Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976

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ROADS ACTS AMENDMENT ACT (No. 2) 1976

No. 173 of 1976

An Act relating to Financial Assistance to the States in relation to Roads.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

PART IPRELIMINARY

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976.

Commencement

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

PART IIAMENDMENTS OF THE NATIONAL ROADS ACT 1974

Citation.

3. The National Roads Act 1974 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

Grants of financial assistance to States.

4. Section 7 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-section (3) and substituting the following sub-section:

(3) The sum of the amounts paid under this section to a State in respect of expenditure during a year to which this Act applies, in relation to the maintenance of national highways, shall not exceed the amount, or the sum of the amounts, specified opposite to the name of that State, in relation to that year, in Schedules 2, 5 and 7..

Variations of amounts specified in Schedules.

5. Section 11 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting in paragraph (b) of sub-section (1), after the words Schedules 2 and 5, the words , Schedules 2 and 7.

Schedule 7.

6. The Principal Act is amended by adding after Schedule 6 the following Schedule:

 

SCHEDULE 7 Section 7(3)

ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF GRANT IN RESPECT OF MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

State

Year commencing 1 July 1976

 

$

Queensland...................................................

2,000,000

PART III—AMENDMENTS OF THE ROADS GRANTS ACT 1974

Citation.

7. The Roads Grants Act 1974 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.


Grants for which financial assistance may be granted.

8. Section 6 of the Principal Act is amended

(a) by omitting sub-sections (2) and (3) and substituting the following sub-sections:

(2) A State shall, out of moneys paid to it under section 5 in respect of a year, expend during that year on the construction of rural arterial roads, in accordance with the approved program of projects for that year or for a part of that year, an amount equal to the amount that is applicable, or to the sum of the amounts that are applicable, to the State in respect of that year in accordance with Schedules 2, 9 and 14, less any amounts expended in that year on the construction of developmental roads in accordance with an approved program of projects for that year or for a part of that year.

(3) A State shall, out of moneys paid to it under section 5 in respect of a year, expend during that year on the construction and maintenance of rural local roads, in accordance with an approved program for that year, an amount equal to the amount that is applicable, or to the sum of the amounts that are applicable, to the State in respect of that year in accordance with Schedules 3, 10 and 15.;

(b) by omitting sub-section (5) and substituting the following sub-section:

(5) A State shall, out of moneys paid to it under section 5 in respect of a year, expend during that year on the construction of urban arterial roads, in accordance with the approved program of projects for that year or for a part of that year, an amount equal to the amount that is applicable, or to the sum of the amounts that are applicable, to the State in respect of that year in accordance with Schedules 5, 12 and 16.; and

(c) by omitting sub-section (8) and substituting the following sub-section:

(8) A State shall, out of moneys paid to it under section 5 in respect of a year, expend during that year on the construction of developmental roads, in accordance with the approved program for that year or for a part of that year, an amount determined by the Minister in relation to that program, being an amount not greater than 10 per cent of the amount that is applicable, or of the sum of the amounts that are applicable, to the State in respect of that year in accordance with Schedules 2, 9 and 14..

Variation of amounts specified in Schedules.

9. Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) the words Schedules 3 and 10, Schedules 4 and 11, Schedules 5 and 12 and substituting the words Schedules 2 and 14, Schedules 3 and 10, Schedules 3 and 15, Schedules 4 and 11, Schedules 5 and 12, Schedules 5 and 16.

Schedule 1.

10. Schedule 1 to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the column headed Year commencing 1 July 1976 and substituting the following column:

Year Commencing 1 July 1976

$

78,100,000

60,300,000

55,100,000

18,800,000

41,800,000

10,400,000

264,500,000

 


Schedule 8.

11. Schedule 8 to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the column headed Year commencing 1 July 1976 and substituting the following column:

Year commencing 1 July 1976

$

135,800,000

113,600,000

53,500,000

34,200,000

36,600,000

11,300,000

New Schedules.

