Airports Act 1996No. 42, 1996

In force

Administered by

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Superseded version

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View as made version

C2016C00709 C31

01 July 2016 - 27 September 2018

Table of contents

Part 1—Introduction
- 1 Short title
- 2 Commencement
- 3 Objects
- 4 Simplified outline
- 5 Definitions
- 6 Sydney West Airport
- 7 Meaning of core regulated airport
- 7A Transfers and acquisitions by way of the enforcement of a loan security
- 7B Meaning of joint-user airport
- 7C Giving information and the Electronic Transactions Act
- 8 Crown to be bound
- 9 External Territories
- 10 Extra-territorial operation
- 10A Application of the Criminal Code
Part 2—Leasing and management of airports
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 11 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Scope of Part
  - 12 Airports to which Part applies
- Division 3—Grant of airport leases
- Division 4—Restrictions on acquisition and transfer of airport leases
- Division 5—Obligation to use airport site as an airport
  - 31 Obligation to use airport site as an airport
- Division 6—Restrictions on lessees
- Division 7—Lands Acquisition Act 1989 not to apply to anything done under this Part
  - 36 Lands Acquisition Act 1989 not to apply to anything done under this Part
- Division 8—Entries in title registers
  - 37 Entries in title registers
Part 3—Restrictions on ownership of airport-operator companies
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 38 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Definitions in Schedule
  - 39 Definitions in Schedule
- Division 3—49% limit on foreign ownership
- Division 4—5% limit on ownership by airlines of airport-operator companies for certain airports
- Division 5—Limits on cross-ownership of pairs of airport-operator companies
- Division 6—Head office of airport-operator company and citizenship/residency of directors of airport-operator company
  - 58 Head office to be in Australia
  - 59 Majority of directors must be Australian citizens or Australian residents
- Division 7—Record-keeping and giving of information
  - 60 Record-keeping and giving of information
- Division 8—Concurrent operation of State laws
  - 61 Concurrent operation of State laws
- Division 9—Validity of acts done in contravention of this Part
  - 62 Validity of acts done in contravention of this Part
- Division 10—Acquisition of property
  - 63 Acquisition of property
Part 4—Anti-avoidance
- 64 Simplified outline
- 65 Anti-avoidance—assets etc.
- 66 Anti-avoidance—airport-management agreements
Part 5—Land use, planning and building controls
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 67 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Scope of Part
  - 68 Airports to which Part applies
- Division 3—Airport master plans
- Division 4—Major development plans
- Division 4A—Airport plan for Sydney West Airport
- Division 5—Building control
- Division 6—Miscellaneous
Part 6—Environmental management
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 113 Simplified outline
- Division 3—Environmental standards at airports
- Division 4—Infringement notices
  - 138 Infringement notices
Part 7—Accounts and reports of airport-operator companies
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 139 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Scope of Part
  - 140 Airports to which Part applies
- Division 3—Accounts
- Division 4—Airport reports
  - 145 Airport reports
  - 145A Publication of airport reports
- Division 5—Record-keeping
  - 146 Record-keeping
- Division 6—Protection of documents given to the ACCC
  - 147 Protection of documents given to the ACCC
- Division 7—Part supplements the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
  - 148 Part supplements the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
- Division 8—Concurrent operation of State laws
  - 149 Concurrent operation of State laws
Part 8—Quality of service monitoring and reporting
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 150 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Scope of Part
  - 151 Airports to which Part applies
  - 152 Airport services and facilities
- Division 4—ACCC to monitor quality of services and facilities
  - 155 ACCC to monitor quality of services and facilities
- Division 5—Record-keeping and giving of information
  - 156 Record-keeping and giving of information
- Division 6—ACCC may publish quality of service information
  - 157 Publication of quality of service information
- Division 7—Protection of information given to the ACCC
  - 158 Protection of information given to the ACCC
- Division 8—Part supplements the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
  - 159 Part supplements the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
Part 9—Variation and closure of airport sites
- 160 Simplified outline
