Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 (WA)

Western Australia Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 Western Australia Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 Contents Part I — Preliminary 1. Short title 2 2. Commencement 2 7. Terms used 2 Part II — Administration 10. Delegation by Minister 8 11A. Delegation by Director General 8 11. Authorised persons 9 Part IV — Declaration of plants and animals 35. Classes of plants and animals may be declared 10 36. Categories of declared plants and animals 10 37. List of declared animals and plants 12 Part V — Control of declared plants and declared animals Division 5 — Operational work 57. Term used: operational work 13 58. Operational work may be carried out 13 59. Saving provisions 14 Part VIA — Protection of agriculture and related resources from agricultural chemicals 83A. Protection from agricultural chemicals 15 Part VII — General Division 1 — Powers of inspectors and authorised persons 84. Power of entry 16 85. Power to search conveyances etc. 18 86. Name and address may be required 19 87. Obstruction etc. 19 88. Personating officers 20 Division 2 — Agents, mortgagees and trustees 89. Attorneys and agents to represent principal 20 90. Powers of trustees 21 91. Mortgagees 21 Division 3 — Procedure 92. Manner in which notices may be served 21 93. Proof of documents and service 24 94. Proof of ownership or occupancy 24 94A. Proof of plant or animal 25 95. Judicial notice of signatures 26 96. Authentication of documents 26 97. Evidentiary provisions 26 98. Prosecutions 27 Division 4 — Miscellaneous 99. Variation or cancellation of declarations 27 100. Indemnity to persons acting in execution of powers conferred by Act 27 102. Offences to be dealt with by magistrate 28 Part VIII — Regulations 103. Governor may make regulations 29 104. Regulations — general 29 105. Regulations — declared plants and declared animals 29 106A. Regulations — storage, use and transport of prescribed chemicals 32 107. General provisions as to regulations 33 108. Penalties under regulations 34 Part XI — Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Amendment Act 2010 — Savings and transitional provisions 120. Terms used 35 121. Approvals and certificates 35 122. Authorised persons 35 123. Declarations 35 124. Rates payable under section 61 36 125. Funds in, or payable to, former account 36 126. Management programmes 37 127. Notices 37 128. Permissions and authorities 37 129. Transitional regulations 38 Notes Compilation table 40 Uncommenced provisions table 43 Other notes 43 Defined terms Western Australia Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 An Act to provide for the management, control and prevention of certain plants and animals, for the prohibition and regulation of the introduction and spread of certain plants and of the introduction, spread and keeping of certain animals, for the protection of agriculture and related resources generally, and for incidental and other purposes. Part I — Preliminary 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976. 2. Commencement The provisions of this Act shall come into operation on such date or dates as is or are, respectively, fixed by proclamation. [3, 4. Deleted: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1.] [5. Deleted: No. 59 of 1986 s. 4.] [6. Deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 5.] 7. Terms used (1) In this Act unless the contrary intention appears — animal means any living thing that is not a human being or a plant; authorised person means a person authorised by the Director General pursuant to section 11; category means a category mentioned in section 36(3) or (4); class, in relation to plants or animals, means any group or grouping of plants or animals; Commissioner means the Commissioner of State Revenue; control — (a) in relation to declared plants of a class assigned to category P2 or declared animals of a class assigned to category A2, means to destroy, prevent and eradicate those plants or animals or cause those plants or animals to be destroyed, prevented and eradicated; (b) in relation to declared plants of a class assigned to category P3, means — (i) to destroy, prevent and eradicate those plants or cause those plants to be destroyed, prevented and eradicated; or (ii) to control those plants by taking or causing to be taken such measures as are approved by an inspector or authorised person to reduce the numbers or distribution of those plants; (c) in relation to declared plants of a class assigned to category P4, means — (i) to destroy, prevent and eradicate those plants or cause those plants to be destroyed, prevented and eradicated; or (ii) to control those plants by taking or causing to be taken such measures as are approved by an inspector or authorised person to prevent the spread of those plants; (d) in relation to declared plants of category P5, means to take or cause to be taken such action in respect of those plants as is prescribed; (e) in relation to declared animals of category A5, means — (i) to destroy, prevent and eradicate those animals or cause those animals to be destroyed, prevented and eradicated; or (ii) to control those animals by taking or causing to be taken such measures as are approved by an inspector or authorised person to reduce and restrict the number of those animals; (f) in relation to declared animals of category A7, means to do or cause to be done such acts, matters and things for the management and regulation of the movement, numbers and