Aged Persons Hostels Amendment Act 1976

Legislation au C2004A01523 Not in force Act

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AGED PERSONS HOSTELS AMENDMENT ACT 1976

 

No. 92 of 1976

 

An Act to amend the Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1974.

 

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Rep­resentatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Aged Persons Hostels Amendment Act 1976.

(2) The Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1974 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1976.

Commencement.

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

Grants to organizations.

3. (1) Section 6 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-sections (2) and (3) and substituting the following sub-section:—

“(2) The amount of a grant under this section shall be paid at such time as is, or by such instalments and at such times as are, determined by an agreement between the Director-General and the prescribed organization or, in the absence of agreement, by the Director-General.”.

(2) Notwithstanding the amendment made by sub-section (1), an agreement in force for the purposes of sub-section 6(2) of the Principal Act immediately before the commencement of this Act continues in force as if made for the purposes of sub-section 6(2) of the Principal Act as amended by this Act.

Terms and conditions of grants.

4. Section 9 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1) the words “approval of the hostel under section 5 of this Act” and substituting the words “the making of the grant or within such further period as the Director-General fixes having regard to the circumstances of a particular case”.

Period of operation.

5. Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following sub-section:—

“(2) Where—

(a) an approval under section 5 was given, within the period referred to in sub-section (1), with respect to a building proposed to be erected on a particular site proposed to be acquired by the organization concerned; and

(b) the Director-General is satisfied that, by reason of excep­tional circumstances beyond the control of the organization, the organization has been unable to acquire that site,

the Director-General may, in his discretion, at the request of the organization, vary the approval by substituting a reference to another site for the reference to the first-mentioned site and, thereupon, that approval has effect as so varied.

6. The Principal Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following section:—

Delegation.

13. (1) The Director-General may, either generally or as other­wise provided by the instrument of delegation, by writing signed by him, delegate to an officer of the Australian Public Service any of his powers under this Act, other than this power of delegation.


“(2) A power so delegated, when exercised by the delegate, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have been exercised by the Director-General.

“(3) A delegation under this section does not prevent the exercise of a power by the Director-General.”.

Formal amendments.

7. The Principal Act is amended as set out in the Schedule.

___________

 

SCHEDULE Section 7

FORMAL AMENDMENTS

1. The following provisions of the Principal Act are amended by omitting the words “of this Act” (wherever occurring):—

Sections 3(1) (definition of “approved hostel”), 8, 9(1) and 12(2).

2. The Principal Act is further amended as set out in the following table:—

Provision

Amendment

Section 3(1) (definition of qualifying subsidized home”)

Omit “the twenty-second day of October, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven”, substitute “22 October 1957.

(definition of “qualifying unsubsidized home”)

Omit “the fifteenth day of August, One thousand nine hundred

and seventy-two”, substitute “15 August 1972”.

Section 10

Omit “of this Act” (first occurring).

 

Overview

The Aged Persons Hostels Amendment Act 1976 was enacted by the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia to make amendments to the Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1974. This legislation sought to address certain deficiencies and improve the administration of grants and approvals related to aged persons hostels. The Act allows for more flexibility in the payment of grants by amending the terms of agreements between the Director-General and prescribed organisations, and it provides the Director-General with discretion to vary approvals under exceptional circumstances. Additionally, the Act introduces provisions for the delegation of powers by the Director-General to officers of the Australian Public Service and includes formal amendments to streamline the text of the Principal Act. The overarching policy objective is to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of the aged persons hostel funding system.

Scope and Application

The Aged Persons Hostels Amendment Act 1976 amends the Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1974 to update and refine the provisions governing grants to organisations that operate hostels for the aged. This Act applies to organisations that provide aged care facilities and services, and it is relevant to the Director-General who administers the grants. The amendments focus on enhancing the flexibility and administrative efficiency of the grant system. Geographically, the Act operates within the Commonwealth jurisdiction, impacting entities that receive federal funding for aged care services. The Act does not specify exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, but it does allow for the delegation of certain powers by the Director-General to officers of the Australian Public Service, which may be further defined through subordinate instruments. The changes made by this Act are intended to streamline the grant process, improve terms and conditions of grants, and allow for more flexible site approvals under exceptional circumstances.

Key Provisions

The Aged Persons Hostels Amendment Act 1976 (sections 3(2), 4, 5, 6, and 7) introduces several modifications to the Aged Persons Hostels Act 1972-1974, which is referred to as the Principal Act. Section 3(2) specifies that grants under section 6 will be paid according to agreements between the Director-General and the prescribed organisation or, in the absence of such agreements, according to the Director-General's determination. Section 4 modifies section 9(1) of the Principal Act by removing the requirement for hostel approval prior to grant issuance and instead allowing the grant to be made within a period set by the Director-General. Section 5 allows for the variation of site approvals under exceptional circumstances, as outlined in section 10(2). Section 6 introduces a new section 13, which allows the Director-General to delegate certain powers to an officer of the Australian Public Service. Lastly, section 7 includes formal amendments to the Principal Act, such as date formatting adjustments in definitions and minor textual changes. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Firstly, it requires the Director-General to make grants to organisations in accordance with agreements or, if no agreement exists, at the Director-General's discretion (section 3(2)). Secondly, the grant must be made within a period determined by the Director-General, and not necessarily contingent on hostel approval (section 4). Thirdly, organisations must request and provide justification for site approval variations due to exceptional circumstances (section 5). Lastly, the Director-General can delegate certain powers to Australian Public Service officers, while retaining the ability to exercise these powers personally (section 13). The Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breaches. However, it is reasonable to assume that non-compliance with the Act's provisions, such as failure to adhere to grant payment terms or unauthorised delegation of powers, could result in legal action or penalties as outlined in the Principal Act or other relevant legislation. The maximum penalties for such breaches would depend on the specific nature of the breach and the applicable laws at the time.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Elder Law
Instrument
Amending Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Delegation
Commencement Provisions

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.