Part 1 Preliminary
1 Name of By-law
This By-law is the Sydney Opera House Trust By-law 1998.
2 Commencement
This By-law commences on 1 September 1998.
3 Definitions
In this By-law:auditorium means any part of the Opera House premises that is used as a chamber music hall, cinema, concert hall, drama theatre or opera theatre, and includes any other part of the Opera House premises (whether indoors or outdoors) while that part is being used for the conduct of a performance or event.means each of the following persons:(a) a police officer,(b) the Chief Executive Officer,(c) any person who is the holder for the time being of a position on the staff of the Trust that is designated by the Chief Executive Officer or the Trust as an authorised officer position (either generally or in relation to a particular provision or provisions of this By-law),(d) any person (including a member of staff of the Trust) authorised for the time being by the Chief Executive Officer or the Trust to exercise the functions of an authorised officer (either generally or in relation to a particular provision or provisions of this By-law).Chief Executive Officer means the member of staff of the Trust for the time being holding or acting in the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Opera House.Opera House includes any building situated on the Opera House premises.Opera House premises means the whole of the land comprised in Lot 4, Deposited Plan 787933, and Lot 5, Deposited Plan 775888, and includes any building situated on that land.public area means any part of the Opera House premises that comprises open space or that is used for the purposes of a foyer, walkway or other facility of a public nature.restricted area means any part of the Opera House premises that is not a public area or an auditorium, and includes any area from which the public is excluded under clause 5.the Act means the Sydney Opera House Trust Act 1961.ticketed performance or event means a performance or event for which a ticket must be held for entry to the auditorium in which the performance or event is being conducted.cl 3: Am 17.12.2004.
4 Notes
The explanatory note and table of contents do not form part of this By-law.
Part 2 Visitors to Opera House
4A Request to undergo search as condition of entry
(1) For the purpose of promoting safety and security at the Opera House, a person’s entry to any part of the Opera House (whether or not on payment of an admission fee) is subject to the condition that the person must comply with any of the following requests made of the person:(a) a request by an authorised officer that the person undergo a search conducted by electronic means (such as by passing an electronic detection device over or in close proximity to the person or by the person passing through a detection device),(b) a request by an authorised officer that the person allow a search of articles in the person’s possession and identify articles in the person’s possession,(c) a request by an authorised officer that the person remove his or her overcoat, coat or jacket or similar article of clothing and any gloves, shoes and hat (or other headwear), and allow an examination of those items,(d) if the person enters in a vehicle—a request by an authorised officer that the person open the vehicle, or part of it, for inspection and allow the vehicle or part to be searched,(e) a request by an authorised officer or by a member of staff of the Trust that the person leave any article in the person’s possession in the temporary custody of the Trust while the person is at the Opera House (such as by checking the article into a cloakroom provided by the Trust for the purpose).(2) A request referred to in subclause (1) is not limited to being made at the time of entry or at a point of entry to the Opera House or part of the Opera House, and can be made at any time that a person is at the Opera House.cl 4A: Ins 17.12.2004.
5 Exclusion of public from certain areas
The Trust may, by means of notices or barriers, exclude the public from any part of the Opera House premises.
6 Admission to auditoriums
A person must not enter an auditorium that is open for a ticketed performance or event unless the person is the holder of a ticket, or is the subject of a permit, authorising the person to enter the auditorium concerned.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
7 Admission to restricted areas
A person must not enter a restricted area unless the person is the subject of a permit authorising the person to enter the restricted area concerned.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
8 Permits
(1) The Trust may grant a permit authorising a person or group of persons to enter an auditorium or restricted area.(2) A permit is to be in writing and is to specify the auditorium or restricted area to which it relates, when it is to have effect and for what purposes it is granted.
9 Auditorium offences
(1) A person must not take food or drink into, or consume food or drink within, an auditorium.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.(2) During a performance in an auditorium, a person:(a) must not take photographs or films, or operate an audio or video recorder, in the auditorium, and(b) must not cause annoyance or inconvenience to any other person in the auditorium.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
10 Commercial activities
A person must not do any of the following on the Opera House premises:(a) sell, hire, expose for sale or hire or solicit for sale or hire any papers, printed matter, food or other goods or services,(b) conduct, or cause or assist in the conduct of, an amusement, entertainment, instruction or performance, whether or not for money or other consideration,(c) take photographs or films, or operate a video recorder, for commercial purposes,(d) display or distribute any advertisement, sign, bill, poster or other printed matter.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
11 Recreational activities
(1) A person must not do any of the following on the Opera House premises:(a) operate any radio, cassette or other audio player, or play any musical instrument, at a volume likely to cause annoyance or inconvenience to any other person,(b) ride on or use any bicycle, skateboard, roller skates or similar apparatus in a manner likely to cause annoyance or inconvenience to any other person,(c) operate or use a loudspeaker or public address system,(d) allow any animal, reptile or bird that is under the person’s care or control to be on the premises.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.(2) Subclause (1) (d) does not prohibit a person who has a disability (within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 of the Commonwealth) from bringing on to the Opera House premises an assistance animal (that is, an animal referred to in section 9 of that Act).
12 Smoking
A person must not smoke within any enclosed part of the Opera House.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
13 Interference with equipment
A person must not damage, tamper with, or otherwise interfere with the operation of, any equipment, fixture or fitting at the Opera House.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.cl 13: Subst 17.12.2004.
