South Australia
Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (South Australia) Act 2013
An Act to apply the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth as a law of this State; and for other purposes.

Contents
Part 1—Preliminary
1	Short title
3	Interpretation
4	Object of Act
Part 2—The applied provisions
5	Application of Commonwealth water efficiency laws to this State
6	Modification of Commonwealth water efficiency laws
7	Interpretation of Commonwealth water efficiency laws
Part 3—Functions and powers under applied provisions
8	Functions and powers of Commonwealth Regulator and other authorities and officers
9	Delegations by the Commonwealth Regulator
Part 4—Offences
10	Object of this Part
11	Application of Commonwealth criminal laws to offences against applied provisions
12	Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities relating to offences
13	No double jeopardy for offences against applied provisions
Part 5—Administrative laws
14	Application of Commonwealth administrative laws to applied provisions
15	Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities
Part 6—Miscellaneous
16	Act to bind Crown
17	Things done for multiple purposes
18	Reference in Commonwealth law to a provision of another law
19	Fees and other money
20	Regulations
Legislative history

The Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows:
Part 1—Preliminary
1—Short title
This Act may be cited as the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (South Australia) Act 2013.
3—Interpretation
	(1)	In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—
applied provisions means the Commonwealth water efficiency laws that apply as a law of this State because of section 5, including any modification under section 6;
Commonwealth administrative laws means the following Acts and regulations of the Commonwealth:
	(a)	the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 of the Commonwealth (excluding Part 7);
	(b)	the Freedom of Information Act 1982;
	(c)	the Ombudsman Act 1976;
	(d)	the Privacy Act 1988;
	(e)	the regulations in force under any of those Acts;
Commonwealth Regulator means the WELS Regulator appointed under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth;
Commonwealth water efficiency laws means—
	(a)	the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth; and
	(b)	all regulations, guidelines, principles, standards and codes of practice in force under that Act;
function includes duty;
modifications includes additions, omissions and substitutions.
	(2)	If an expression is defined in the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth and is also used in this Act, the expression as used in this Act has, unless the contrary intention appears, the same meaning as in that Act.
	(3)	In this Act, a reference to a Commonwealth Act includes a reference to—
	(a)	that Commonwealth Act, as amended and in force for the time being; and
	(b)	an Act enacted in substitution for that Act and, if it is amended, as amended and in force for the time being.
4—Object of Act
	(1)	The object of this Act is to adopt in this State a uniform Australian approach to the regulation of water efficiency labelling and standards.
	(2)	For that purpose, this Act—
	(a)	applies the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth as a law of this State; and
	(b)	makes provision to help ensure that the Commonwealth Act and the applied law of this State are administered on a uniform basis by the Commonwealth as if they constituted a single law of the Commonwealth. 

Part 2—The applied provisions
5—Application of Commonwealth water efficiency laws to this State
	(1)	The Commonwealth water efficiency laws, as in force for the time being and as modified by or under this Act, apply as a law of this State. 
	(2)	Those Commonwealth water efficiency laws so apply as if they extended to matters in relation to which this State may make laws—
	(a)	whether or not the Commonwealth may make laws in relation to those matters; and
	(b)	even though the Commonwealth water efficiency laws provide that they apply only to specified matters with respect to which the Commonwealth may make laws.
6—Modification of Commonwealth water efficiency laws
	(1)	The regulations under this Act may also modify the Commonwealth water efficiency laws for the purposes of this Act.
	(2)	Without limiting subsection (1), the regulations may provide that the Commonwealth water efficiency laws apply under section 5(1) as if an amendment to the Commonwealth water efficiency laws—
	(a)	made by a law of the Commonwealth; and
	(b)	specified in the regulations,
had not taken effect.
7—Interpretation of Commonwealth water efficiency laws
	(1)	The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 of the Commonwealth applies as a law of this State in relation to the interpretation of the applied provisions (and that Act so applies as if the applied provisions were a Commonwealth Act or were regulations or other instruments under a Commonwealth Act, as the case requires).
	(2)	The Acts Interpretation Act 1915 of South Australia does not apply to the applied provisions.

Part 3—Functions and powers under applied provisions
8—Functions and powers of Commonwealth Regulator and other authorities and officers
The Commonwealth Regulator and other authorities and officers referred to in the applied provisions have the same functions and powers under the applied provisions as they have under the Commonwealth water efficiency laws, as those laws apply to the Commonwealth.
9—Delegations by the Commonwealth Regulator
Any delegation by the Commonwealth Regulator under the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005 of the Commonwealth is taken to extend to, and have effect for the purposes of, the corresponding provision of the applied provisions.

