State Emergency Service Act 1989

The Commissioner may, if satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for doing so for the purpose of protecting persons from injury or death or protecting property threatened by an actual or imminent emergency, direct, or authorise a senior emergency officer to direct, the doing of any one or more of the following—

the shutting off or disconnecting of the supply of any water, gas, liquid, solid, grain, powder or other substance in or from any main, pipeline, container or storage facility in an emergency area or any part of an emergency area,

the shutting off or disconnecting of the supply of gas or electricity to any premises in an emergency area or any part of an emergency area,

the taking possession of, and removal or destruction of any material or thing in an emergency area or any part of an emergency area that may be dangerous to life or property or that may interfere with the response of emergency services to the emergency.

For the purposes of the exercise of a function under subsection (1) (a), the Commissioner or a senior emergency officer authorised by the Commissioner may require the person who controls or supplies the substance concerned to immediately send some competent person to the scene for the purpose of shutting it off or disconnecting it in accordance with the reasonable directions of the Commissioner or senior emergency officer.

A person must comply with a requirement, or directions, under subsection (2).

A person who supplies a substance referred to in subsection (1) (a) or (b) is not liable for any damages because of any interruption of that supply under this section if the supply is shut off or disconnected in accordance with the directions of the Commissioner or senior emergency officer.

The regulations may limit the circumstances, and regulate the manner, in which the powers conferred by this section may be exercised.