Harbours Act (Northern Ireland) 1970

10 Powers of authorities. N.I.

(1) A local harbour authority may, with the consent of the Ministry, acquire any land for the purposes of its functions relating to harbours.

(2) The Ministry may, on the application of a local harbour authority, by order fix the area within which the powers of the authority and its officers may be exercised and the area within which any dues for the time being leviable may be charged.

(3) A local harbour authority may dredge and maintain any harbour vested in it and the entrances and channels so vested of such a harbour, but may deposit material in a place below high-water mark only with the consent of the Crown Estate Commissioners (which may be subject to conditions) and in such places and subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Board of Trade and the Ministry may determine.

(4) Subject to section 11, a local harbour authority may on harbour land provide, construct or take on lease, and maintain, such docks, wharves, buildings, equipment and facilities as may be found necessary in connection with the harbour or for harbour operations.

(5) Any of the following persons, that is to say:—

(a) any person authorised in that behalf by the Ministry;

(b) any officer of customs and excise or of the Board of Trade, while acting as such;

(c) any person going to or returning from a lifeboat;

(d) any person using a lifeboat or any apparatus for saving life;

(e) any person brought ashore from a vessel in distress;

shall, with any vessel on which he may be, at all times have, without payment, free ingress to, passage and egress on, along, through and out of a harbour vested in a local harbour authority.

(6) A fishing vessel of a country with which a treaty exists under which the vessel is exempt from dues and port charges when forced by stress of weather to seek shelter in the ports or on the coasts of the United Kingdom shall, when forced by stress of weather to make use of a harbour vested in a local harbour authority, be exempt from any dues leviable in respect of the use of the harbour, if the vessel does not break bulk while doing so.