14 Interference with signs
A person must not deface, damage, obscure or interfere with any sign or notice displayed on the Opera House premises.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
15 Mooring and fishing
A person must not do any of the following:(a) moor a vessel to any part of the Opera House premises,(b) fish from any part of the Opera House premises.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
16 Directions to leave
(1) An authorised officer may require a person who is in any auditorium or restricted area, or who is seeking entry to any auditorium or restricted area, to produce a ticket or permit authorising the person to enter the auditorium or area.(2) An authorised officer may direct a person to leave an auditorium or restricted area if the person is not authorised by a ticket or permit to be in the auditorium or area.(3) An authorised officer may direct a person to leave the Opera House or any Opera House premises if the authorised officer believes on reasonable grounds that:(a) the person is contravening or has contravened any provision of this By-law or is committing or has committed any other offence at the Opera House, or(b) the person is failing or has failed to comply with a request referred to in clause 4A, compliance with which is a condition of the person’s entry to the Opera House or part of the Opera House, or(c) the person is causing annoyance or inconvenience or behaving in an offensive manner or in a manner likely to endanger the person or another person, or(d) the person is about to contravene any provision of this By-law or commit any other offence at the Opera House.(4) A person must not fail to comply with a direction under this clause.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.(5) An authorised officer may remove from the Opera House premises any person who fails to comply with a direction under this clause.(6) Reasonable force may be used to effect the person’s removal.cl 16: Am 17.12.2004.
16A Banning from Opera House premises
(1) An authorised officer who has directed a person to leave the Opera House or any Opera House premises under clause 16 may ban the person from the Opera House premises.(2) A ban under this clause takes effect when written notice of the ban is served on the person and remains in force for the period specified in the notice, or if no such period is specified, for a period of 3 months.(3) The maximum period that may be specified in a notice under subclause (2) is 3 months unless there is a ban already in force in relation to the person, in which case the maximum period that may be specified is 12 months.(4) An authorised officer may remove a ban in relation to a person at any time by written notice served on the person.(5) A person must not enter the Opera House premises while a ban is in force in relation to the person.Maximum Penalty: 50 penalty units.cll 16A–16C: Ins 17.12.2004.
16B Requirement to state name and address
(1) An authorised officer who suspects on reasonable grounds that a person is contravening or has contravened any provision of this By-law or is committing or has committed any other offence on the Opera House premises may require the person to state his or her full name and residential address.(2) A person must not:(a) fail without reasonable excuse to comply with a requirement under this section, or(b) in purported compliance with such a requirement, furnish information that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.(3) A person is not guilty of an offence against this clause unless it is established that the authorised officer warned the person that the failure to comply with the requirement is an offence.cll 16A–16C: Ins 17.12.2004.
16C Taking photographs of certain persons
An authorised officer who suspects on reasonable grounds that a person is contravening or has contravened any provision of this By-law or is committing or has committed any other offence on the Opera House premises may take a photograph or make another form of image of the person.cll 16A–16C: Ins 17.12.2004.
Part 3 Vehicles
17 Admission
(1) The Trust may refuse to admit a vehicle to the Opera House premises.(2) A person must not cause a vehicle to enter the Opera House premises if admission is refused by the Trust.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
18 Driving and parking
(1) The Trust may, by means of notices or barriers, regulate the driving and parking of vehicles on the Opera House premises.(2) A person must not cause a vehicle to be driven or parked in wilful contravention of any such sign or in wilful disregard of any such barrier.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.(3) The Trust:(a) may from time to time fix a scale of charges for the parking of vehicles on the Opera House premises, and(b) may demand and receive such charges from any person parking a vehicle on the Opera House premises.(4) An authorised officer may direct a person to remove from the Opera House premises any unlawfully parked vehicle that is under that person’s control.(5) A person must not fail to comply with such a direction.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.(5A) An authorised officer may cause an unlawfully parked vehicle to be removed from the Opera House premises if:(a) the person in control of the vehicle has failed to comply with a direction to remove the vehicle, or(b) the vehicle is unattended and the authorised officer, after making reasonable inquiries, has been unable to identify a person as being in control of the vehicle.(5B) For the purpose of promoting safety and security at the Opera House, an authorised officer may cause any vehicle to be removed from the Opera House premises at any time.(6) For the purposes of this clause, park includes stand and wait.cl 18: Am 17.12.2004.
Part 4 General
19 Exercise of Trust’s functions
A function that is conferred on the Trust by this By-law may be exercised by an authorised officer.cl 19: Subst 17.12.2004.
20 Hindrance or obstruction
A person must not hinder or obstruct any person in the exercise of a function under this By-law.Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units.
21 Certain acts not to be offences
(1) A person does not commit an offence under this By-law if the act giving rise to the offence was done:(a) as part of a performance, or(b) by a member of staff of the Trust in the course of his or her employment as such, or(c) under the direction or with the consent of the Trust.(2) The consent of the Trust referred to in this clause may be given generally or in a particular case.
22 Allowances for trustees
The allowances to which a trustee is entitled under section 13 of the Act are the allowances for the time being fixed by the Governor.
23 Repeal
(1) The Sydney Opera House Trust By-law 1993 is repealed.(2) Any act, matter or thing that, immediately before the repeal of the Sydney Opera House Trust By-law 1993, had effect under that By-law continues to have effect under this By-law.