- 161 Variation of airport sites—consent of lessee
- 162 Closure of airport sites
- 163 Surrender of airport leases
- 163A Variation of airport lease—reducing leased area
Part 10—Implementation of international agreements relating to airports
- 164 Simplified outline
- 165 Designated international agreements
- 166 Regulations may give effect to designated international agreements
- 167 Compliance by airport operators with regulations
Part 11—Control of certain on-airport activities
- 168 Simplified outline
- 169 Airports to which Part applies
- 170 Control of liquor
- 171 Control of commercial trading
- 172 Control of vehicle movements
- 173 Control of gambling
- 174 Control of smoking
- 175 Enforcement
- 176 Infringement notices
- 177 Operation of State laws
- 178 Submissions
Part 12—Protection of airspace around airports
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 179 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Scope of Part
  - 180 Airports to which Part applies
- Division 3—Prescribed airspace
  - 181 Prescribed airspace
- Division 4—Protection of prescribed airspace
- Division 5—Part supplements regulations under the Civil Aviation Act 1988
  - 190 Part supplements regulations under the Civil Aviation Act 1988
Part 13—Access to airports and demand management at airports
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 191 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Application of the access regime in Part IIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
  - 193 Part IIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to be subject to the demand management provisions of this Part
- Division 3—Scope of demand management provisions
  - 194 Scope of demand management provisions
- Division 4—Airport capacity declarations
- Division 5—Declarations subjecting airports to statutory demand management
- Division 6—Demand management schemes
- Division 7—Compliance with demand management schemes
  - 208 Compliance with demand management schemes
  - 209 Infringement notices
- Division 8—Part supplements Sydney Airport Curfew Act and Air Navigation Regulations
  - 210 Part supplements Sydney Airport Curfew Act
  - 211 Part supplements Air Navigation Regulations
- Division 9—Intervals of time
  - 212 Recurring intervals of time
  - 213 Specification of 2 or more intervals of time
- Division 10—Severability
  - 214 Severability
Part 14—Air traffic services and aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services
- 215 Simplified outline
- 216 Air traffic services, and aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services, not to be provided without approval
Part 15—Injunctions
- 217 Simplified outline
- 218 Injunctions
- 219 Interim injunctions
- 220 Discharge etc. of injunctions
- 221 Certain limits on granting injunctions not to apply
- 222 Other powers of the court unaffected
Part 16—Prosecutions
- 223 Simplified outline
- 224 Prosecutions of corporations
- 225 Prosecutions of persons other than corporations
Part 17—Incorrect records
- 226 Simplified outline
- 228 Incorrect records
- 230 Incorrect accounts and statements
- 231 False or misleading audit certificates
Part 18—Monitoring powers
- 232 Simplified outline
- 233 Authorised officers
- 234 Identity cards
- 235 Searches to monitor compliance with Part 5 or 6—occupier consents
- 236 Monitoring warrants
- 237 Power to require persons to answer questions etc.
- 238 Monitoring powers
- 239 Airport premises
- 240 References to Part 5 or 6
Part 19—Miscellaneous
- 241 Simplified outline
- 242 Review of decisions by Administrative Appeals Tribunal
- 243 Tabling of Ministerial statements about certain decisions
- 244 Delegation
- 245 Indictable offences
- 246 Constitutional corporations
- 247 Severability
- 248 Application of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
- 249 Relocation of abandoned aircraft etc.
- 250 Access to airports for defence-related purposes and for emergency or disaster relief
- 251 Compensation for access to airports for defence-related purposes and for emergency or disaster relief
- 251A Sydney West Airport—miscellaneous provisions
- 251B Regulations declaring airport site
- 252 Regulations
- 253 Repeals
Schedule—Ownership definitions
- 1 Object
- 2 Definitions
- 3 When foreign citizens are ordinarily resident in Australia
- 4 Entering into an agreement or arrangement
- 5 Associates
- 6 Power to appoint director
- 7 Meaning of entitled to acquire
- 8 Meaning of interest in a share
- 9 Certain interests and stakes to be disregarded
- 10 Voting power
- 11 Stake in a company
- 12 Direct control interests in a company
- 13 Substantial interests in trust estates
- 14 Airport holding companies in which foreign persons have direct control interests
- Endnotes

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Airports Act 1996No. 42, 1996

Scheduled Maintenance - Thursday 13 August 2026 from 8:30pm AEST

Airports Act 1996No. 42, 1996

Legislation text