Commonwealth ships
(1) The Authority may issue a certificate, for a ship owned or operated by the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth, certifying that:
(a) the ship is owned or operated by the Commonwealth or the authority of the Commonwealth; and
(b) if the ship is owned or operated by the Commonwealth and the Minister is satisfied that the Commonwealth will meet any liability for pollution damage up to the limits of liability referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 7 of the Bunker Oil Convention in relation to the ship--any such liability will be met by the Commonwealth; and
(c) if the ship is owned or operated by an authority of the Commonwealth and the Minister is satisfied that the Commonwealth or the authority will meet any liability for pollution damage up to the limits of liability referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 7 of the Bunker Oil Convention in relation to the ship--any such liability will be met by the Commonwealth or the authority.
State or Territory ships
(2) The Authority may issue a certificate, for a ship owned or operated by a State or a Territory or an authority of a State or Territory, certifying that:
(a) the ship is owned or operated by the State or Territory or the authority of the State or Territory; and
(b) if the ship is owned or operated by a State or Territory and the Minister is satisfied that the State or Territory will meet any liability for pollution damage up to the limits of liability referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 7 of the Bunker Oil Convention in relation to the ship--any such liability will be met by the State or Territory; and
. (c) if the ship is owned or operated by an authority of a State or Territory and the Minister is satisfied that the State or Territory or the authority will meet any liability for pollution damage up to the limits of liability referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 7 of the Bunker Oil Convention in relation to the ship--any such liability will be met by the State or Territory or the authority.
Form of certificate
(3) A certificate under this section must be in the form approved under subsection (4).
(4) The Authority must, by writing, approve a form for the purposes of subsection (3).
Period certificate in force
(5) A certificate under this section:
(a) comes into force on the day specified in the certificate; and
(b) remains in force for the period specified in the certificate.
(6) However, if the Commonwealth, the State or the Territory or the authority of the Commonwealth, the State or the Territory ceases to own or operate the ship covered by a certificate under this section, the certificate immediately ceases to be in force.
Certificate not a legislative instrument
(7) A certificate issued under this section is not a legislative instrument.