Clause 23

Where a duty to investigate a transport occurrence under section 15(1) or (2)(b) arises or section 15(2)(a) or 17(1) applies, the Director must, without delay, appoint such number of TSIB staff members or consultants as the Director thinks fit as investigators for the purpose of carrying out the investigation.

Where more than one investigator is appointed for an investigation of a particular transport occurrence, the Director must also designate one of the investigators as the investigator‑in‑charge for that investigation.

Where a single investigator is appointed for an investigation of a transport occurrence, the investigator must be treated as designated under subsection (2) as the investigator‑in‑charge for that investigation.

The Director must issue to every investigator a written authorisation specifying which of the powers conferred on an investigator under this Division the investigator may exercise.

The powers that an investigator may be authorised under this Act to exercise may be exercised only to the extent authorised by the Director under this section.

The written authorisation under subsection (4) for an investigator may do all or any of the following:

An investigator may be accompanied and assisted by police officers or other individuals when exercising powers under this Division if that assistance is necessary and reasonable; and any reference to the investigator in sections 26 to 31 includes a reference to such a police officer or other individual accompanying and assisting the investigator.

To avoid doubt, this section does not prevent the Director appointing himself or herself as an investigator for the purpose of carrying out any investigation.