The Short Title of this Act is “The Domain Boards Act, 1904”; and it shall form part of and be read together with “The Public Domains Act, 1881” (hereinafter referred to as “the principal Act”).

With respect to any public domain the Governor may from time to time, by Order in Council gazetted, appoint such persons (not exceeding nine) as he thinks fit to be a Board having, subject to the principal Act, control of such domain.

The Governor may in like manner remove any person so appointed, or revoke any such Order in Council.

Every member of a Domain Board shall remain and continue in office for the term of seven years from the date of appointment, but no longer.

Any person may be reappointed as a member of a Domain Board.

Where any member of the Board dies, or resigns, or is removed by the Governor, or becomes of unsound mind, or is absent from three consecutive ordinary meetings without the consent of the Board, his seat shall become vacant, and the Governor may appoint some fit person to be a member in his place:

Provided that, where any member of the Board is appointed in virtue of any office, he shall vacate his seat on quitting such office, and be replaced by his successor in office without any further appointment.

The Board shall meet for the transaction of its business on such day and at such place as may from time to time be fixed by the Board, but such meetings shall not be at longer intervals than three months.

The first meeting shall be held at a time and place specified in the Order in Council.

The ordinary meeting held in the month of February in each year shall be the annual meeting.

Three members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Any meeting may be adjourned from time to time.

At the first meeting of the Board, and at every annual meeting thereafter, the members present shall elect one of their number to be Chairman until the next succeeding annual meeting.

The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board at which he is present, and shall have a deliberative as well as a casting vote.

At any meeting at which the Chairman is not present the members present shall choose one of their number who is present to be Chairman, and the member so chosen shall at that meeting have all the powers of the Chairman.

On the occurrence of any vacancy in the office of Chairman the members of the Board shall elect one of their number to be Chairman, who shall hold office until the next succeeding annual meeting.

A special meeting of the Board may at any time be convened by the Chairman or by any two members: Provided that not less than seven clear days’ notice of the meeting, and of the business to be transacted thereat, shall be given to each member; and no business other than that specified in the notice shall be transacted at such meeting.

The Board shall prepare and submit at each annual meeting a report of its proceedings for the previous year ending on the thirty-first day of December, together with a statement of its receipts and expenditure for that year.

Every such statement shall be audited by the Audit Office, which for that purpose shall have and may exercise all such powers as it has under “The Public Revenues Act, 1891,” in respect of public moneys.

A copy of such report and statement, certified by the Chairman as correct, shall, within one month after each annual meeting, be forwarded to the Minister of Lands.

The Board, in respect of the domain for which it was appointed, shall have and may exercise all the powers conferred by the principal Act on the Governor (except those contained in section five of that Act), and also all the rights, powers, duties, and functions vested in the Commissioner of Crown Lands by the same Act.

In lieu of appointing any persons to be a Board as aforesaid, the Governor may from time to time, by Order in Council gazetted, appoint any local authority to be the Board, in which case all the provisions of this Act shall apply to such Board, save that the Mayor or Chairman of the local authority for the time being shall be Chairman of the Board.

Where a local authority is the Domain Board, or where any member of a local authority is ex officio a member of the Domain Board, the local authority may apply any part of its ordinary funds towards the management, improvement, and maintenance of any lands under the control of the Domain Board, notwithstanding that such lands may be situate outside the district of such local authority.

No member of a Domain Board shall become the lessee of any land under the control of the Board without the express consent in writing of the Minister of Lands.

Sections eight, nine, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen of the principal Act, and sections two, five, and six of “The Public Domains Act Amendment Act, 1903,” are hereby repealed: Provided that such repeal shall not affect any delegation made under the principal Act, or anything lawfully done in pursuance of such delegation.