distribution of those animals as are set out in a management programme having effect in the area of the State in which those animal are situated and applying to animals of that class, and inflexions and derivatives have correlative meanings; declaration means a declaration made by the Minister and published in the Gazette and the verb to declare and inflexions and derivatives have correlative meanings; declared animal means an animal belonging to a class of animals declared under section 35 to be declared animals and includes — (a) such an animal of any kind or sex; and (b) the egg or semen of such an animal; and (c) such an animal when in the larval stage or any other immature stage, and, unless otherwise specified in a declaration under that section, includes any hybrid or cross derived from such an animal; Declared Pest Account has the meaning given in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 6; declared plant means a plant belonging to a class of plants declared under section 35 to be declared plants and includes — (a) any part of such a plant; (b) the product of such a plant; department means the department principally assisting in the administration of this Act; Director General means the chief executive officer of the department; inspector means an inspector appointed under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 162; occupier, in relation to land, means the person by whom or on whose behalf land is actually occupied, or, if there is no occupier, the person entitled to possession, and includes a person in the unauthorised occupation of Crown land, and a person who, under a licence or concession relating to specified land vested in the Crown, has the right of taking a profit of the land, and occupy and inflexions and derivatives have, in relation to land, meanings correlative to "occupier"; owner, in relation to land, means — (a) (i) a person who is in possession of the land as — (A) the holder of a legal or equitable estate of freehold in possession in the land, including an estate or interest under a contract or arrangement with the Crown or any other person by virtue of which the land is held or occupied with the right to acquire the fee simple by purchase or otherwise; (B) a Crown lessee or a lessee or tenant under a lease or tenancy agreement; (C) a mortgagee of the land; (D) a trustee, attorney or authorised agent of such a holder, lessee, tenant or mortgagee; or (ii) where there is no such person in possession of the land the person who is entitled to possession in any of those capacities, and, for the purposes of this paragraph, receipt of the rents and profits shall be regarded as possession; (b) a person who — (i) under a licence or concession relating to specific Crown land, has the right of taking a profit of the land; (ii) is lawfully entitled to occupy the land which is vested in the Crown, and which has no other owner within the meaning of this definition; (iii) is in the actual occupation, with or without title, of the surface of the whole or portion of a mining tenement within the meaning of the Mining Act 1904 2; (iv) has, without title, a tent, camp or other habitation on the land which is land belonging to another person; (v) is in the unauthorised occupation of the land which is Crown land, and own and inflexions and derivatives have, in relation to land, meanings correlative to "owner"; pastoral lease has the meaning ascribed to that term in and for the purposes of the Land Administration Act 1997; plant means vegetation of any kind; prohibited material — (a) in relation to the State generally, means a plant that is, for the time being, declared in respect of the whole of the State or any part of the State and includes any packet, parcel, packing material, seeds, soil, vegetable matter or other substance in or with which that plant is packed or associated; (b) in relation to a part of the State, means a plant that is, for the time being, declared in respect of part of the State and includes any packet, parcel, packing material, seeds, soil, vegetable matter or other substance in or with which that plant is packed or associated; train includes a railway locomotive, railway carriage and railway wagon; vehicle has the meaning given in the Road Traffic (Administration) Act 2008 section 4; watercourse includes any waters, whether running or still, permanent or temporary, or natural or artificially constructed. (2) For the purposes of this Act — (a) a reference to a class of declared plants or class of declared animals of, or assigned to, a category identified by a letter and a numeral refers to a class of declared plants or class of declared animals assigned, by declaration under section 35, to the category so identified in section 36(3) or (4); (b) a reference to a declared plant or declared animal of a category identified by a letter and a numeral refers to a declared plant or declared animal of a class of declared plants or declared animals, as the case may be, assigned by declaration under section 35 to the category so identified in section 36(3) or (4). (3) A declared plant or declared animal shall he deemed to be on land for the purposes of this Act notwithstanding that it is on or in any watercourse on that land or is, in the case of a declared animal, in the air above that land. [Section 7 amended: No. 59 of 1986 s. 5; No. 14 of 1996 s. 4; No. 31 of 1997 s. 141; No. 45 of 2002 s. 7(2); No. 74 of 2003 s. 26; No. 55 of 2004 s. 24; No. 77 of 2006 Sch. 1 cl. 6(1); No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1; No. 46 of 2010 s. 6 and 55; No. 8 of 2012 s. 40.] Part II — Administration [8, 9. Deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 7.] 