Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2022)

2.   Interpretation

In this Act—

“conservation area” means an area defined and declared to be a conservation area in respect of which measures may be taken under section 12;

“crop” means the produce of cultivated plants and any part of trees, bushes or plants which is cut or collected for any purpose;

“Crown lands” includes—

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   (a)     the waste or vacant land of the Crown;

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   (b)     all lands vested and held in right of the Crown by the Government whether by forfeiture, escheat, purchase or exchange;

“daylight” means the interval between 5:00a.m. and the succeeding 6:00p.m.;

“drainage works”—

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   (a)     means any work for the purpose of draining land or preventing or mitigating flooding, erosion or the effects of storm water to which land, property, transmission lines, culverts, bridges, pipelines, roads and other lines of communication are subject; and

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   (b)     includes—

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      (i)     the construction, opening, cleaning, maintaining, scouring, deepening, widening, straightening, diverting, blocking or infilling of any watercourse, public drain or outfall of water,

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      (ii)     the construction, installation, alteration, repair or removal of any pump machinery or pump house,

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      (iii)     the removal of any obstruction, natural or artificial in any watercourse,

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      (iv)     the construction, repair, raising, lowering, widening, strengthening, altering or removal of any embankment, dam, barrier, sluice, weir, wall, bridge, culvert or groyne or of any structure or erection for the purpose of defence against water,

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      (v)     the construction, maintenance, improvement, alteration of fencing, walls, screens and barriers around drainage work;

“land” includes land covered by water;

“livestock” includes cattle, horses, mules, asses, sheep, goats and swine;

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for agriculture and lands;

“occupier” in relation to any land includes a caretaker, any contractor or any other person authorised to undertake or engage in undertaking any works in relation to the land or any other person who has an interest in or is otherwise engaged in any activity whatsoever on the land;

“officer” means any person appointed to discharge any function of an officer under this Act or any rules or regulations made thereunder;

“owner” in relation to any land means a person in whom is vested the absolute interest of land;

“Protection Order” includes a General Protection Order or a Specific Protection Order;

“public drain” means any water course which runs through more than one parcel of land;

“storm water” means all flow of water directly due to rainfall, before such water forms a stream;

“vegetation” includes—

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   (a)     trees and all parts or produce of such trees, and to include palms, bamboos, stumps or brush wood;

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   (b)     plants not being trees and all parts or produce of such plants, including charcoal; and

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   (c)     trees when they have fallen, have been felled and all wood whether cut up or fashioned for any purpose or not;

“watercourse” includes water which is satisfactory for human consumption and meets the requirements of the Health Authority and the supply of water for industrial or commercial purposes.