STATUTORY RULES.
1912. No. 118.
PROVISIONAL REGULATION UNDER THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS ACT 1905.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby certify that, on account of urgency, the following Regulation under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 should come into immediate operation, and make the Regulation to come into operation forthwith as a Provisional Regulation.
Dated the 13th day of June, One thousand nine hundred and twelve.
DENMAN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
KING O’MALLEY,
Minister of State for Home Affairs.
Quarterly Returns of House Rents by House Agents.
1. (1) Every person carrying on business as house or estate agent shall furnish within such time or times after the 14th day of February, the 15th day of May, the 15th day of August, and the 15th day of November respectively in each year, as he may be required by the Statistician so to do, the particulars set forth in the prescribed form of return.
(2) Every person carrying on such business shall fill in the prescribed form in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying the form, and shall sign the form and transmit it, either by post or otherwise, to the Statistician.
(3) For the purposes of this Regulation a person in charge of a business of house or estate agency as manager, clerk, or agent for the owner of the business, shall be deemed to be a person carrying on business as house or estate agent.
(4) The prescribed form of return may be in accordance with the following form:—
Town........................ | State....................... |
District or Suburb................ | Office No. R.P./16.............. |
C.7469—Price 3d.
Weekly House Rents.
Particulars required under the Census and Statistics Act 1905.
Name of Agent....................... |
Address........................... |
This slip is to be detached and posted to the Commonwealth Statistician, Melbourne.
This form is to be filled up according to the accompanying instructions.
Return for Quarter ending...........................191….
Nature of House. | Under 3 Rooms. | 4 Rooms. | 5 Rooms. | 6 Rooms. | 7 Rooms. | 8 Rooms and over. |
Wood.... | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. |
Brick, &c.. |
Remarks.—(Enter here the cause of any advance or decline in rents since the preceding quarter):—
............................................................ |
............................................................ |
............................................................ |
Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by J. Kemp, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1912 No. 118, issued under the authority of the Governor-General in Council, represents a Provisional Regulation enacted to address the need for timely and accurate statistical data on house rents as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905. This legislation was enacted to ensure that reliable and regular data on house rents could be collected to support economic and social planning. The regulation mandates that every person operating as a house or estate agent must submit detailed quarterly reports on house rents by specific dates each year, thus ensuring that the Statistician receives up-to-date information necessary for national statistics. This regulation underscores the Commonwealth Government’s commitment to maintaining comprehensive and timely data to inform policy and economic strategies.
Scope and Application
The Provisional Regulation under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 mandates that every person conducting business as a house or estate agent must submit specific information concerning weekly house rents within prescribed timeframes following particular dates each year. The regulation applies to all individuals who are in charge of such businesses, including managers, clerks, or agents acting on behalf of the business owner, thereby ensuring that anyone involved in the management of real estate properties is subject to the requirements. Geographically, this regulation applies across the Commonwealth of Australia, reflecting a national scope as it is designed to collect data for the entire country. There are no stated exclusions or exemptions in this regulation; it applies universally to all entities involved in the business of house or estate agency. The regulation’s application can be extended or modified through subordinate instruments, which allows for adjustments and further specifications as necessary. This ensures the regulation remains relevant and effective in capturing the required statistical data.
Key Provisions
The Provisional Regulation under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 mandates that every person conducting business as a house or estate agent must furnish specific details within certain deadlines each year. According to section 1(1), these details must be submitted after the 14th of February, 15th of May, 15th of August, and 15th of November. This requirement ensures that the Statistician receives timely information about house rents. Section 1(2) further stipulates that the prescribed form must be filled out in accordance with the instructions provided, and signed and transmitted to the Statistician either by post or another method. It is crucial that the form includes information such as the town, state, district or suburb, office number, and the weekly house rents broken down by the nature of the house and the material it is made of. Section 1(3) clarifies that anyone in charge of a house or estate agency business, whether a manager, clerk, or agent for the owner, is considered to be carrying on the business and thus subject to these requirements. Section 1(4) provides a sample form that can be used for these returns.
The obligations imposed by this Act are clear and precise. Every house or estate agent must adhere to the timelines and format specified in the prescribed return form. This includes ensuring that the form is correctly filled out and signed, and that it is transmitted to the Statistician without delay. The form must contain detailed information about the rents of different types of houses, and any reasons for changes in these rents compared to the previous quarter must be noted. These obligations are designed to ensure that the Statistician has accurate and comprehensive data to use in their analyses and reports.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in legal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the text, it is reasonable to infer that non-compliance could lead to civil or criminal penalties under the broader Census and Statistics Act 1905. The penalties might include fines or other sanctions, depending on the severity and frequency of the breaches. The Act's purpose is to ensure that reliable data is collected and maintained, and non-compliance could undermine this objective, leading to legal repercussions for the offending parties.