10. Delegation by Minister (1) The Minister may delegate to the Director General any power or duty of the Minister under another provision of this Act. (2) The delegation must be in writing signed by the Minister. (3) The delegation may expressly authorise the Director General to further delegate the power or duty. (4) A person exercising or performing a power or duty that has been delegated to the person under, or as authorised under, this section, is to be taken to do so in accordance with the terms of the delegation unless the contrary intention is shown. (5) Nothing in this section limits the ability of the Minister to perform a function through an officer or agent. [Section 10 inserted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 8.] 11A. Delegation by Director General (1) The Director General may delegate to an officer of the department any power or duty of the Director General under another provision of this Act. (2) The delegation must be in writing signed by the Director General. (3) A person exercising or performing a power or duty that has been delegated to the person under this section is to be taken to do so in accordance with the terms of the delegation unless the contrary intention is shown. (4) Nothing in this section limits the ability of the Director General to perform a function through an officer or agent. [Section 11A inserted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 8.] 11. Authorised persons (1) The Director General may, from time to time, in writing, authorise persons to take all such measures and do all such things as are necessary or convenient for controlling, and preventing the introduction and spread, of declared plants and declared animals. (2) Every authorised person shall, if required to do so, produce his written authority to the owner or occupier of any land or premises he may enter pursuant to the powers conferred on him by this Act. [Section 11 amended: No. 46 of 2010 s. 9.] [12. Deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 10.] [Part III: s. 13‑16 deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 11; s. 17 deleted: No. 9 of 1998 s. 3; s. 18‑34A deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 11.] Part IV — Declaration of plants and animals 35. Classes of plants and animals may be declared (1) The Minister may, by declaration, declare — (a) plants of a class specified in the declaration to be declared plants; (b) animals of a class specified in the declaration to be declared animals. (2) A declaration under subsection (1) in relation to a class of plants or animals shall specify — (a) whether those plants or animals are declared plants or declared animals, as the case may be, in respect of the whole of the State and every part of the State or only in respect of a part or parts of the State specified in the declaration; and (b) whether those plants or animals are declared generally or only in particular circumstances specified in the declaration; and (c) the category or categories to which that class of declared plants or declared animals is assigned for the purposes of this Act. [Section 35 amended: No. 46 of 2010 s. 55(1).] 36. Categories of declared plants and animals (1) Subject to, and in accordance with, subsection (3) and (4), a class of declared plants or class of declared animals may, by declaration under section 35, be assigned to one or more categories for the purposes of this Act according to the measures that, in the opinion of the Minister, need to be taken in relation to declared plants or declared animals of that class in order to achieve the object of this Act. (2) A class of declared plants or class of declared animals may, by declaration under section 35, be assigned to different categories in respect of different parts of the State. (3) For the purposes of this Act a class of declared plants may be assigned to — (a) category P1 in respect of an area if the introduction into and movement within that area of those plants should, in the opinion of the Minister, be prohibited; (b) category P2 in respect of an area if those plants should, in the opinion of the Minister, be eradicated in that area; (c) category P3 in respect of an area if the numbers or distribution, or both, of those plants should, in the opinion of the Minister, be reduced in that area; (d) category P4 in respect of an area if those plants should, in the opinion of the Minister, be prevented from spreading beyond the places in which they occur in that area for the time being; (e) category P5 in respect of an area, if, in the opinion of the Minister, particular action should be taken in relation to those plants on land in that area that is public land or land under the control of a local government. (4) For the purposes of this Act a class of declared animals may be assigned to — (a) category A1 in respect of an area if the introduction of those animals into that area should, in the opinion of the Minister, be prohibited; (b) category A2 in respect of an area if those animals — (i) are not vertebrate animals native to that area; and (ii) should, in the opinion of the Minister, be eradicated in that area; (c) category A3 in respect of an area if the keeping of those animals in that area should, in the opinion of the Minister, be prohibited; (d) category A4 in respect of an area if the introduction of those animals into that area