Authorised_officer
An authorised officer (AO) is a person who has been appointed by a government department or agency to perform certain compliance and enforcement duties.
In Australia, authorised officer roles have been created under many Commonwealth and state Acts of Parliament. Individuals are appointed to the role by the relevant government department or agency - some examples include the education departments of the states and territories,[1] the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture,[2] the Victorian Department of Transport,[3] and the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.[4]