12. The Principal Act is amended by adding after Schedule 13 the following Schedules:

SCHEDULE 14 Sections 6(2) and (8)

ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF GRANTS TO BE EXPENDED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF RURAL ARTERIAL ROADS AND DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS

State

Year commencing 1 July 1976

 

$

New South Wales................................................

6,630,000

Victoria.......................................................

1,500,000

Queensland....................................................

2,100,000

South Australia..................................................

1,200,000

Western Australia................................................

1,700,000

Tasmania......................................................

700,000

 

13,830,000

SCHEDULE 15 Section 6(3)

ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF GRANTS TO BE EXPENDED ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF RURAL LOCAL ROADS

State

Year commencing 1 July 1976

 

$

New South Wales...............................................

4,670,000

Victoria......................................................

6,000,000

Queensland...................................................

1,800,000

South Australia.................................................

1,000,000

Western Australia...............................................

1,900,000

Tasmania.....................................................

1,000,000

 

16,370,000

 


SCHEDULE 16 Section 6(5)

ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF GRANTS TO BE EXPENDED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF URBAN ARTERIAL ROADS

State

Year commencing 1 July 1976

 

$

Queensland...................................................

1,600,000

South Australia.................................................

1,000,000

Western Australia...............................................

1,000,000

 

3,600,000

 

Overview

The Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to amend the National Roads Act 1974 and the Roads Grants Act 1974. This legislation was introduced to address the need for financial assistance to states for the maintenance and construction of various types of roads, including national highways, rural arterial roads, rural local roads, and urban arterial roads. By amending these acts, the legislation aimed to provide specific funding allocations to states for their respective road projects, as detailed in the schedules attached to the act. The act also introduced changes to the way grants were to be calculated and distributed, ensuring that the financial assistance aligned with the approved programs of projects and expenditure categories. The policy objective of the Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 was to facilitate the proper maintenance and development of the national road network by providing financial support to the states. This was achieved by specifying the amounts to be granted to each state for different types of roads, as outlined in the schedules. The act thereby ensured that the federal government's financial assistance was directed appropriately to meet the states' needs for road infrastructure, thereby improving the overall quality and accessibility of the road network across Australia.

Scope and Application

The Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 amends the National Roads Act 1974 and the Roads Grants Act 1974, both of which are federal statutes. This Act applies to financial assistance granted to states for the maintenance and construction of national highways, rural arterial roads, rural local roads, and urban arterial roads. It specifies the allocation of funds to different states, as detailed in the amended schedules of the Principal Acts. The Act applies to all states in Australia, as it references the distribution of funds according to state-specific schedules. The Act does not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions, but the allocation of funds is contingent upon the states adhering to approved programs for the construction and maintenance of specified roads. The application of this Act may be further defined or extended through subordinate legislation, which would provide additional regulations or guidelines for the implementation of the financial assistance provisions.

Key Provisions

The Roads Acts Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 amends the National Roads Act 1974 and the Roads Grants Act 1974 by modifying the financial assistance granted to the states for the maintenance of national highways and the construction of rural and urban arterial roads and rural and urban local roads. Section 4 amends the National Roads Act 1974 to limit the financial assistance a state can receive for the maintenance of national highways in a given year to an amount specified in Schedules 2, 5, and 7. Section 5 inserts an additional Schedule 7, specifying the additional amount of grant in respect of maintenance of national highways for Queensland for the year commencing 1 July 1976. States are obligated to expend certain amounts on the construction and maintenance of roads according to the schedules attached to the Acts. For example, Section 6(2) of the Roads Grants Act 1974 requires a state to expend on rural arterial roads a certain amount specified in Schedules 2, 9, and 14, while Section 6(3) requires a state to expend on rural local roads an amount specified in Schedules 3, 10, and 15. Failure to comply with the requirements of these Acts may result in civil or criminal consequences. However, the Act does not specify the exact nature of these consequences or the penalties associated with them. It is important to note that the Act is designed to ensure that funds are used appropriately for the intended purposes and that states are held accountable for their use of these funds.

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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.