should, in the opinion of the Minister, be subject to conditions and restrictions imposed by or under the regulations; (e) category A5 in respect of an area if the numbers of those animals in that area should, in the opinion of the Minister, be reduced and kept under restriction; (f) category A6 in respect of an area if the keeping of those animals in that area should, in the opinion of the Minister, be subject to conditions and restrictions imposed by or under the regulations; (g) category A7 in respect of an area if those animals are native to that area and are animals for which a management programme should, in the opinion of the Minister, be approved and published by the Minister and implemented in and in relation to that area. (5) In subsections (3) and (4) area means the whole of the State or a part of the State. [Section 36 amended: No. 31 of 1983 s. 3; No. 14 of 1996 s. 4; No. 46 of 2010 s. 55(1).] 37. List of declared animals and plants The Director General must — (a) maintain, on or accessible through the department's website, a publicly accessible list setting out — (i) every class of plants or animals that is for the time being the subject of a declaration made under section 35; and (ii) the matters for the time being specified under section 35(2) in relation to each class referred to in subparagraph (i); and (b) make copies of the list available to the public for inspection at the head office and regional offices of the department during business hours. [Section 37 inserted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 12.] Part V — Control of declared plants and declared animals [Divisions 1-4 (s. 38‑56) deleted: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1.] Division 5 — Operational work [Heading amended: No. 46 of 2010 s. 24.] 57. Term used: operational work In this Division operational work means the doing of such acts, matters and things as may be necessary for or conducive to the control of declared plants and declared animals. 58. Operational work may be carried out (1) In this section — dwelling has the meaning given in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 63. (2A) Inspectors and authorised persons may, at any time and to such extent as the Director General may determine, carry out operational work on and in relation to any place other than a dwelling without cost to the owner or occupier of that place. (2B) The operational work may be carried out — (a) out of moneys from time to time appropriated by Parliament for that purpose; or (b) out of moneys from time to time standing to the credit of the Declared Pest Account other than moneys derived from rates under section 60; or (c) on and in relation to private land held under pastoral lease out of moneys from time to time standing to the credit of the Declared Pest Account and derived from rates under section 60; or (d) on and in relation to public land, land under the control of a local government or private land pursuant to an agreement under section 41, 46 or 55. (2) An inspector or authorised person may enter any land for the purpose of exercising powers under this section. [Section 58 amended: No. 14 of 1996 s. 4; No. 6 of 2006 s. 4; No. 77 of 2006 Sch. 1 cl. 6(4); No. 46 of 2010 s. 25.] 59. Saving provisions (1) The provisions of section 58 are in addition to and not in derogation of any other provision, whether of this Act or another Act, conferring power to control declared plants and declared animals. [(2) deleted] [Section 59 amended: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1; No. 46 of 2010 s. 26.] [Division 6: s. 60, 62‑65 deleted: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1; s. 61 deleted: No. 46 of 2010 s. 28.] [Divisions 7 and 8 (s. 66‑70) deleted: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1.] [Part VI (s. 71‑83) deleted: No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1.] Part VIA — Protection of agriculture and related resources from agricultural chemicals 83A. Protection from agricultural chemicals (1) The object of this section is to protect agriculture and related resources, from danger or detriment likely to result from the storage, use, or transport of prescribed agricultural chemicals. (2) A person shall not in any prescribed part of the State store, use, or transport a prescribed agricultural chemical in a manner which does not conform to the regulations. Penalty: a fine of $50 000. [Section 83A inserted: No. 55 of 1979 s. 7; amended: No. 20 of 1989 s. 3; No. 46 of 2010 s. 42 and 56.] Part VII — General Division 1 — Powers of inspectors and authorised persons 84. Power of entry (1) An inspector or authorised person may, at any time, by virtue of an without warrant than the provisions of this Act enter upon land and into any premises on land, not being a dwelling house or a hut, tent, caravan or other erection used as a permanent residence, in order to — (a) make a search to ascertain — (i) whether declared plants or declared animals are in or upon the land or premises and, if so, whether those declared plants or declared animals are being controlled as required by this Act; or [(ii) deleted] (iii) whether there is any declared plant or prohibited material in or upon the land or premises that has been introduced contrary to this Act; or (iv) whether there is any declared animal in or upon the land or premises that has been introduced or is being kept contrary to this Act; or (v) whether any chemical is being or has been stored or used upon the land or in the premises contrary to this Act; (b) patrol