Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au C2024A00125 In force Act

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Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024

No. 125, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to deal with consequential matters arising from the enactment of the Help to Buy Act 2024, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedules

Schedule 1—Amendments

Housing Australia Act 2018

 

 

 

Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024

No. 125, 2024

 

 

 

An Act to deal with consequential matters arising from the enactment of the Help to Buy Act 2024, and for related purposes

[Assented to 10 December 2024]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act is the Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  The whole of this Act

At the same time as the Help to Buy Act 2024 commences.

However, the provisions do not commence at all if that Act does not commence.

11 December 2024

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3  Schedules

  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Housing Australia Act 2018

1  At the end of section 4

Add:

Note: Housing Australia also has functions under the Help to Buy Act 2024. Some, but not all, of the provisions of this Act apply in relation to the Help to Buy functions.

2  Section 5

Insert:

Help to Buy functions: Housing Australia’s Help to Buy functions are Housing Australia’s functions under the Help to Buy Act 2024, to the extent that those functions are not also conferred on Housing Australia by:

 (a) this Act (disregarding paragraph 8(1)(ca) of this Act); or

 (b) any Commonwealth law other than the Help to Buy Act 2024.

Help to Buy Program Directions has the same meaning as in the Help to Buy Act 2024.

3  After paragraph 8(1)(c)

Insert:

 (ca) the Help to Buy functions; and

4  Paragraph 8(1)(d)

After “Commonwealth law”, insert “(other than the Help to Buy Act 2024)”.

5  At the end of paragraph 8(1)(e)

Add “(other than the Help to Buy functions)”.

6  At the end of section 8

Add:

 (4) Subsection (3) does not apply in relation to the Help to Buy functions.

Note: For how Housing Australia must perform the Help to Buy functions, see subsections 10(3), 15(2) and 20(2) of the Help to Buy Act 2024.

7  At the end of section 9

Add:

 (3) This section does not apply in relation to the Help to Buy functions.

Note: For Housing Australia’s powers in relation to the Help to Buy functions, see sections 11, 16 and 21 of the Help to Buy Act 2024.

8  Subsection 12(1) (note)

After “Note”, insert “1”.

9  At the end of subsection 12(1)

Add:

Note 2: For the Help to Buy functions, see subsection 14(2).

10  Section 14

Before “The Minister”, insert “(1)”.

11  At the end of section 14

Add:

 (2) The Minister must not give a direction under subsection 12(1) about the performance of the Help to Buy functions.

Note: The Minister may give the Board directions about the Help to Buy functions under Part 3 of the Help to Buy Act 2024.

12  Paragraph 16(1)(a)

After “Investment Mandate”, insert “and the Help to Buy Program Directions”.

13  Subsection 36(4)

After “Division 2 of Part 2”, insert “of this Act, or Part 3 of the Help to Buy Act 2024,”.

14  Section 47B

Repeal the section, substitute:

47B  Credits to the Account

 (1) There must be credited to the Account amounts equal to each amount paid to the Commonwealth by Housing Australia that:

 (a) is a repayment of:

 (i) money debited from the Account; or

 (ii) other money lent by the Commonwealth to Housing Australia (whether as described in subsection 50(1) or otherwise); and

 (b) is paid in accordance with the Investment Mandate.

Note: An Act appropriating money for expenditure out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund may contain a provision to the effect that, if any of the purposes of a special account is a purpose that is covered by an item in such an Act (whether or not the item expressly refers to the special account), then amounts may be debited against the appropriation for that item and credited to that special account.

 (2) To avoid doubt, subsection (1) does not apply to an amount paid to the Commonwealth by Housing Australia under section 28 of the Help to Buy Act 2024.

15  At the end of section 48

Add:

 (4) This section does not apply in relation to liabilities or defaults under Help to Buy arrangements (within the meaning of the Help to Buy Act 2024).

16  After subsection 49(4)

Insert:

 (4A) For the purposes of subsection (4), disregard any profit or loss for that year from Housing Australia’s performance of the Help to Buy functions.

17  Subsection 50(5)

Omit “or Division 1”, substitute “, Division 1 of this Part or Part 4 of the Help to Buy Act 2024”.

18  Subsection 53(1)

After “this Act”, insert “or the Help to Buy Act 2024”.

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 30 November 2023

Senate on 26 November 2024]

 

(158/23)

 

Overview

The Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, was designed to address the consequential matters arising from the implementation of the Help to Buy Act 2024. This Act ensures that any necessary adjustments to existing laws and provisions are made to accommodate the new legislative framework introduced by the Help to Buy Act 2024. The primary objective of this Act is to provide a smooth transition and integration of the new housing policies into the existing legislative structure, thereby avoiding potential conflicts or gaps in the law. The commencement of the Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 is contingent upon the commencement of the Help to Buy Act 2024, scheduled for 11 December 2024. Should the latter not commence, the former will not come into effect at all. This Act amends the Housing Australia Act 2018 to delineate the specific functions and powers of Housing Australia concerning the Help to Buy Program, ensuring clarity and continuity in the administration of housing policies.

Scope and Application

The Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 addresses the consequential matters arising from the enactment of the Help to Buy Act 2024. This Act applies to Housing Australia, an entity responsible for various housing functions under the Housing Australia Act 2018, by specifying the extent to which certain provisions of the Housing Australia Act 2018 apply to Housing Australia's functions under the Help to Buy Act 2024. The Act commences simultaneously with the Help to Buy Act 2024, on 11 December 2024, contingent upon the latter's commencement. It amends the Housing Australia Act 2018 by clarifying the scope of Housing Australia's functions under the Help to Buy Act 2024, detailing specific exclusions and the application of certain provisions to the Help to Buy functions. The Act does not apply to liabilities or defaults under Help to Buy arrangements as defined in the Help to Buy Act 2024, and it provides specific guidance on the crediting of amounts to the Account under the Housing Australia Act 2018, excluding repayments under the Help to Buy Act 2024.

Key Provisions

The Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 (section 1) aims to address matters arising from the Help to Buy Act 2024, including amending existing legislation such as the Housing Australia Act 2018. The Act's provisions come into effect on 11 December 2024, provided the Help to Buy Act 2024 commences on the same date (section 2). The primary amendments are detailed in Schedule 1, which affects the Housing Australia Act 2018 by clarifying its functions and powers in relation to the Help to Buy functions. For example, section 5 of the Housing Australia Act 2018 is amended to specify that Housing Australia’s Help to Buy functions are its functions under the Help to Buy Act 2024, excluding those also conferred by this Act or other Commonwealth laws (Schedule 1, item 2). The Help to Buy (Consequential Provisions) Act 2024 imposes specific obligations on Housing Australia concerning its Help to Buy functions. For instance, it mandates that certain payments made by Housing Australia to the Commonwealth be credited to a specified account (section 47B). Furthermore, the Act clarifies that certain provisions of the Housing Australia Act 2018 do not apply to the Help to Buy functions (Schedule 1, items 3, 7, and 12). It also restricts the Minister from giving certain directions to the Board regarding the performance of the Help to Buy functions (Schedule 1, item 11). The Act outlines consequences for non-compliance with its provisions. While the Act does not explicitly state penalties for breaches, it is likely that breaches of the legislative requirements could result in legal actions, such as fines or other sanctions as per the general legal framework. The specific penalties for non-compliance would be determined in accordance with the relevant laws governing the enforcement of the Help to Buy Act 2024 and the Housing Australia Act 2018. The Act's amendments ensure that any actions taken under the Help to Buy functions adhere to the prescribed legal standards, thereby maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the housing assistance program.

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Area of Law
Property Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Licensing & Registration

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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.