Public Utilities (Amendment) Bill

This Act may be cited as the Public Utilities (Amendment) Act, 1972, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Section 2 of the Public Utilities Act (hereinafter in this Act referred to as “the principal Act”) is hereby amended by deleting the definition of “energy” appearing therein and substituting therefor the following: —“ “electricity” means electrical power when generated, transmitted, supplied or used for any purpose except the transmission of any communication or signal;”.

Subsection (1) of section 5 of the principal Act is hereby deleted and the following substituted therefor: —“(1) The Board shall consist of —

Subsection (1) of section 10 of the principal Act is hereby deleted and the following substituted therefor: —“(1) A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board and no business shall be transacted unless a quorum is present.”.

Section 15 of the principal Act is hereby amended —

The principal Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately after section 16 thereof the following section: —“Incorporated private companies may be formed16A. The Board may, with the approval of the Minister, cause to be formed, under the provisions of any written law for the time being in force relating to companies, an incorporated company or companies for the purpose of carrying out any or all of the functions of the Board.”.

Section 17 of the principal Act is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —“The Board may stop or interrupt supplies

17. The Board may, in cases of emergency, fire, excessive drought, repairs to mains, or in connection with the construction of new works, alterations to existing works, or the installation, changing or removal of meters, stop, turn off or divert in part or wholly the water, gas or electricity in any mains or other works under its control or management, notwithstanding any agreement made with any person for the supply of water, gas and electricity.”.

Section 19 of the principal Act is hereby amended —

Subsection (2) of section 22 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the words “such committees” appearing therein the words “or the Chairman”.

Section 30 of the principal Act is hereby repealed and the following substituted therefor: —“Tariffs30.—

Section 31 of the principal Act is hereby amended by deleting paragraph (h) of subsection (2) thereof and substituting therefor the following: —“(h)the receipt of a trustee or trustees duly appointed, or in default of any such appointment and of written notice thereof to the Board, the receipt of a nominee or nominees duly appointed or in default of such appointment, the receipt of the legal personal representative of a deceased contributor shall be a discharge to the Board for any moneys payable on his death out of any such scheme.”.

Section 73 of the principal Act is hereby amended by deleting the expression “light,” appearing in paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (1) thereof.

Section 82 of the principal Act is hereby amended by deleting the words “five hundred dollars” appearing therein and substituting therefor the words “one thousand dollars”.

The provisions of the principal Act specified in the Schedule to this Act are hereby amended by deleting the words “electrical energy” and “energy” wherever they appear therein and substituting therefor in each case the word “electricity”.