Crimes Act 1914

An appropriate authorising officer may vary an authority:

at any time on the authorising officer’s own initiative; or

on application under subsection 15GP(1).

A variation may:

extend the period of effect of the authority (subject to subsections (3) and (4)); or

authorise additional persons to engage in controlled conduct for the purposes of the controlled operation and specify:

with respect to additional law enforcement participants—the nature of the controlled conduct that those participants may engage in; and

with respect to additional civilian participants—the particular controlled conduct (if any) that each such participant may engage in; or

provide that specified persons are no longer authorised to engage in controlled conduct for the purposes of the controlled operation; or

authorise participants in the controlled operation to engage in additional or alternative controlled conduct.

A variation cannot be made that has the effect of extending the period of effect of an urgent authority.

A formal authority must not be varied in such a way that the period of effect of the authority will, after the variation is made, exceed 3 months (including any previous extensions).

An authority must not be varied unless the authorising officer is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the variation will not authorise a significant alteration of the nature of the controlled operation concerned, including an alteration that would change the nature of the criminal offences to which the controlled operation relates.

A variation is not a legislative instrument.