Forestry Act 1959

Every permit, licence, lease, or other authority, and every agreement or contract granted or made under this Act shall be deemed to be granted or made subject to the power of the chief executive to cancel or suspend, according to the chief executive’s discretion, that permit, licence, or other authority, or to forfeit that lease, or to cancel that contract or agreement on the failure by the holder of the permit, licence, or lease or other authority, or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made, or the assignee of any such person, to comply with any provision of this Act or of the Fire Services Act 1990, chapter 4A, part 1, or with any provision, condition, or restriction subject to which the same was granted or, as the case may be, made.

The fixing of any condition for any agreement, contract, permit, licence, lease, or other authority with respect to payment for money due to the State whether in respect of the sale of any forest products or quarry material or in respect of any royalty or stumpage on any forest products or quarry material or as compensation for any loss or any damage resulting from the acts or omissions of the permittee, licensee, lessee or holder or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made or the assignee of any such person or otherwise howsoever, or any failure to observe or enforce that condition or any part thereof shall not prejudice or otherwise affect the recovery by the State of all money owing to the State by that permittee, licensee, lessee or holder or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made or the assignee of any such person and with respect to which that condition was fixed.

Cancellation or suspension of agreements etc.The chief executive may forfeit any lease, or cancel or suspend any agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority granted or made under this Act for failure by the holder of that lease, permit, licence, or other authority or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made or the assignee of any such person to comply with any provision, condition, or restriction subject to which the same was granted notwithstanding that such holder or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made or the assignee of any such person has not been proceeded against for any offence constituted by such failure.

Power to suspend conditions of agreementsThe chief executive may, in the case of any agreement, contract, permit, licence, lease, or other authority granted or made under this Act, suspend on such conditions and for such periods as may be prescribed, or in so far as are not prescribed as the chief executive may determine, the obligations of the holder or, as the case may be, the person with whom the agreement or contract is made or the assignee of any such person thereof to observe any provisions or conditions subject to which the same is or is deemed to be granted or made, except the obligation for payment of any moneys thereunder.

Suspension of agreements etc. during fire hazardWhere the chief executive is of the opinion that a state of high fire hazard exists in the whole or part of any State forest, the chief executive may, by notice in writing, suspend for such period as the chief executive deems expedient, any agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority made or granted under this Act in relation to the State forest or part thereof in question.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (4), the period during which such agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority would ordinarily remain in force shall be extended for a period equal to the period of such suspension.

Effect of suspension of agreement etc.Suspension under this Act of any agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority—

shall, whilst such agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority is so suspended, have the same effect as the cancellation thereof; and

(if the period of such suspension is less than the period during which that agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority ordinarily would have remained in force) shall not, unless the chief executive otherwise directs, upon the termination of that suspension, extend the period during which that agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority thereafter remains in force beyond the period during which that agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority would have remained in force if it had not been suspended.

Rights to cease on forfeitureOn forfeiture of a lease or cancellation of an agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority, the lease, agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority affected thereby and, unless otherwise determined by the chief executive, all rights, interests, and privileges thereunder shall absolutely cease and determine.

Cancellation, suspension may be published in gazetteWithout limiting the mode of forfeiting a lease or cancelling or suspending an agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority, any lease may be forfeited and any agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority may be cancelled or suspended by notice published in the gazette.

No compensation on forfeitureWhen under this Act a lease is forfeited or an agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority is cancelled or suspended, the person to or with whom that lease, agreement, contract, permit, licence, or other authority was granted or made shall not be entitled to claim or receive any compensation in respect of such forfeiture, suspension, or cancellation, or any expense the person may have incurred in acting or with a view to taking action under that lease, agreement, contract, permit, licence, or authority.

Subsection (7) does not prevent the payment of compensation for suspension or cancellation of a sales permit in particular circumstances if the permit provides for compensation to be paid in the circumstances.

In this section, a reference to an authority, agreement or contract does not include a plantation licence or plantation sublicence.