Aviation Transport Security Act 2004

An airport is an area of land or water (including any buildings, installations or equipment situated in the area) intended for use either wholly or partly in connection with the arrival, departure or movement of aircraft. It also includes any area that is controlled by the airport operator that is contiguous with such an area of land or water.

The Secretary may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare that a particular airport, or a part of a particular airport, is a security controlled airport.

The notice must include a map of the airport that shows the boundaries of the security controlled airport.

However, the Secretary must not:

include any area that is controlled exclusively by the Australian Defence Force within the boundaries of a security controlled airport; or

include a joint‑user area within the boundaries of a security controlled airport without the agreement of the Secretary of the Defence Department.

A joint‑user area is an area that is controlled jointly by the Australian Defence Force and one or more aviation industry participants.

The Secretary may, by notice published in the Gazette, assign a particular security controlled airport a category prescribed under section 28A.

If the Secretary publishes a notice under subsection (6) in relation to a security controlled airport, the Secretary must, by written notice given to the operator of the airport, specify the category assigned to the airport.