.

In deciding whether to make an important sporting event notice, the Minister must consider—

the nature of the event; and

the number of people expected to attend the event; and

any other relevant matter.

A notice is a disallowable instrument.

The Minister must give additional public notice of the important sporting event notice.

Public notice means notice on an ACT government website or in a daily newspaper circulating in the ACT (see Legislation Act, dict, pt 1). The requirement in s (5) is in addition to the requirement for notification on the legislation register as a disallowable instrument.

Failure to publish a notice in accordance with subsection (5) does not affect the validity of the notice.

An important sporting event notice for a sporting event must—

describe the event; and

state the organiser of the event; and

state the proposed time and date of the event; and

state the location of the venue for the event; and

state the period for which the notice is in force.

An important sporting event notice for a sporting event may state that a specified item is a prohibited item for section 12 (1), definition of prohibited item, paragraph (b) if the Minister considers—

the item could be—

used to interfere with the event; or

a risk to public safety; and

it reasonable in the circumstances.

An important sporting event notice for an event may also exclude an item mentioned in s 12 (1), def prohibited item, par (a).

a major event—for the major event declaration period; and

an important sporting event—for the important sporting event notice period.

In this Act:

unless excluded by the major event declaration for the major event or the important sporting event notice for the important sporting event, the following:

a prohibited weapon or prohibited article;

a knife;

a dangerous good;

a hazardous chemical or explosive;

a flare, firework, smoke bomb or petrol;

a drug of dependence or prohibited substance;

a fire extinguisher;

alcohol;

paint stored in a container of any kind;

a loud hailer, megaphone or any other device that can amplify the human voice;

broadcast equipment or any device that may interfere with broadcast equipment authorised by the event organiser to be used in the event venue;

a whistle, horn or bugle or a similar thing likely to be used to interfere with the event;

a flag that is longer or wider than 900mm;

a flagpole that is longer than 1m;

an egg, ball, paint bomb or a thing likely to be intended for use as a projectile;

a glass item (other than optical lenses, or an infant’s food or drink container) that could be—

used to interfere with the event; or

a risk to public safety;

a metal can (other than an infant’s food or drink container) that could be—

used to interfere with the event; or

a risk to public safety;

an animal, other than—

if a person is accompanied by an assistance animal—the animal; or

a police dog, police horse or other animal used for the management of the event; or

an animal competing or participating in the event;

a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, roller skates, roller blades or similar wheeled device, other than a wheeled device used by—

a person with disability for mobility; or

a police officer or another person for the management of the event; or

a person competing or participating in the event; and

anything else stated in the major event declaration for the major event or the important sporting event notice for the important sporting event.

A major event declaration or important sporting event notice may state that an item is a prohibited item if it is considered it could be used to interfere with a major event or important sporting event or be a risk to public safety, and it is reasonable in the circumstances.

In this section:

is a person with disability and is accompanied by an assistance animal that is assisting the person to alleviate the effect of the disability; or

is an assistance animal trainer and is accompanied by an animal that is being trained as an assistance animal; or

is an assistance animal assessor and is accompanied by an animal that is being assessed as an assistance animal.

A person commits an offence if—

the person goes into, or stays in, a part of an event venue; and

the person does not have the permission of the event organiser or venue manager to go into, or stay in, that part of the venue.

A person commits an offence if—

the person goes onto, or stays on, the playing surface at an event venue; and

the person does not have the permission of the event organiser or venue manager to go onto, or stay on, the playing surface.

An offence against subsection (2) is a strict liability offence.

For this section, a person is taken to have the permission of the event organiser or venue manager to go into, or stay in, a part of an event venue or go onto, or stay on, the playing surface of an event venue if the person is—

an authorised person; or

competing or participating in the major event or important sporting event in the event venue.

In this section:

means the area on which a sport is to be, or is being, played as part of the major event or important sporting event; and

includes—

any adjacent area required for the sport to be played; and

any area reasonably incidental to the sport being played.