Part 4—Offences
10—Object of this Part
	(1)	The object of this Part is to further the object of this Act by providing for an offence against the applied provisions to be treated as if it were an offence against a law of the Commonwealth.
	(2)	The purposes for which an offence is to be treated as mentioned in subsection (1) include, for example (but are not limited to)—
	(a)	the investigation and prosecution of offences; and
	(b)	the arrest, custody, bail, trial and conviction of offenders or persons charged with offences; and
	(c)	proceedings relating to a matter referred to in paragraph (a) or (b); and
	(d)	appeals and reviews relating to criminal proceedings and to proceedings of the kind referred to in paragraph (c); and
	(e)	the sentencing, punishment and release of persons convicted of offences; and
	(f)	fines, penalties and forfeitures; and
	(g)	liability to make reparation in connection with offences; and
	(h)	proceeds of crime; and
	(i)	spent convictions.
11—Application of Commonwealth criminal laws to offences against applied provisions
	(1)	The relevant Commonwealth laws apply as laws of this State in relation to an offence against the applied provisions as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth and not a law of this State.
	(2)	For the purposes of a law of this State, an offence against the applied provisions—
	(a)	is taken to be an offence against the laws of the Commonwealth, in the same way as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth; and
	(b)	is taken not to be an offence against the laws of this State.
	(3)	Subsection (2) has effect for the purposes of a law of this State except as provided by the regulations under this Act.
12—Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities relating to offences
	(1)	A Commonwealth law applying because of section 11 that confers on a Commonwealth officer or authority a function or power in relation to an offence against the Commonwealth water efficiency laws also confers on the officer or authority the same function or power in relation to an offence against the corresponding provision of the applied provisions.
	(2)	In performing a function or exercising a power conferred by this section, the Commonwealth officer or authority must act as nearly as practicable as the officer or authority would act in performing or exercising the same function or power in relation to an offence against the corresponding provision of the Commonwealth water efficiency laws.
13—No double jeopardy for offences against applied provisions
If—
	(a)	an act or omission is an offence against both the applied provisions and an offence against the Commonwealth water efficiency laws; and
	(b)	the offender has been punished for that offence under those Commonwealth laws,
the offender is not liable to be punished for the offence under the applied provisions.

Part 5—Administrative laws
14—Application of Commonwealth administrative laws to applied provisions
	(1)	The Commonwealth administrative laws apply as laws of this State to any matter arising in relation to the applied provisions as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth and not a law of this State.
	(2)	For the purposes of a law of this State, a matter arising in relation to the applied provisions—
	(a)	is taken to be a matter arising in relation to laws of the Commonwealth in the same way as if those provisions were a law of the Commonwealth; and
	(b)	is taken not to be a matter arising in relation to laws of this State.
	(3)	Subsection (2) has effect for the purposes of a law of this State except as provided by the regulations under this Act.
	(4)	Any provision of a Commonwealth administrative law applying because of this section that purports to confer jurisdiction on a federal court is taken not to have that effect.
	(5)	For the purposes of this section, a reference in a provision of the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 of the Commonwealth (as that provision applies as a law of this jurisdiction) to the whole or any part of Part 7 of that Act is taken to be a reference to the whole or any part of that Part as it has effect as a law of the Commonwealth.
15—Functions and powers conferred on Commonwealth officers and authorities
	(1)	A Commonwealth administrative law applying because of section 14 that confers on a Commonwealth officer or authority a function or power also confers on the officer or authority the same function or power in relation to a matter arising in relation to the applied provisions.
	(2)	In performing a function or exercising a power conferred by this section, the Commonwealth officer or authority must act as nearly as practicable as the officer or authority would act in performing or exercising the same function or power under the Commonwealth administrative law.

Part 6—Miscellaneous
16—Act to bind Crown
This Act binds the Crown in right of South Australia and, in so far as the legislative power of Parliament permits, the Crown in all its other capacities.
17—Things done for multiple purposes
The validity of a licence, certificate or other thing issued, given or done for the purposes of the applied provisions is not affected only because it was issued, given or done also for the purposes of the Commonwealth water efficiency laws.
18—Reference in Commonwealth law to a provision of another law
For the purposes of sections 11 and 14, a reference in a Commonwealth law to a provision of that or another Commonwealth law is taken to be a reference to that provision as applying because of those sections.
19—Fees and other money
All fees, penalties, fines and other money that, under this Act and the applied provisions, are authorised or directed to be payable by or imposed on any person (but not including an amount ordered to be refunded to another person) must be paid to the Commonwealth.
20—Regulations
The Governor may make such regulations as are contemplated by, or necessary or expedient for the purposes of, this Act.

Legislative history
Notes
	•	For further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.
Legislation repealed by principal Act
The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (South Australia) Act 2013 repealed the following:
Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2006
Principal Act and amendments
New entries appear in bold.
Year	No	Title	Assent	Commencement	
2013	30	Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (South Australia) Act 2013	1.8.2013	12.9.2013 (Gazette 5.9.2013 p3769)	
2025	54	Statutes Amendment (Administrative Review Tribunal) Act 2025	20.11.2025	Pt 13 (ss 23 & 24)—20.11.2025: s 2	
Provisions amended
New entries appear in bold.
Provision	How varied	Commencement	
Long title	amended under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	20.11.2025	
Pt 1			
s 2	omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	20.11.2025	
s 3			
s 3(1)			
Commonwealth administrative laws	amended by 54/2025 s 23	20.11.2025	
Pt 5			
s 14			
s 14(5)	amended by 54/2025 s 24(1), (2)	20.11.2025	
Sch 1	omitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002	20.11.2025