Sewerage Agreements Act 1974

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Legislation au C2004A00131 In force Act

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Sewerage Agreements Act 1974

Act No. 73 of 1974 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 28 February 2005
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 8 of 2005

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

 

 

 

Contents

1 Short title [see Note 1]

2 Commencement [see Note 1]

3 Interpretation

4 Approval of Supplemental Agreements

5 Certain provisions of Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 cease to have effect

6 Financial assistance

7 Authority to borrow

8 Application of moneys borrowed

10 Appropriation

Schedule

Notes

 

An Act relating to Agreements between Australia and the States of Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia in respect of the Provision of further Financial Assistance for Sewerage Works in those States

WHEREAS the execution, on behalf of the Government of Australia, of agreements between the Government of Australia and the Government of each of the States with respect to the provision of financial assistance for sewerage works, being agreements substantially in accordance with the form set out in the Schedule to the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973, was approved by that Act:

AND WHEREAS the following agreements in accordance with the form set out in the Schedule to that Act have been made:

(a) an agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the State of Victoria dated 18 March 1974;

(b) an agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the State of Queensland dated 18 March 1974;

(c) an agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the State of Western Australia dated 18 January 1974;

AND WHEREAS further agreements varying those agreements have been executed on behalf of the Government of Australia and the Government of each of those States:

AND WHEREAS it is provided in each of those further agreements that the agreement shall have no force or effect until it has been approved by the Parliament of Australia:

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

1  Short title [see Note 1]

  This Act may be cited as the Sewerage Agreements Act 1974.

2  Commencement [see Note 1]

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

3  Interpretation

  In this Act:

Principal Agreement, in relation to a State to which this Act applies, means the agreement executed on behalf of the Government of Australia and the Government of that State in pursuance of the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973.

State to which this Act applies means the State of Victoria, the State of Queensland or the State of Western Australia.

Supplemental Agreement means:

 (a) in relation to the State of Victoria—the agreement a copy of which is set out in Part I of the Schedule;

 (b) in relation to the State of Queensland—the agreement a copy of which is set out in Part II of the Schedule; and

 (c) in relation to the State of Western Australia—the agreement a copy of which is set out in Part III of the Schedule.

4  Approval of Supplemental Agreements

  The Supplemental Agreements in respect of the States to which this Act applies are approved.

5  Certain provisions of Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 cease to have effect

  Upon the date of commencement of this Act:

 (a) section 4 of the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 ceases to apply in relation to States to which this Act applies; and

 (b) section 6 of the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 ceases to apply in relation to payments and advances to States to which this Act applies.

6  Financial assistance

  The payments and advances by the Government of Australia to the Government of a State to which this Act applies provided for in the Principal Agreement in respect of that State as varied by the Supplemental Agreement in respect of that State may be made, by way of financial assistance to that State, on the terms and conditions contained in that Principal Agreement as so varied, out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

7  Authority to borrow

  The Treasurer may, in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Act 1911-1973 or in accordance with the provisions of an Act authorizing the issue of Treasury Bills, borrow moneys not exceeding in the aggregate $7,950,000.

8  Application of moneys borrowed

 (1) Moneys borrowed under section 7 shall be issued and applied only for the expenses of borrowing and for the purpose of making payments and advances to a State to which this Act applies in accordance with this Act.

 (2) Moneys borrowed under section 5 of the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 may be issued and applied for the purpose of making payments and advances to a State to which this Act applies in accordance with this Act.

10  Appropriation

  The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated as necessary for the purposes of this Act.

Schedule 

Section 3

PART I

AN AGREEMENT made the twenty-sixth day of June One thousand nine hundred and seventy-four between—

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (in this agreement called “the Australian Government”) of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF VICTORIA (in this agreement called “the State Government”) of the other part.

WHEREAS—

(a) by the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia authorized the payment to the Government of a State of Australia of financial assistance for sewerage works on the terms and conditions contained in an agreement between the Australian Government and the Government of the State provided for by section 3 of that Act;

(b) on the eighteenth day of March 1974 the Australian Government and the State Government made an agreement (in this agreement called “the Principal Agreement”) under which financial assistance is provided to the State Government with the objective of eliminating within the shortest feasible time the backlog of sewerage works in the urban centre of Melbourne;

(c) under the Principal Agreement an amount of 9,300,000 dollars was allocated to the State Government by way of financial assistance as aforesaid in respect of backlog sewerage works that are commenced before the first day of July 1974;

(d) the Australian Government and the State Government are desirous of increasing the amount of financial assistance made available to the State Government under the Principal Agreement by a further amount of up to 3,950,000 dollars;

(e) the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia will be requested to approve this agreement and to authorize the provision of financial assistance to the State Government to the extent and upon the terms and conditions provided for by this agreement:

NOW IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:

1. This agreement shall have no force or effect and shall not be binding upon either party unless and until it has been approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.

