Health Act 1956

Part 2 Powers and duties of local authorities

23 General powers and duties of local authorities in respect of public health

Subject to the provisions of this Act, it shall be the duty of every local authority to improve, promote, and protect public health within its district, and for that purpose every local authority is hereby empowered and directed—

(a)

to appoint all such environmental health officers and other officers and servants as in its opinion are necessary for the proper discharge of its duties under this Act:

(b)

to cause inspection of its district to be regularly made for the purpose of ascertaining if any nuisances, or any conditions likely to be injurious to health or offensive, exist in the district:

(c)

if satisfied that any nuisance, or any condition likely to be injurious to health or offensive, exists in the district, to cause all proper steps to be taken to secure the abatement of the nuisance or the removal of the condition:

(d)

subject to the direction of the Director-General, to enforce within its district the provisions of all regulations under this Act for the time being in force in that district:

(e)

to make bylaws under and for the purposes of this Act or any other Act authorising the making of bylaws for the protection of public health:

(f)

to furnish from time to time to the medical officer of health such reports as to diseases and sanitary conditions within its district as the Director-General or the medical officer of health may require.

Compare: 1920 No 45 s 20

Section 23: amended, on 22 January 1996, by section 3(3) of the Health and Disability Services Amendment Act 1995 (1995 No 84).

Section 23(a): amended, on 26 July 1988, pursuant to section 2(4) of the Health Amendment Act 1988 (1988 No 99).

Section 23(d): amended, on 23 March 1987, by section 7(2) of the Health Amendment Act 1987 (1987 No 10).

Section 23(e): amended, on 22 January 1996, by section 3(3) of the Health and Disability Services Amendment Act 1995 (1995 No 84).

Section 23(f): replaced, on 22 January 1996, by section 3(3) of the Health and Disability Services Amendment Act 1995 (1995 No 84).

Section 23(f): amended, on 15 November 2021, by section 206(1) of the Water Services Act 2021 (2021 No 36).