62Powers of Commissioner

1. The powers, functions, and duties conferred and imposed on an administering body by this Act shall, with respect to any reserve which is not under the control and management of an administering body, be exercised and performed by the Commissioner, who shall have and may exercise over the reserve all the powers of an administering body.

2. The Commissioner for the land district in which is situated any reserve vested in the Sovereign shall, where not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, have and may exercise and perform over that reserve all rights, powers, duties, and functions which he or she has over Crown land.

3. If the Director-General considers that a reserve which is not under the control and management of an administering body or of a Minister of the Crown other than the Minister of Conservation would be better administered by the Commissioner for an adjoining land district, or that the whole of such a reserve which is partly situated in 2 or more land districts would be better administered by the Commissioner for one of those districts, he or she may, by notice in writing, direct that that other Commissioner or, as the case may be, a specified Commissioner shall exercise and perform in respect of that reserve the rights, powers, duties, and functions conferred or imposed by subsections (1) and (2); and he or she may by like notice revoke or from time to time amend that direction.

4. If the Director-General considers that a reserve which is not under the control and management of an administering body or of a Minister of the Crown other than the Minister of Conservation would be better administered by a committee appointed under section 9, he or she may by notice in writing direct that that committee shall exercise and perform the rights, powers, duties, and functions conferred or imposed on the Commissioner by subsections (1) and (2); and he or she may by like notice revoke or from time to time amend that direction.

5. If the Director-General considers that a reserve which is not under the control and management of an administering body or of a Minister of the Crown other than the Minister of Lands would be better administered by himself or herself, he or she may, by notice in writing to the Commissioner or Commissioners concerned, assume the rights, powers, duties, and functions conferred or imposed on Commissioners by subsections (1) and (2); and he or she may, by like notice, relinquish those rights, powers, duties, and functions, which shall thereupon be exercised and performed by a Commissioner in accordance with this section.