and inspect any fence on or bounding that land. (2) If it appears to a justice, on an application supported by evidence on oath or affirmation by an inspector or authorised person, that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is in any of the premises excepted under subsection (1) — (a) any declared plant or declared animal that is required by this Act to be controlled; (b) any declared plant or prohibited material that has been introduced contrary to this Act; (c) any declared animal that has been introduced or is being kept contrary to this Act; (d) any chemical that is being stored or has been used contrary to this Act, the justice may grant a warrant authorising the inspector or authorised person to enter the premises during such hours of the day or night as the warrant specifies or, if the warrant so specifies, at any time, for the purpose of searching the premises and taking such action in relation to any declared plant or declared animal or chemical found in the premises as is prescribed. (3) Where an inspector or authorised person enters upon or searches the enclosed garden or curtilage of a dwelling house the owner or occupier of that dwelling house may apply to the Magistrates Court for a review of the exercise of that power on the grounds there were no reasonable grounds for its exercise and the court shall inquire into the matter and make its findings known to the applicant and the Minister. (4) An inspector or authorised person who has entered and searched land or premises, or both, under this section or under a warrant granted under this section shall draw up and sign a report of the result of the entry and search and shall furnish that report to the Director General. (5) This section is in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other provision of this Act under which an inspector or authorised person is authorised to enter land or premises for the purpose of exercising any power or performing any duty or function. (6) Where, under the provisions of this Act or of a warrant granted under this Act, an inspector or authorised person is authorised to enter land, or premises on land, for any purpose — (a) he may, with or without assistants or contractors, enter and remain on that land or in those premises for such period as is reasonable for carrying out that purpose; and (b) he shall have for himself and those assistants or contractors such rights of ingress, egress and regress into, over and across that land for that period with such vehicles, instruments, appliances and materials as are reasonable for carrying out that purpose. [Section 84 amended: No. 22 of 1980 s. 6; No. 84 of 2004 s. 80; No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1; No. 46 of 2010 s. 55(2).] 85. Power to search conveyances etc. (1) An inspector or authorised person may at any time search and inspect any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or train in order to ascertain if — (a) any declared plant, declared animal or prohibited material is on or in that vehicle, vessel, aircraft or train; [(b) deleted] (c) any chemical is being transported on or in that vehicle, vessel, aircraft or train contrary to section 83A. (2) An inspector or authorised person may take possession of any declared plant or declared animal or prohibited material found in the course of a search and inspection under subsection (1). (3) For the purpose of exercising his powers under this section an inspector or authorised person — (a) may stop any vehicle or vessel; (b) may, with or without assistants, enter into or upon any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or train and search and inspect every part of it and everything on or in it. (4) A person who, being in charge of a vehicle or vessel, fails to stop the vehicle or vessel when so required by a person who makes himself known as being an inspector or authorised person, commits an offence. Penalty: a fine of $20 000. (5) This section is in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other provision of this Act under which an inspector or authorised person is authorised to search for, take possession of, detain or destroy or cause the destruction of any plant, animal or prohibited material. [Section 85 amended: No. 22 of 1980 s. 7; No. 20 of 1989 s. 3; No. 24 of 2007 s. 27 1; No. 46 of 2010 s. 56.] 86. Name and address may be required An inspector or authorised person acting in the exercise or performance of his powers, duties or functions under this Act may — (a) require any person to state his name and address; (b) require any occupier of land to state, to the best his knowledge, information and belief, the name and address of the owner of that land. 87. Obstruction etc. Any person who — (a) without lawful excuse, wilfully obstructs, hinders or resists an inspector or authorised person in the exercise or performance of his powers, duties or functions under this Act; or (b) without lawful excuse, refuses or wilfully fails to comply with any lawful requirement of an inspector or authorised person under this Act; or (c) wilfully makes any false statement to or misleads, or attempts to mislead an inspector or authorised person in the exercise or performance of his powers, duties or functions under this Act; or (d) assaults or uses abusive language to an inspector or authorised person, or a person assisting an inspector or authorised person, commits an offence. Penalty: a fine of $20 000. [Section 87 amended: No. 59 of 1986 s. 7; No. 20 of 1989 s. 3; No. 46 of 2010 s. 56.] 