The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Castlepoint Harbour Board Act, 1876.”

A Board is hereby constituted for the management of the affairs of the Harbour of Castlepoint, and such Board shall be a body corporate of the name of “The Castlepoint Harbour Board,” and by that name shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and shall have and enjoy all the rights powers and privileges which bodies corporate as such have and enjoy.

The Board shall consist of the members of the Castlepoint Road Board for the time being.

The members may elect a Chairman of their meetings, but if no Chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairman is not present at the time appointed for holding the same, the members present shall choose one of their number to be Chairman of such meeting.

All acts done at a meeting of the Board or by any person acting as a member shall, notwithstanding there was a vacancy in the number of members, or notwithstanding that it was afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the election of any member or person acting as such or that the members or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if any such person had been duly elected or was not disqualified to be a member.

No member of the Board shall be directly or indirectly, either alone or with others, in any way interested or concerned in any contract agreement or undertaking entered into by the Board, but this provision shall not apply to shareholders as such only in incorporated companies.

The Board shall appoint a Treasurer, who shall give such security for the due performance of his office as the Board shall from time to time fix. The Treasurer to hold office during the pleasure of the Board.

The duties of Treasurer shall be—

To have the custody and control of the funds of the Board.

To pay into a banking account, to be opened in the name of the Board, all sums to the amount of ten pounds forthwith on the receipt thereof.

To keep full true and particular accounts, in such form as the Board shall direct, of all money paid and received by him on account of the Board.

To make an abstract of the accounts, made up to the first of January in every year, and showing all receipts and payments, and all assets and liabilities, a copy whereof shall, in the month of January, be transmitted to the Colonial Secretary.

No money shall be drawn out of the banking account except by the authority of the Board, and by cheque, signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman of the Board.

It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council to grant to the Board any land situate below high watermark within the said Harbour of Castlepoint, also the piece of land known as the Beef and Lighthouse Reserve at Castlepoint, as described in the Schedule to this Act, upon such terms and conditions as he may think fit; and every grant of such land shall be sealed with the Public Seal of the Colony, and shall be valid and effectual as against Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, and all other persons whomsoever.

It shall be lawful for the Board to lay out for occupation, with roads or other reserves, any land vested in them.

It shall also be lawful for the Board, by and under their common seal, to demise all, or from time to time any part of, the land so vested in them as aforesaid, for any term not exceeding thirteen years, subject to such conditions and stipulations as they may think fit.

All and every sums and sum of money received by the Board from any source whatsoever shall be applied in or towards the expense of the management of the affairs and land belonging to the Board, and in the improvement of the said harbour and promoting the convenience thereof, and for no other purpose.

The Governor may from time to time appoint one or more persons, as he shall think fit, to be an Auditor or Auditors for the purposes of this Act, and from time to time remove any such person, and on the death, resignation, or removal of any such Auditor or Auditors appoint any other person or persons in the place of any person so dying, resigning, or being removed.

The Governor may, if he shall think fit, from time to time make regulations regulating the manner in which such Auditor or Auditors shall audit the accounts of the Board.