STATUTORY RULES.
1914. No. 37.
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PROVISIONAL REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1912.
Financial and Allowance Regulations for the Military Forces or the Commonwealth—Regulation 197a—Addition.
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 Defence Act 1903-1912 should come into immediate operation, and, further, should be taken to have come into operation on and from the first day of March, 1914, and make the Regulation to come into operation accordingly as a Provisional Regulation.
Dated this sixteenth day of April, One thousand nine hundred and fourteen.
DENMAN,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
E. D. MILLEN.
FINANCIAL AND ALLOWANCE REGULATIONS FOR THE MILITARY FORCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
Amendment.
Field Allowance.
Regulation 197a—
After Regulation 197, insert New Regulation 197a;—
“197a. Field Allowance at the rate of £100 per annum may be paid monthly in arrear to Officers of or attached to the Royal Australian Engineers, Survey Section, who perform not less than 16 days’ actual survey work in the field in approved areas during the month for which payment is to be made. In calculating the allowance due to Officers who perform less than 16 days’ field survey work in any one month, the monthly rate of allowance shall be multiplied by the number of days of survey work in the field actually performed, and divided by 16.
The above allowance is to cover all expenses whilst on the duty referred to above after than train, steamer, or coach fares, and may be drawn for periods of sick leave not exceeding one month in each year, and recreation leave.”
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Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C.3587.—Price 3d.
Overview
Statutory Rules 1914 No. 37, known as the Provisional Regulations Under the Defence Act 1903-1912, was enacted to establish financial and allowance regulations for the military forces of the Commonwealth. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the need for specific guidelines and provisions for the financial support and allowances of military personnel, particularly those engaged in field survey work. The regulation was enacted by The Governor-General in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, in recognition of the urgency to provide immediate operational support to military officers. The primary policy objective of these regulations was to ensure that officers who perform field survey work, such as those in the Royal Australian Engineers, Survey Section, receive appropriate financial compensation for their duties.
Scope and Application
The Provisional Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1912, specifically concerning the Financial and Allowance Regulations for the Military Forces of the Commonwealth, apply to officers who are members of or attached to the Royal Australian Engineers, Survey Section. This regulation pertains to the payment of a field allowance for those officers who undertake survey work in approved areas. The allowance is calculated based on the number of days worked in the field, with a monthly rate of £100 for those who complete at least 16 days of survey work. For officers who perform less than 16 days of field survey work in a month, the allowance is prorated. This allowance is intended to cover all expenses incurred during the survey work, excluding travel fares, and may be drawn even during periods of sick leave or recreation leave not exceeding one month per year. The regulation has a jurisdictional reach that is national, applying across the Commonwealth of Australia, and it comes into immediate operation as a Provisional Regulation under the Defence Act 1903-1912.
Key Provisions
The main operative section of these Provisional Regulations is Regulation 197a, which introduces a new financial allowance for officers of or attached to the Royal Australian Engineers, Survey Section. This regulation permits the payment of a field allowance of £100 per annum, paid monthly in arrears, to officers who perform a minimum of 16 days of actual survey work in approved areas during the month for which the payment is due. For officers who perform less than 16 days of field survey work in any given month, the allowance is prorated based on the number of days actually worked, divided by 16 (Regulation 197a).
These Regulations impose specific obligations on both the officers eligible for the allowance and the Defence authorities responsible for its administration. Eligible officers must perform a minimum of 16 days of actual survey work in the approved areas to qualify for the field allowance. The Defence authorities are obligated to calculate and disburse the allowance accurately, taking into account the prorated amount for officers who do not complete the full 16 days of survey work in a month. Additionally, the authorities must ensure that the allowance covers all expenses related to the specified duty, excluding travel fares, and that it can be drawn during periods of sick leave not exceeding one month per year and during recreation leave.
The Regulations do not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties for breach. However, any failure by eligible officers to meet the minimum days of survey work required or any misrepresentation of survey work performed could potentially lead to administrative or disciplinary actions under other provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1912 or subsequent military regulations. Similarly, if Defence authorities fail to accurately calculate or disburse the allowance, this could result in financial mismanagement or procedural errors, which might attract corrective actions or further regulatory scrutiny. While the specific penalties for such breaches are not detailed in these Regulations, they would likely be addressed under the broader administrative and disciplinary frameworks applicable to Defence personnel and officers.