2. As from the coming into force of this agreement but with operation deemed to have commenced on the first day of July 1973 as provided in sub-clause 1 (2) of the Principal Agreement, the amount of the financial assistance that may be provided in accordance with the Principal Agreement shall be increased by 3,950,000 dollars, that is, to a total amount of 13,250,000 dollars.

3. As varied by this agreement the Principal Agreement is confirmed to the intent that its provisions shall have effect as terms and conditions of the additional financial assistance provided for by this agreement as well as to the financial assistance made available under the Principal Agreement itself.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this agreement has been executed as at the day and year first above written.

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA by THE HONOURABLE EDWARD GOUGH WHITLAM, Prime Minister, in the presence of—

J. J. SPIGELMAN


 

E. G. WHITLAM

 

 

 

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF VICTORIA by THE HONOURABLE LINDSAY HAMILTON THOMPSON, Acting Premier, in the presence of—

K. D. GREEN


 

L. H. THOMPSON

PART II

AN AGREEMENT made the twenty-seventh day of June One thousand nine hundred and seventy-four between—

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (in this agreement called “the Australian Government”) of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND (in this agreement called “the State Government”) of the other part.

WHEREAS—

(a) by the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia authorized the payment to the Government of a State of Australia of financial assistance for sewerage works on the terms and conditions contained in an agreement between the Australian Government and the Government of the State provided for by section 3 of that Act;

(b) on the eighteenth day of March 1974 the Australian Government and the State Government made an agreement (in this agreement called “the Principal Agreement”) under which financial assistance is provided to the State Government with the objective of eliminating within the shortest feasible time the backlog of sewerage works in the urban centres of Brisbane and the Gold Coast;

(c) under the Principal Agreement an amount of 3,100,000 dollars was allocated to the State Government by way of financial assistance as aforesaid in respect of backlog sewerage works that are commenced before the first day of July 1974;

(d) the Australian Government and the State Government are desirous of increasing the amount of financial assistance made available to the State Government under the Principal Agreement by a further amount of up to 1,000,000 dollars;

(e) the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia will be requested to approve this agreement to authorize the provision of financial assistance to the State Government to the extent and upon the terms and conditions provided for by this agreement:

NOW IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:

1. This agreement shall have no force or effect and shall not be binding upon either party unless and until it has been approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.

2. As from the coming into force of this agreement but with operation deemed to have commenced on the first day of July 1973 as provided in sub-clause 1 (2) of the Principal Agreement, the amount of the financial assistance that may be provided in accordance with the Principal Agreement shall be increased by 1,000,000 dollars, that is, to a total amount of 4,100,000 dollars.

3. As varied by this agreement the Principal Agreement is confirmed to the intent that its provisions shall have effect as terms and conditions of the additional financial assistance provided for by this agreement as well as to the financial assistance made available under the Principal Agreement itself.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this agreement has been executed as at the day and year first above written.

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA by THE HONOURABLE EDWARD GOUGH WHITLAM, Prime Minister, in the presence of—

JIM CAIRNS


 

E. G. WHITLAM

 

 

 

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE QUEENSLAND by THE HONOURABLE JOHANNES BJELKE-PETERSEN, Premier, in the presence of—

KEITH SPANN


 

JOH. BJELKE-PETERSEN

PART III

AN AGREEMENT made the twenty-ninth day of May One thousand nine hundred and seventy-four between—

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (in this agreement called “the Australian Government”) of the one part, and

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (in this agreement called “the State Government”) of the other part.

