Port of Singapore Authority Ordinance

Bill No. 195/1963

Read the first time on 5th April 1963.
An Ordinance to establish a corporation to be known as “The Port of Singapore Authority” and to provide for the transfer to, and for the vesting in, the corporation of the functions, assets and liabilities of the Singapore Harbour Board established under the provisions of the Ports Ordinance (Chapter 208 of the Revised Edition) and of certain functions, assets and liabilities, as the case may be, of the Government and of the Pilot Board appointed under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Chapter 207 of the Revised Edition) and of the Collector appointed under the Port Dues Ordinance, 1960 (No. 22 of 1960), and for matters incidental thereto; and to repeal certain provisions of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Chapter 207 of the Revised Edition).
Be it enacted by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore, as follows: —
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title and commencement
1.—(1)  This Ordinance may be cited as the Port of Singapore Authority Ordinance, 1963, and shall come into operation on such date as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara may by notification in the Gazette appoint.
(2)  The Yang di-Pertuan Negara may appoint different days for the coming into operation of different Parts or provisions of this Ordinance.
Interpretation
2.  In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires —
“animal” means any animate thing of every kind except human beings;
“approach to the port” means any navigable channel declared under section 3 of this Ordinance to be an approach to the port;
“Authority” means the Port of Singapore Authority established under section 4 of this Ordinance;
“Authority pilot” means a pilot employed by the Authority pursuant to the provisions of section 73;
“beacon” means any light, mark or sign used as an aid to navigation, other than a lighthouse or buoy;
“buoy” includes any floating light, mark or sign used as an aid to navigation, other than a lighthouse;
“Chairman”, except in section 75 of this Ordinance, means the Chairman of the Authority for the time being and includes any temporary Chairman appointed by the Minister under the provisions of this Ordinance;
“dock” includes drydocks and the entrances thereto, graving docks, gridirons, slips, keel blocks, inclined planes, and all machinery, works, fixtures and things whatsoever attached or pertaining thereto;
“dues” includes port dues and pilotage dues levied under this Ordinance, but does not include rates;
“functions” includes powers and duties;
“General Manager” means the General Manager appointed under section 32 of this Ordinance and includes any person for the time being performing the functions of the General Manager;
“goods” includes animals, carcases, baggage and any other movable property of any kind whatsoever;
“harbour craft” means any vessel which plies within the port for any purpose of trade or business;
“master” includes every person, except a pilot, having command or charge of any vessel;
“owner”, when used in relation to goods, includes any consignor, consignee, shipper or agent of the owner for the sale, custody, loading, handling, discharge or delivery of such goods; and, when used in relation to any vessel, includes any part-owner, charterer, operator, consignee or mortgagee in possession thereof or any duly authorised agent of any such person;
“passenger” shall have the same meaning as in the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Cap. 207);
“pilot” means any person not belonging to a vessel who has the conduct thereof;
“pilotage district” means any area in the port or the approaches to the port declared under section 71 of this Ordinance to be a pilotage district;
“Pilotage Committee” means the Pilotage Committee appointed under section 74 of this Ordinance;
“port” means any place in Singapore and any navigable river or channel leading into such place declared to be a port under section 3 of this Ordinance;
“Port Master” means the Port Master appointed under section 33 of this Ordinance and includes any Deputy Port Master appointed under the same section;
“premises” includes messuages, houses, buildings, lands, tenements, easements and hereditaments of any tenure, whether open or enclosed, whether built on or not, whether public or private, and whether maintained or not under statutory authority;
“rates” means any rates or charges leviable by the Authority under this Ordinance and includes any toll or rent, but does not include dues;
“Singapore Harbour Board” means the Singapore Harbour Board constituted under the Ports Ordinance (Cap. 208);
“train” includes locomotive, engine, tender, wagon, trolley and rolling stock of all kinds used, whether separately or in conjunction, on a railway;
“vehicle” means any vehicle other than a train or vessel;
“vessel” includes any ship or boat or any other description of vessel used in navigation;
“wharf” includes a quay, pier, jetty or other landing place.
Declaration of ports
3.—(1)  The Minister may, after consultation with the Authority and by notification in the Gazette
(a)declare any place or places in Singapore and any navigable river or channel leading into such place or places to be the port within the meaning of this Ordinance;
(b)declare any navigable channel leading into the port to be an approach to the port within the meaning of this Ordinance.
(2)  Every such declaration shall define the limits of the port or the approaches to the port, as the case may be.
(3)  Until other provision is made in pursuance of this section, the Singapore Port Limits Declaration, 1956, made under sections 6 and 7 of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Cap. 207), shall be deemed to be a declaration made under this section.
[G.N. No. S 219/56.]