COMMONWEALTH AID ROADS.
No. 43 of 1955.
An Act to amend the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954.
[Assented to 2nd November, 1955.]
BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short title and citation.
1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1955.
(2.) The Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.
(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954-1955.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on the date of commencement of the Principal Act.
Grants to States for works on rural and other roads.
3. Section nine of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-section (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—
“(1.) There are payable to the States, out of the Trust Account, in respect of each year during the period of five years that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four, for the purpose of financial assistance, the amounts paid into the Trust Account in respect of that year, less—
(a) in the case of the year that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four—the sum of Nine hundred thousand pounds; and
(b) in the case of each other year—the sum of Nine hundred and fifty thousand pounds.”.
Road safety practices.
4. Section thirteen of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-section (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—
“(1.) There is payable out of the Trust Account—
(a) in respect of the year that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-four—the sum of One hundred thousand pounds; and
(b) in respect of each year during the period of four years immediately following that year—the sum of One hundred and fifty thousand pounds,
which may be expended by the Commonwealth, as approved by the Minister, on the promotion of road safety practices throughout Australia.”.
Overview
The Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1955 was enacted to amend the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954, providing a legislative framework for financial assistance to the states for road works and promoting road safety practices. This Act was introduced by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to address the need for enhanced road infrastructure and safety measures across the nation. The policy objective of the Act is to facilitate the distribution of funds from the Trust Account to the states for rural and other road improvements and to allocate specific amounts for the promotion of road safety initiatives throughout Australia, thereby enhancing both the infrastructure and safety of the nation's road network.
Scope and Application
The Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1955 applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and the States within the Australian federal system. It provides for financial assistance to States for the improvement of rural and other roads and allocates funds for the promotion of road safety practices across the nation. The Act amends the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954, which it references as the Principal Act, and is deemed to have commenced on the same date as the Principal Act. The Act specifically outlines the amounts to be paid to the States from the Trust Account for road works and to the Commonwealth for road safety initiatives over a defined period. This Act does not explicitly state exclusions or exemptions but is limited by the financial provisions and the temporal scope defined within its amendments to the Principal Act. Any further details or extensions of application may be addressed through subordinate instruments or subsequent legislation.
Key Provisions
The Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1955 primarily revises the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1954 by modifying the financial provisions for grants to states and for road safety practices. Specifically, Section 3 alters the grant amounts payable to states for works on rural and other roads over a five-year period beginning 1 July 1954. Instead of the previous amounts, states will now receive the amounts paid into the Trust Account for that year, minus a specified sum for each year. For the year starting 1 July 1954, the deduction is £900,000, while for each subsequent year, it is £950,000.
Under Section 4, the Act adjusts the funding available for road safety practices. For the year beginning 1 July 1954, the Commonwealth is allocated £100,000 from the Trust Account for road safety initiatives. For each of the following four years, an additional £150,000 will be available for the same purpose, subject to approval by the Minister. These funds are intended to be spent on promoting road safety practices across Australia.
The Act imposes obligations on both the Commonwealth and the states. The Commonwealth is required to manage and disburse funds from the Trust Account as specified, ensuring that the prescribed amounts are paid to the states for road works and for promoting road safety. States, in turn, must use the funds for the purposes outlined in the Act, which are the construction and maintenance of rural and other roads and the implementation of approved road safety measures.
Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act may result in legal consequences. While the Act does not explicitly detail offences or penalties, breaches of the specified financial allocations and purposes could be subject to legal scrutiny. Typically, non-compliance with legislative financial provisions might lead to civil actions for misapplication of funds or criminal charges for fraud or misuse of public funds, depending on the circumstances and severity of the breach. The specific penalties would be determined by the relevant courts based on applicable laws and regulations at the time of the breach.