Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977

Legislation au C2004A01787 Not in force Act

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Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977

Act No. 149 of 1977 as amended

[Note: This Act is repealed by Act No. 118 of 1999]

This compilation was prepared on 19 July 2000
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 118 of 1999

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
AttorneyGeneral’s Department, Canberra

 

 

 

Contents

1 Short title [see Note 1]...........................

2 Commencement [see Note 1].......................

3 Issue of securities deemed to be a borrowing..............

4 Guarantee of certain loans.........................

5 Conditions of guarantees..........................

6 Delegation..................................

Notes 

 

An Act relating to the provision of certain equipment for a domestic airline

1  Short title [see Note 1]

This Act may be cited as the Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977.

2  Commencement [see Note 1]

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

3  Issue of securities deemed to be a borrowing

For the purposes of this Act, the issue of promissory notes or other securities in consideration of the payment of moneys or the provision of credit shall be deemed to be a borrowing to the extent of the amount of those moneys or that credit.

4  Guarantee of certain loans

 (1) The Treasurer may, on behalf of the Commonwealth, at the request of Ansett Transport Industries Limited and subject to the conditions required by this Act, give guarantees in respect of the liability of Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited to pay the principal moneys, and interest, secured by promissory notes or other securities related to the borrowing of moneys by Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited for expenditure in connexion with the purchase by it of a Boeing 727200 aircraft and related spare parts and equipment.

 (2) A guarantee or guarantees shall not be given under subsection (1) in respect of moneys borrowed in the currency of the United States of America, or in any other currency, exceeding in the aggregate $9,000,000 in the currency of the United States of America.

 (3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the amount of a borrowing in a currency other than the currency of the United States of America shall be taken to be the amount in the currency of the United States of America that was equivalent to the firstmentioned amount at the date of the borrowing, as ascertained by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

5  Conditions of guarantees

For the purpose of the protection of the financial interests of the Commonwealth, the Treasurer shall not give a guarantee under section 4 unless:

 (a) the moneys are borrowed on terms and conditions that the Treasurer is satisfied are reasonable;

 (b) proper security to the satisfaction of the Treasurer is, or is to be, given to the Commonwealth over the aircraft, spare parts and equipment to which the borrowing relates;

 (c) undertakings to the satisfaction of the Treasurer are given that the aircraft, spare parts and equipment over which security is to be taken in accordance with paragraph (b):

 (i) will be insured, and kept insured, against all risks that it is customary to insure, and to their full insurable value;

 (ii) will not be sold or made the subject of a mortgage or charge having priority over the security to the Commonwealth in respect of the guarantee; and

 (iii) will not be taken out of Australia for a destination that is not Australia or a Territory except after the furnishing of such security as the Treasurer requires;

 (d) undertakings to the satisfaction of the Treasurer are given that, so long as the amount borrowed, or any interest on that amount, remains unpaid:

 (i) officers of the Australian Public Service will have full access at all reasonable times to the financial accounts of Ansett Transport Industries Limited and Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited when authorized in writing by the Minister for that purpose; and

 (ii) each of those companies will do everything within its power to ensure that the officers so authorized have similar access to the financial accounts of any company or firm in which that company at any time has, whether directly or indirectly, a controlling interest; and

 (e) such other conditions as the Treasurer thinks necessary are fulfilled.

6  Delegation

 (1) The Treasurer may, either generally or as otherwise provided by the instrument of delegation, by writing signed by him, delegate to an officer of the Department of the Treasury any of his powers or functions under this Act, other than this power of delegation.

 (2) A power or function so delegated, when exercised or performed by the delegate, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have been exercised or performed by the Treasurer.

 (3) A delegate is, in the exercise or performance of a power or function so delegated, subject to the directions of the Treasurer.

 (4) A delegation under this section does not prevent the exercise of a power or the performance of a function by the Treasurer.

Notes to the Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977

Note 1

The Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 149, 1977 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

 

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

 

 

Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977

149, 1977

10 Nov 1977

10 Nov 1977

 

Statute Stocktake Act 1999

118, 1999

22 Sept 1999

22 Sept 1999

 

 

Overview

The Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977 was enacted to address the financial requirements of Ansett Transport Industries Limited in relation to the acquisition of specific aircraft equipment. This Act, which received the Royal Assent on 10 November 1977, enables the Treasurer, on behalf of the Commonwealth, to provide guarantees for certain loans made to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited for the purchase of a Boeing 727-200 aircraft and associated spare parts and equipment. The guarantees are subject to specific conditions aimed at protecting the financial interests of the Commonwealth, including requirements for reasonable borrowing terms, proper security, and insurance over the assets. The Act was repealed by the Statute Stocktake Act 1999, which came into effect on the same date, 22 September 1999. The primary policy objective of this Act was to support the aviation industry by facilitating the acquisition of necessary equipment for Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited.

Scope and Application

The Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977 applies specifically to the provision of guarantees for loans made for the purchase of a Boeing 727-200 aircraft and related spare parts and equipment by Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited, a subsidiary of Ansett Transport Industries Limited. This Act was enacted at the Commonwealth level and was in force from the date it received Royal Assent. The Act allows the Treasurer to issue guarantees on behalf of the Commonwealth, subject to certain conditions, to protect the financial interests of the Commonwealth. These conditions include the terms and conditions of the borrowing, the provision of proper security, insurance of the aircraft and related equipment, and access to financial accounts for officers of the Australian Public Service. Importantly, the guarantees are limited to a maximum aggregate amount of $9,000,000 in the currency of the United States of America, as calculated by the Reserve Bank of Australia. The Act has since been repealed by the Statute Stocktake Act 1999. The Treasurer also has the power to delegate functions under this Act to an officer of the Department of the Treasury, with such delegations being subject to the Treasurer’s directions.

Key Provisions

The Airline Equipment (Loan Guarantee) Act 1977 primarily concerns the provision of financial guarantees by the Commonwealth for loans taken out by Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited to purchase an aircraft and related equipment. Under section 4, the Treasurer is authorised to give guarantees for the repayment of principal and interest on loans up to an aggregate of $9,000,000 in US currency. This guarantee is conditional on several factors, such as the terms of the loan being deemed reasonable, the provision of proper security over the aircraft and related equipment, and undertakings concerning the insurance and location of these assets. Additionally, section 5(d) stipulates that Australian Public Service officers must have access to the financial accounts of the borrowing entities to ensure transparency and compliance with the terms of the guarantee. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties involved. For the Treasurer, these include ensuring that the terms of the loans are reasonable, that adequate security is provided over the specified assets, and that appropriate insurance is maintained. The borrowing entities, Ansett Transport Industries Limited and Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Proprietary Limited, must also adhere to conditions concerning the sale, insurance, and movement of the aircraft and related equipment. Moreover, they must allow authorised officers access to their financial accounts to monitor compliance with the guarantee terms. These obligations are designed to protect the financial interests of the Commonwealth and ensure that the loaned funds are used for the intended purpose. Breach of the conditions stipulated in the Act could lead to civil or criminal consequences. However, the Act itself does not explicitly outline specific penalties for non-compliance. The lack of stated penalties suggests that the primary enforcement mechanism lies in the revocation of the guarantee, thereby leaving the borrowing entities liable for the outstanding debt. In a broader legal context, failure to meet the conditions could also potentially lead to other civil actions or criminal charges under different pieces of legislation, depending on the nature and extent of the breach.

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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.