Animals and Birds Act 1965 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Prevention of Spread of Disease
25. Destruction of building
Feedback & supportIf an authorised officer is of the opinion that any building which has been occupied by an infected animal cannot be effectively disinfected, he or she may give written directions, with the approval of the Minister, to the owner or occupier thereof to destroy the building and to burn the materials thereof within such time as may be specified in the direction.
If a written direction given under subsection (1) is not complied with within the time specified in the direction, the authorised officer may cause the building and the materials thereof to be destroyed.
building
“building” includes any house, hut, shed, stable or enclosure, whether roofed or not, used for sheltering or confining any animal or bird and any pen, cage, wall, gate, pillar, post, paling, frame, boarding, fence, platform, roadway, path, steps, staging, slip, wharf, dock, piles, jetty, landing stage or bridge, or any structure connected with the foregoing;
No compensation is payable in respect of any building which has been destroyed by the owner or occupier thereof in compliance with written directions or by an authorised officer under subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be.
owner
“owner” includes any person for the time being in charge of any animal or bird and any person for the time being in occupation of any building;
Despite subsection (3), the Minister may authorise the payment of such sum as the Minister may determine as compensation in respect of any building mentioned in subsection (3).
Any person who, without lawful excuse, fails to comply with any written direction given to the person under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.