APPROPRIATION ACT (No. 4) 1976-77
No. 36 of 1977
An Act to appropriate a sum out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, additional to the sum appropriated by the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 1976-77, for certain expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1977.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short title.
1. This Act may be cited as the Appropriation Act (No. 4) 1976-77.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
Issue and application of $78,596,600.
3. The Treasurer may issue out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund and apply for the services specified in the Schedule, in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1977 the sum of $78,596,600.
Appropriation.
4. The sum authorized by this Act to be issued out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated, and shall be deemed to have been appropriated as from 1 July 1976 for the services expressed in the Schedule in respect of the financial year that commenced on that date.
Payments to a State.
5. Payments to a State out of such of the moneys appropriated by this Act as are specified in items 01 and 02 of Division 964 in the Schedule shall be made on such terms and conditions, if any, as the Treasurer determines and in accordance with any determinations by the Treasurer as to the amounts and times of the payments.
SCHEDULE Section 4
ABSTRACT
Departments and Services | Total |
| $ |
DEPARTMENT OF ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS........................ | 7,395,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES................... | 1,635,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF THE CAPITAL TERRITORY..................... | 8,991,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION............................ | 2,573,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION............................... | 193,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS...... | 2,325,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | 4,594,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.................................. | 12,941,500 |
SCHEDULE—continued
Departments and Services | Total |
| $ |
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS........................... | 100,600 |
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH................................... | 1,890,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS............ | 33,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL RESOURCES....................... | 11,085,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY................... | 3,417,000 |
POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.............. | 761,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRY......................... | 15,100,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET............. | 65,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY............................. | 2,967,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE.................................. | 522,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT............................... | 2,000,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY............................. | 6,000 |
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS......................... | 2,500 |
TOTAL............................................... | 78,596,600 |
Overview
The Appropriation Act (No. 4) 1976-77, enacted by the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, provides additional appropriations for the financial year ending 30 June 1977. This Act was introduced to address the need for further funding beyond what was initially appropriated by the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 1976-77. Authorising the issuance of $78,596,600 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Act specifies that this sum is to be applied for the services detailed in the accompanying Schedule, which outlines the distribution of funds across various departments and services. The policy objective of this Act is to ensure that additional financial resources are available to support government services and operations as required for the fiscal year in question.
Scope and Application
The Appropriation Act (No. 4) 1976-77 applies to the allocation and expenditure of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for specific services and payments designated within the Commonwealth of Australia for the financial year commencing on 1 July 1976 and ending on 30 June 1977. The Act authorises the Treasurer to issue and apply a total sum of $78,596,600 for the services outlined in the Schedule, which includes a distribution among various departments such as the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, the Department of Administrative Services, and the Department of Health, among others. Additionally, the Act specifies that payments to a state shall be made under terms and conditions determined by the Treasurer, as outlined in Division 964 of the Schedule. The Act’s scope is confined to the appropriation and allocation of funds as specified, and its application is limited to the designated financial year without any noted exclusions or exemptions in the provided text.
Key Provisions
The main sections of the Appropriation Act (No. 4) 1976-77 (section 1) allow for the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for specified services within the financial year ending on 30 June 1977 (section 3). This appropriation is deemed to have been in place from 1 July 1976 (section 4). Additionally, the Act outlines provisions for payments to a state as determined by the Treasurer (section 5). The detailed allocation of funds across various departments and services is outlined in the Schedule, which specifies amounts for each department, such as the Department of Aboriginal Affairs ($7,395,000) and the Department of Primary Industry ($15,100,000), among others.
The Act imposes several obligations on the Treasurer, primarily concerning the issuance and application of the appropriated funds. The Treasurer is responsible for issuing funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and applying them to the specified services as outlined in the Schedule (section 3). Additionally, the Treasurer must determine the terms and conditions for payments to a state, as well as the amounts and times of such payments, as specified in Division 964 of the Schedule (section 5).
Under the Act, breaches or non-compliance with the specified terms and conditions of fund allocation and application could potentially lead to financial mismanagement or misallocation of public funds. While the Act itself does not explicitly state penalties for such breaches, any resulting financial discrepancies or improper use of funds might be subject to review by relevant oversight bodies, such as the Australian National Audit Office. Such reviews could lead to recommendations for corrective actions or further legislative measures to address any identified issues.