Government Relief Administration Act 1930 (NSW)

GOVERNMENT RELIEF

ADMINISTRATION ACT.

Act No. 24, 1930.

An Act to regulate and co-ordinate certain chari­ table and benevolent activities of the Government; to provide for the appoint­ ment of a Director of Government Relief; to amend the Child Welfare Act, 1923, and certain other Acts; and for purposes con­ nected therewith. [Assented to, 16th June, 1930.]

lative Council and Legislative Assembly of New South BE it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legis­

Wales in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :—

1. This Act may be cited as the " Government Relief Administration Act, 11-30," and shall commence on a date to be appointed by the Governor and notified by proclamation published in the Gazette.

2. (1) The Governor may appoint some person to he the Director of Government Relief -who shall, subject to the control of the Minister, exercise and discharge the powers, authorities, duties, and functions conferred and imposed upon him by this Act or the regulations made thereunder.

(3) The salary of the said Director shall be fixed by the Governor and shall be charged upon the Con­ solidated Revenue Fund and may be paid thereout upon the warrant of the Governor without further appropriation than this Act. (4)

(2) The provisions of the Public Service Act, 1902, shall not apply to such appointment.

(4) The said Director shall be appointed for a term of seven years and shall be eligible for reappoint­ ment for any like term.

(5) The said Director shall be a permanent head within the meaning of the Public Service Act, 1902, and any Act amending the same.
(6) The said Director may, with the approval of the Minister of the department concerned, make use of the services of any of the officers and employees of the Public Service including the police force.
Where the Minister gives a general consent referring to any class of employees, that consent shall continue until revoked by the Minister and shall refer to all members of such class.
(7) The Governor may, upon the recommendation of the Public Service Board, appoint such officers of the Public Service as may be deemed necessary to assist the Director in the execution of this Act.

3. (1) The Director of Government Belief shall be

charged with the duty of co-ordinating the adminis­

tration of the following Acts, namely: —

The Widows' Pensions Act, 1925-1929;
The Family Endowment Act, 1927-1930 ;

and the expenditure of any public moneys in connec­ tion with the relief of destitution and distress in any shape or form including—

(a)	the issue of food relief, railway passes, or
blankets to destitute persons, or the granting of Christmas cheer;
(b) subsidies to any benevolent or philanthropic institution or society;
(c)	the supply of artificial limbs or surgical aid

to the destitute;

(d) deaf, dumb, and blind institutions ;

(e)	allowances to deserted wives, women whose husbands are incapacitated, and mothers of illegitimate children;
(f)	allowances for relief to such mothers in distress and issue of baby outfits ; and
(g)	any other charitable, benevolent, or philan­

thropic object prescribed by the regulations.

(2)

(2) The Director shall recommend to the Public Service Board such readjustments of staff and realloca­ tion of duties as will tend to the more economical and efficient administration of the said Acts, or with the expenditure of public moneys on the objects enumerated in subsection One of this section, and advise the Minister upon any matters arising out of such administration or expenditure and recommend such alteration in the law, if any, as seem to him to he necessary or expedient.

(3) The Director shall be charged with the duty of relieving to the extent of the funds available all deserving cases of need and destitution, and of organis­ ing and carrying out by means of government agencies or by co-operation with any benevolent, eleemosynary, or philanthropic organisation or society, all measures necessary to this end.
(4) The Director shall take all such steps as are practicable to avoid the duplication of relief by any Government department and any benevolent or philan­ thropic organisation or society, and to prevent imposition upon any such department, organisation, or society.
4. (1) The Director shall cause to he compiled and kept a register in the prescribed form of persons who receive relief from the administration of any of the Acts, or the expenditure of public moneys upon any of the objects enumerated in subsection one of section three of this Act.

(2) The Director may enter in such register any information afforded him by any organisation or society whether such organisation or society is in receipt of subsidy or grant of public moneys or not.

(3) The Director may furnish to any organisation or society which furnishes him with information as to the relief afforded by it and to any other person pre­ scribed by the regulations the prescribed particulars as to any entry in such register, but shall not disclose any information therein save in the course of his official duties.

5. The regulations may prescribe conditions as to inspection and as to the furnishing of returns of relief given by any organisation or society receiving aid from public funds.

6. Nothing in this Act shall affect the Aborigines Protection Act, 1909 ; the National Relief Fund Act, 1914 ; the Ambulance Transport Service Act, 1919 ; or the Public Hospitals Act, 1929, or any Act amending any of those Acts or the administration thereof.

7. (1) Tlic Public Institutions Inspection Act, 1901,

is amended—

(a)	by omitting from subsection one of section five the words " Colonial Secretary " and by inserting in lieu thereof the word " Minister" ;
(b)	by omitting from section six the words "Colonial Secretary" and by inserting in lieu thereof the words " Minister, the Director of Government Relief."

(2) The Child Welfare Act, 1923, as amended by

subsequent Acts, is amended —

(a) by omitting from section five the definition of the word "Minister" and by inserting in lieu thereof the following new definition :—

" Minister" means the Minister of the Crown for the time being administering this Act or the provision of this Act in which the word is used.

(h)	by inserting at the end of subsection two of section fourteen the words " or to board out her own child to any deserted wife or wife whose husband is incapacitated through mental or bodily infirrnity or is in gaol, or to the mother of an illegitimate child who is in
receipt of family endowment in respect of the child to be boarded out."

(3) The Widows' Pensions Act, 1925-1929, is amended by inserting in section three after the definition of " Magistrate " the following new definition :—

"Minister" means the Minister of the Crown for the time being administering this Act or the provisions of this Act in which the word occurs.

(4) The Widows' Pensions (Amendment) Act,

1929, is amended by omitting section two.

8 . (1) The Governor may make regulations not in- consistent with this Act prescribing all matters which are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act, and may impose a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds for any contravention of or failure to comply with this Act or any regulations made thereunder.

(2) The regulations shall—

fa) be published in the Gazette ;

(b)	take effect from the date of publication or from a later date specified in the regulations ;
(c)	be laid before both Houses of Parliament within fourteen sitting days after the publi- cation thereof if Parliament is then in session, and if not, then within fourteen sitting days after the commencement of the next session.

If either House of Parliament pass a resolution of which notice has been given at any time within fifteen sitting da \ s after such regulations have been laid before such House disallowing any regulation or part thereof, such regulation or part shall thereupon cease to have effect.

9 . Any penalty imposed by the regulations may be recovered in a summary manner before a police or stipendiary magistrate or any two or more justices.