Australian National Maritime Museum Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 1) 1999 No. 72
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1999: No. 72
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation
Australian National Maritime Museum Act 1990
Australian National Maritime Museum Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 1)
The Australian National Maritime Museum Act 1990 (the Act) provides for the establishment and operation of the Australian National Maritime Museum (the Museum). Section 54 of the Act allows the Governor-General to make regulations under the Act. In particular, paragraph 54(1)(d) of the Act provides for regulations to be made fixing charges for entering Museum premises.
The purposes of the Regulations are to give effect to an undertaking made by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in November 1996 to the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances to correct a technical defect in regulation 2A(2)(b), and to update that provision, which provides for concessional entry to Museum premises.
When the Regulations were amended in 1996, a reference to a part of the Social Security Act 1991 was removed in error from the provisions dealing with concessions for entry fees. In November 1996, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts advised the Committee that he understood no-one was likely to have been disadvantaged by the technical defect in the Regulations, and he made an undertaking to arrange for the error to be corrected next time the Regulations were amended. As there have been no substantive amendments to the Regulations since that time, it was decided to proceed with this amendment individually.
The amendment to regulation 2A(2)(b) substitutes generic references to benefits and pensions payable under the Social Security Act for the current specific references to parts of that Act. This will help avoid the need to update the Regulations in the light of changes to social security legislation. It is intended that all persons in receipt of a social security benefit or a social security pension be entitled to concessional entry to the Museum.
The amendment also repeals an outdated reference in regulation 2A(2)(b)(iii) to Part 8 of the former Student and Youth Assistance Act 1973. Part 8 of that Act, now called the Student Assistance Act 1973, has been omitted and benefits similar to those provided for in that Part are now payable under the Social Security Act.
The Regulations commence on gazettal. Details of the Regulations are set out in the Attachment.
ATTACHMENT
Details of Amendments
Regulation 1 - Name of regulations
The regulation provides that the proposed Regulations are the Australian National Maritime Museum Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 1).
Regulation 2 - Commencement
The regulation provides these regulations commence on gazettal.
Regulation 3 - Amendment of the Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations
The regulation provides that Schedule 1 amends the Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations.
Schedule 1 -Amendment
Item 1 -Regulation 1
This item provides that the Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations will be called the Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations 1991 (in accordance with current drafting practice in relation to the naming of regulations).
Item 2 - Regulation 2A(2)(b)
This item substitutes all of regulation 2A(2)(b) of the Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations with a new regulation 2A(2)(b).
New regulation 2A(2)(b) provides that a person who is in receipt of.
(i) a social security pension, or a social security benefit, payable under the Social Security Act 1991; or
(ii) a pension payable under Part II, Part III or Part IV of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986,
is entitled to a concession for entry to the Museum.
This effect of this item is to update regulation 2A(2)(b)(i) to remove references to specific parts of the Social Security Act. The use of general terms rather than specific references is intended to ensure that concessional entry to the Museum is available to all people who receive a social security pension or a social security benefit.
The item also removes regulation 2A(2)(b)(iii) which contained an outdated reference to the former Student and Youth Assistance Act.
This item repeals regulation 2A(2)(b)(iii). Part 8 of the former Student and Youth Assistance Act, now called the Student Assistance Act 1973, has been omitted from that Act and benefits similar to those provided for in that Part are now payable under the Social Security Act. People who were entitled to concessional entry under regulation 2A(2)(b)(iii) will still be entitled to concessional entry to the Museum under regulation 2A(2)(b)(i) as it has been amended.