2. This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3. Section 60 of the Principal Act is amended:

(a) by inserting in subsection (2) “, (3A)” after “(3)”;

(b) by adding at the end of paragraphs (2)(a) and (b) “and”;

(c) by omitting paragraph (2)(c) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(c) either:

(i) the Surveyor-General for the State; or

(ii) if there is no office of Surveyor-General for the State—the person nominated by the relevant State Minister as the person holding the office equivalent to the office of Surveyor-General for the State; and”;

(d) by inserting after subsection (3) the following subsections:

“(3A) If:

(a) the person nominated under subparagraph (2)(c)(ii) is not available to serve as a member of the Redistribution Committee; or

(b) no nomination is in force under that subparagraph;

the Electoral Commission must appoint:

(c) a person who:

(i) is available to serve as a member of the Redistribution Committee; and

(ii) has been nominated by the relevant State Minister as a person holding an office equivalent to an office of Deputy Surveyor-General for the State; or

(d) if there is no such person—a senior officer of the Australian Public Service from the State nominated for the purpose by the Governor-General;

as a member of the Redistribution Committee.

“(3B) For the purposes of this section, an office is equivalent to an office of Surveyor-General for a State if, in the opinion of the relevant State Minister, the functions of the office are the same as, substantially the same as, or include, functions that would be performed by a Surveyor-General for the State.

“(3C) For the purposes of this section, an office is equivalent to an office of Deputy Surveyor-General for a State if, in the opinion of the relevant State Minister, the functions of the office are the same as, substantially the same as, or include, functions that would be performed by a Deputy Surveyor-General for the State.”;

(e) by inserting in subsection (6) “, (3A)” after “(3)”;

(f) by adding at the end the following subsection:

“(8) In this section:

‘relevant State Minister’, in relation to a State, means:

(a) the Minister of State of that State who has responsibility, or the principal responsibility, for matters relating to land surveying and mapping in that State; or

(b) another Minister of State of that State acting for and on behalf of the Minister referred to in paragraph (a).”.

No. 27, 1918, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 31, 1919; No. 14, 1921; No. 14, 1922; No. 10, 1924; No. 20, 1925; No. 17, 1928; No. 2, 1929; No. 9, 1934; No. 19, 1940; No. 42, 1946; No. 17, 1948; Nos. 10 and 47, 1949; No. 106, 1952; No. 79, 1953; No. 26, 1961; No. 31, 1962; Nos. 48 and 70, 1965; Nos. 32 and 93, 1966; No. 7, 1973; No. 216, 1973 (as amended by No. 20, 1974); No. 38, 1974; No. 56, 1975; Nos. 14 and 116, 1977; No. 19, 1979; Nos. 102 and 155, 1980; No. 176, 1981 (as amended by No. 26, 1982); No. 80, 1982; Nos. 39, 84 and 144, 1983; Nos. 45, 46, 120 and 133, 1984; Nos. 67, 166 and 193, 1985; Nos. 35, 141 and 184, 1987; No. 24, 1990; No. 167, 1991; and Nos. 10, 45, 105, 121, 167 and 219, 1992.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

Senate on 18 November 1993

House of Representatives on 9 February 1994]