States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949 (Cth)

STATES GRANTS (ENCOURAGEMENT OF MEAT PRODUCTION).

No. 74 of 1949.

An Act to make provision for the Grant of Financial Assistance to the States of Queensland and Western Australia for the purpose of encouraging the Development of Meat Production by the Provision of Improved Roads and other Facilities for the Movement of Live-stock.

[Assented to 28th October, 1949.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Interpretation.

3. For the purposes of this Act, the expenditure of a State upon any works shall be deemed to include the cost to the State of necessary surveys preliminary to the carrying out of those works.

Financial assistance to State of Queensland.

4.—(1.) The works to which this section relates shall be—

(a) the construction or improvement of the following roads:—

Currawilla to Yaraka via Canterbury and Windorah;

Quilpie to Eromanga and thence westerly to the vicinity of the Coonaberry Creek; and

Thargomindah to Cunnamulla via Eulo, and Cunnamulla to the border of the State of Queensland in the vicinity of Barringun in the State of New South Wales;

(b) the construction of eight cattle loading and unloading points, together with watering facilities, for use in connexion with the roads mentioned in the last preceding paragraph; and

 

(c) improvement of watering facilities on the following stock routes:—

Channel trunk route, from the junction of Burke and Georgina Rivers via Bedourie, Cacoory, Betoota, Gilpeppee Creek and Durham Downs to Warry Warry Gate;

Connexion from Bedourie to Currawilla;

Connexion from Gilpeppee Creek via Tanbar to Canterbury;

Connexion from Tanbar to Coombill;

Connexion from Wheeo to a point south of Pinkilla Station on the road between Quilpie and Eromanga;

Continuation of Far Western Main Trunk Route from Eromanga via Thargomindah to Hungerford;

Connexion from Glencairn to Thargomindah; and

Connexion from Camooweal to Mount Isa.

(2.) Subject to this Act, there shall be payable to the State of Queensland, as financial assistance—

(a) the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the last preceding sub-section; and

(b) one half of the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (c) of the last preceding sub-section.

(3.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, the amount of any expenditure by the State shall be deemed to be reduced by any amount of that expenditure disallowed by the Treasurer under section nine of this Act.

(4.) The total of the amounts payable under this Act in respect of expenditure referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-section (2.) of this section shall not exceed Seventy-five thousand five hundred pounds.

Financial assistance to State of Western Australia.

5.—(1.) The works to which this section relates shall be—

(a) the construction of a road, including necessary bridges, from Wyndham to Nicholson Station on the general alignment of Ivanhoe, Argyle Downs, Rosewood and Ord River Stations, and situated principally in the State of Western Australia, but such sections as may most advantageously be within the Northern Territory of Australia being situated in that Territory; and

(b) improvement of watering facilities on the following stock routes:—

Wyndham to Ruby Plains Station via Ord River Station;

Wyndham to Halls Creek via Turkey Creek;

Wyndham to Fossil Downs Station via Bedford Downs Station; and

Wyndham to Karungie Downs Station.

 

(2.) Subject to this Act, there shall be payable to the State of Western Australia, as financial assistance—

(a) the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (a) of the last preceding sub-section; and

(b) one half of the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (b) of the last preceding sub-section.

(3.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, the amount of any expenditure by the State shall be deemed to be reduced by any amount of that expenditure disallowed by the Treasurer under section nine of this Act.

(4.) The total of the amounts payable under this Act in respect of expenditure referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-section (2.) of this section shall not exceed Thirty-one thousand five hundred pounds.

Conditions precedent to right of payment.

6.—(1.) Subject to this section, a State shall not be entitled to a payment (other than an advance) under this Act in respect of an amount expended by the State upon a part of any works unless the State has complied with the provisions of section eight of this Act and unless—

(a) the State has, before commencing that part of those works, carried out such surveys, and prepared and submitted to the Minister such plans, specifications and estimates of costs, as the Minister has required (whether in respect of that part or in respect of any related part of the works);

(b) the State has incorporated in all such plans and specifications such standards of design and construction as have been determined by the Minister, and has based estimates of cost upon the standards so determined;

(c) the State has not commenced that part of the works without the approval of the Minister to plans and specifications for that part of the works; and

(d) the State has, in carrying out that part of the works, conformed to plans and specifications approved by the Minister.

(2.) Where a State has. with the approval of the Minister, applied, in carrying out a part of any works, standards of design and construction requiring greater expenditure than the standards determined by the Minister, paragraph (b) of the last preceding sub-section shall not be applicable but the excess expenditure so required shall not be deemed to be expenditure upon the works for the purposes of the determination by the Treasurer of amounts payable under this Act.

 

Conditions on which payments made.

7. Payments to a State under this Act shall be made on the conditions that—

(a) the State will not, without the consent of the Minister, impose any road or bridge toll on the transportation of cattle or goods along a road or over a bridge the construction or improvement of which forms part of any works referred to in section four or five of this Act, as the case may be; and

(b) the State will maintain in reasonable order and condition every road, bridge or other thing the construction or improvement of which forms part of those works.

Statements of expenditure by States.

8. The Premier of the State of Queensland and the Premier of the State of Western Australia shall, as soon as possible after the thirtieth day of June and the thirty-first day of December in each year, forward to the Treasurer a statement certified by the Auditor-General of the State setting out particulars of the amount expended by the State on works referred to in section four or five of this Act respectively, during the period of six months which ended on that thirtieth day of June or that thirty-first day of December, as the case may be.

Determination by Treasurer of amounts payable.

9.—(1.) Upon receipt of a statement from the Premier of a State in accordance with the last preceding section, the Treasurer shall determine the amount payable to the State in accordance with section four or section five of this Act in respect of expenditure of the State during the period to which the statement relates.

(2.) In determining an amount payable to a State under this Act, the Treasurer may disallow in whole or in part any item of expenditure set out in a statement forwarded to him in pursuance of the last preceding section.

(3.) As soon as possible after the receipt of a statement from a Premier under the last preceding section, the Treasurer shall inform that Premier of the amounts (if any) disallowed in pursuance of the last preceding sub-section and of the amount determined by the Treasurer to be payable to the State.

Payment of advances.

10.—(1.) The Treasurer may, at such times as he thinks fit, make advances of such amounts as he thinks fit to a State on account of the total amount payable to that State under this Act.

(2.) Payment of an advance to a State shall be subject to the condition that the State will repay to the Commonwealth, on demand by the Treasurer, the amount by which, at the time of the demand, the total of the advances paid to the State exceeds the total of the amounts determined by the Treasurer in pursuance of the last preceding section in respect of the State.

Appropriation.

11.