Pipelines Act 2005

An inspector may enter any premises that the inspector believes have been, are being, or are to be, used in connection with a pipeline operation at any reasonable hour in the daytime and at any time that the premises are open for business and may—

inspect the premises and any thing on the premises;

make copies of, or take extracts from, any document kept on the premises;

seize any thing on the premises if the inspector believes on reasonable grounds that it is necessary to seize the thing in order to prevent its concealment, loss or destruction;

test any equipment on the premises;

take any photographs or make any audio or visual recordings that the inspector considers necessary;

use any assistants the inspector considers necessary to exercise the powers conferred by this section.

Without limiting subsection (1), an inspector may at all reasonable times and with any assistants, vehicles and equipment he or she considers necessary—

carry out any inspections and tests of a pipeline; and

take samples of anything in the pipeline and of any soil, water, flora, fauna (whether alive or dead) or air in the vicinity of the pipeline that he or she considers necessary or expedient; and

cross any land adjacent to the pipeline in order to reach or return from the pipeline.

An inspector may exercise powers under this section only to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to do so for the purpose of determining compliance with this Act or in connection with the issue of a prohibition notice.

An inspector may not continue to exercise any powers under this section if he or she fails to produce, on request, his or her identity card for inspection by the occupier of the land.

An inspector may not, under this section, enter a residence for the purpose of determining compliance with this Act unless the occupier of the residence has consented in writing to the entry and the carrying out of a search.