88. Personating officers Any person who falsely represents himself to be, or personates, an inspector or authorised person commits an offence. Penalty: a fine of $20 000. [Section 88 amended: No. 20 of 1989 s. 3; No. 46 of 2010 s. 56.] Division 2 — Agents, mortgagees and trustees 89. Attorneys and agents to represent principal (1) An attorney or agent of an owner who is absent from the State, shall be deemed to represent his principal for the purposes of this Act, so far as regards land which the attorney or agent is authorised to manage, or of which he is authorised to hold possession, or the rents and profits of which he is authorised to collect on behalf of the owner. (2) Service on such a representative of the owner of land of — (a) a notice required or authorised to be served on the owner; (b) a summons or legal process for the recovery of money payable by the owner in respect of the land, pursuant to the provisions of this Act, shall be regarded as effective service on the owner. 90. Powers of trustees A trustee who is an owner of land in accordance with the definition owner in section 7 may apply any of the funds under his control as trustee, for the owner of the land, in defraying charges, costs and expenses necessarily or properly incurred by him pursuant to, or by virtue of, the provisions of this Act in that capacity. 91. Mortgagees Where a mortgagee of land, pursuant to any obligation imposed on him by this Act, has paid an amount of money which otherwise would have been payable by the mortgagor, he may add the amount paid to the debt, the subject of the mortgage. Division 3 — Procedure 92. Manner in which notices may be served (1) Service of a notice, the giving of which is authorised or required pursuant to the provisions of this Act may be effected — (a) by delivering it personally to the person upon whom it is to be served; or (b) by leaving it for him at his usual or last known place of abode or business; or (c) by forwarding it by post in a prepaid letter, or transmitting it by telegram addressed to his last known place of abode or business, or to his last known postal address, or to the address (if any) shown in the rate record kept by a local government pursuant to the Local Government Act 1995 as his address for the service of rate notices under that Act; or (d) where an address for service pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) cannot be discovered by the person giving the notice, by advertising the notice at least twice in a newspaper circulating in the district in which the land to which the notice relates is situated, an interval of at least a week being allowed to elapse between the advertisements, and shall be regarded as effective whether the notice comes or does not come to the hands or knowledge of the person for whom it is intended. (2) A notice may be served on a body corporate by delivering it, leaving it, posting it in a prepaid letter, or transmitting it by telegram, the notice being addressed in each case to the body corporate at its principal or any known place of business. (3) A notice may be served on all the members of a partnership or unincorporated body by delivering it, leaving it, posting it in a prepaid letter, or transmitting it by telegram, the notice being addressed in each case to the partnership or body at its principal or any known place of business. (4) When a person on whom it is desired to serve a notice relating to land, is not within the State and has no attorney authorised, by power of attorney filed and noted under the Transfer of Land Act 1893 or enrolled under the Registration of Deeds Act 1856, to represent him for the purposes of this Act in respect to the land, then the notice shall be deemed to have been effectively served on the owner if — (a) it has been affixed or displayed on or over a conspicuous part of the land, and left so affixed or displayed for at least 14 days; and (b) a copy of the notice has been posted to the person appearing to be the owner on search made in a register or other records referred to in section 94(1)(b), addressed to him at his place of abode or business, as disclosed by the search. (5) Any notice required by this Act to be given to the occupier or owner, as the case may be, of any land, shall in cases where several persons are the occupiers or owners thereof be duly given if given to one of such occupiers or owners with the addition of the words "and another" or "and others" as the case requires. (6) Where an occupier of land, who is not the owner of the land, is served with a notice, he shall inform the owner of the fact as soon as practicable after being served. Penalty: a fine of $20 000. (7) Non‑service on the owner shall not affect the validity of service on the occupier, nor shall non‑service on the occupier affect the validity of service on the owner. (8) A notice by this Act required to be given to the owner or occupier of any land, may, if the name of the owner or occupier is not known, be addressed to him by the description of the "owner" or "occupier" of the land, describing it, in respect of which the notice is given, without further name or description. (9) All notices authorised or required under this Act to be served on any owner or occupier shall, if service has been made on any owner or occupier, be binding on every subsequent owner or occupier to the same extent as if such notice had been served on each subsequent owner or occupier. (10) In a notice a description of the land affected by it shall be sufficient if the descript