Gold Bounty Act 1931

Legislation au C1931A00015 Not in force Act

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GOLD BOUNTY.

No. 15 of 1931.

An Act to amend the Gold Bounty Act 1930.

[Assented to 6th August, 1931.]

BE it enacted by the King’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 Gold Bounty Act 1931.

(2.) The Gold Bounty Act 1930 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Gold Bounty Act 1930-1931.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall be deemed to have commenced on the date of the commencement of the Principal Act.

Definitions.

3. Section three of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by adding at the end of the definition of “licensed gold-buyer” the words “and includes any branch in Australia of His Majesty’s Royal Mint, and any authority of a State specified by the Minister by notice published in the Gazette and any person so specified”;

(b) by adding at the end of sub-section (1.) the following definition:—

“‘tributer’ means a person who works a mine or portion of a mine under an agreement with the lessee or owner of the mine to pay to, or receive from, the lessee or owner, a portion or percentage of the product taken from the mine, or of the proceeds of the sale of that product.”; and

(c) by adding at the end of paragraph (c) of sub-section (3.) the words “or, where a shipper has not, in the year in which shipment is effected, furnished evidence to the satisfaction of the Minister as to the quantity of the gold commercially recoverable from such matte, concentrates or other material, as the case may be, the gold shall, if the Minister so directs, be deemed, for the purposes of this Act, to have been shipped in the year in which such evidence is produced”.

Payment and distribution of bounty.

4. Section seven of the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words “and value of the gold content” and inserting in their stead the words “of the gold content and has furnished evidence to the satisfaction of the Minister as to the quantity of the gold commercially recoverable”.

Distribution of bounty.

5. Section eight of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from paragraph (b) the word “and”;

(b) by inserting in paragraph (b), after the word “registration”, the words “and have made, in the prescribed manner, claims for bounty”; and

(c) by omitting from paragraph (b) the words “contained in” and inserting in their stead the words “commercially recoverable from”.

6. After section nine of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Bounty in respect of gold from ore produced by a tributer.

“9a. Where a gold mine or portion of a gold mine is worked by a tributer, the owner of the treatment plant at which gold from the gold ore produced by the tributer is recovered (whether the owner of that plant is the lessee or owner of the mine under tribute or not) shall account for, and pay to, the tributer fifty per centum of any bounty under this Act received by the owner of that plant on account of the gold obtained from the ore so treated.”.

Claimant to keep accounts.

7. Section eleven of the Principal Act is amended by inserting in paragraph (a), after the word ‘‘him”, the words “or by tributers under contract with him”.

Conditions of employment and rates of wages.

8. Section eighteen of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by adding at the end of sub-section (4.) the words “or by any tributers under contract with him”;

(b) by omitting from sub-section (5.) the words “by any gold producer”;

(c) by omitting from sub-section (5.) the words “that gold producer” and inserting in their stead the words “the claimant”; and

(d) by adding at the end thereof the following sub-section:—

“(7.) An authority appointed by the Minister under the last preceding sub-section shall consist of a representative of gold producers, a representative of employees engaged in the production of gold, and a person who shall act as Chairman, and who shall be appointed by the Minister on the joint nomination of the representatives of gold producers and of employees:

Provided that, it the representatives of gold producers and of employees fail to make a joint nomination of a Chairman within twenty days after being called upon by the Minister so to do, the Governor-General may appoint a person to act as Chairman.”.

Amendment of the Schedule.

9. The Schedule to the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting, after the word “that” (first occurring), the words “,subject to the conditions hereinafter specified,”;

(b) by inserting, after the word “extract”, the words “,or cause to be extracted by tribute or otherwise,”; and

“This application is made upon the following conditions:—

(1) I/We shall be entitled at any time, on giving three months’ notice in writing to the Minister, to revoke the above undertaking; and

(2) On the expiration of the term of the said notice my/our registration as a gold producer shall cease and determine and thereupon I/We shall not unless and until I am/We are again registered as a gold producer be entitled to any of the benefits provided by the said Act or be subject in any way to the provisions of the said Act.”.

Overview

The Gold Bounty Act 1931 was enacted to amend the Gold Bounty Act 1930, addressing issues that had arisen from the initial legislation. The Act was introduced by the Commonwealth Parliament to refine the existing framework for the distribution of gold bounties, ensuring that the bounty system was accurately reflecting the true quantity of commercially recoverable gold. The policy objective was to create a more equitable and transparent process for the distribution of gold bounties by adjusting the definitions, conditions for bounty payment, and the conditions under which gold producers could claim their bounties. This Act ensured that the gold bounty system was fair and accurately accounted for the gold extracted, providing clarity and structure to the distribution process.

Scope and Application

The Gold Bounty Act 1931, which amends the Gold Bounty Act 1930, applies to any person or entity involved in the production and recovery of gold in Australia, including licensed gold-buyers, tributers, and owners of treatment plants. This Act has a national scope as it is a Commonwealth Act. The amendments introduced by this Act primarily concern the payment and distribution of the bounty, the conditions under which it can be claimed, and the obligations of those involved in gold production and recovery. The Act also establishes specific conditions for the registration of gold producers and tributers, with the requirement that they furnish evidence to the Minister regarding the quantity of commercially recoverable gold. Additionally, the Act provides for the distribution of bounty to tributers and outlines the roles and responsibilities of authorities appointed to oversee the conditions of employment and rates of wages in the gold industry. Any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds are specified within the Act itself and are subject to the conditions set forth in the amended Schedule.

Key Provisions

The Gold Bounty Act 1931 (C1931A00015) amends the Gold Bounty Act 1930 (referred to as the Principal Act) and introduces new provisions related to the distribution and payment of gold bounty, particularly focusing on tributers and their share of the bounty. The Act includes amendments to definitions, payment conditions, and the distribution process of the bounty. For instance, section 4 amends the payment and distribution of bounty to require that the claimant has provided evidence of the commercially recoverable quantity of gold. Section 5 further refines the distribution of bounty by modifying the claims process and ensuring that bounty is distributed based on the commercially recoverable gold content. Additionally, section 6 introduces a new section 9a, which mandates that fifty per cent of any bounty received by the owner of a treatment plant for gold obtained from ore produced by a tributer must be paid to the tributer. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Claimants must furnish evidence of the commercially recoverable quantity of gold to the Minister (section 4). Furthermore, section 6 stipulates that treatment plant owners must account for and pay tributers fifty per cent of any bounty received for gold obtained from ore produced by tributers. Additionally, the Act requires that employers maintain accounts related to the employment of tributers under contract with them (section 7). These obligations ensure transparency and accountability in the gold production and bounty distribution process. Breaches of the provisions in the Gold Bounty Act 1931 can result in significant consequences. While specific offences and penalties are not detailed in the text provided, the nature of the amendments suggests that failure to comply with the requirements for evidence, distribution, and payment of bounty could lead to legal action. Typically, such breaches might result in penalties for non-compliance, potential fines, or other civil consequences, as outlined in the original Gold Bounty Act 1930 or subsequent amendments. The exact penalties would be determined based on the specific nature and severity of the breach.

Area of Law: Mineral & Mining Law
Instrument: Act
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Commencement Provisions; Repeal & Amendment; Licensing & Registration; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

Interactions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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