WHEREAS—

(a) by the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia authorized the payment to the Government of a State of Australia of financial assistance for sewerage works on the terms and conditions contained in an agreement between the Australian Government and the Government of the State provided for by section 3 of that Act;

(b) on the eighteenth day of January 1974 the Australian Government and the State Government made an agreement (in this agreement called “the Principal Agreement”) under which financial assistance is provided to the State Government with the objective of eliminating within the shortest feasible time the backlog of sewerage works in the urban centre of Perth;

(c) under the Principal Agreement an amount of 3,800,000 dollars was allocated to the State Government by way of financial assistance as aforesaid in respect of backlog sewerage works that are commenced before the first day of July 1974;

(d) the Australian Government and the State Government are desirous of increasing the amount of financial assistance made available to the State Government under the Principal Agreement by a further amount of up to 3,000,000 dollars;

(e) the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia will be requested to approve this agreement and to authorize the provision of financial assistance to the State Government to the extent and upon the terms and conditions provided for by this agreement:

NOW IT IS HEREBY AGREED as follows:

1. This agreement shall have no force or effect and shall not be binding upon either party unless and until it has been approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.

2. As from the coming into force of this agreement but with operation deemed to have commenced on the first day of July 1973 as provided in sub-clause 1 (2) of the Principal Agreement, the amount of the financial assistance that may be provided in accordance with the Principal Agreement shall be increased by 3,000,000 dollars, that is, to a total amount of 6,800,000 dollars.

3. As varied by this agreement the Principal Agreement is confirmed to the intent that its provisions shall have effect as terms and conditions of the additional financial assistance provided for by this agreement as well as to the financial assistance made available under the Principal Agreement itself.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF this agreement has been executed as at the day and year first above written.

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA by THE HONOURABLE EDWARD GOUGH WHITLAM, Prime Minister, in the presence of—

R. F. MILLAR


 

E. G. WHITLAM

 

 

 

SIGNED for and on behalf of THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA by THE HONOURABLE SIR CHARLES WALTER MICHEAL COURT, Premier, in the presence of—

W. S. LONNIE


 

CHARLES COURT

 

Notes to the Sewerage Agreements Act 1974

Note 1

The Sewerage Agreements Act 1974 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 73, 1974 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Sewerage Agreements Act 1974

73, 1974

4 Oct 1974

4 Oct 1974

 

Administrative Changes (Consequential Provisions) Act 1978

36, 1978

12 June 1978

12 June 1978

S. 8

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2005

8, 2005

22 Feb 2005

Schedule 1 (items 22–26): Royal Assent

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

S. 6....................

am. No. 8, 2005

S. 8....................

am. No. 8, 2005

S. 9....................

am. No. 36, 1978

 

rep. No. 8, 2005

S. 10...................

am. No. 8, 2005

 

 

Overview

The Sewerage Agreements Act 1974, enacted by the Parliament of Australia, was introduced to approve agreements between the Commonwealth and the states of Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia, which provided further financial assistance for sewerage works. This Act was necessary to formalise and legalise the financial assistance agreements between the federal government and the states, ensuring that these agreements had the force of law upon parliamentary approval. The primary objective of the Act was to facilitate the allocation of additional funds for sewerage projects in urban centres of Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, thereby addressing the backlog of necessary infrastructure works. The Act provided the legal framework for the financial assistance, authorised borrowings, and outlined the terms under which the funds would be issued and applied. The Sewerage Agreements Act 1974 allowed for the approval of the supplemental agreements that increased the financial assistance originally allocated under earlier agreements. These supplemental agreements specified the additional funds to be provided and the terms and conditions governing their use. The Act also authorised the Commonwealth to borrow necessary funds to meet these financial commitments and stipulated that these funds could only be used for the specified sewerage projects in the respective states. This legislative framework ensured that the financial assistance provided would be used effectively and transparently, in line with the objectives of the agreements.

Scope and Application

The Sewerage Agreements Act 1974 applies to the three specified States of Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia, concerning agreements related to the provision of financial assistance for sewerage works within these states. The Act concerns agreements between the Commonwealth Government of Australia and the respective state governments, providing additional financial assistance for sewerage works in urban centres of Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and Perth. The Act specifies that certain provisions of the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 cease to have effect for these states, and authorises the Treasurer to borrow moneys not exceeding in the aggregate $7,950,000 for the purpose of making payments and advances to the states in accordance with this Act. The Act is geographically applicable to the Commonwealth of Australia, and its application may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments. There are no stated exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds within the text of the Act itself.

Key Provisions

The Sewerage Agreements Act 1974 (the Act) provides for financial assistance for sewerage works in Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. Under section 4 of the Act, the Supplemental Agreements for each state are approved. These agreements, which are set out in the Schedule, vary the original agreements made under the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973 and increase the financial assistance provided. Financial assistance may be provided under the terms and conditions of the Principal Agreements as varied by the Supplemental Agreements (section 6). The Act also authorises the Treasurer to borrow moneys not exceeding $7,950,000 in aggregate to make the payments and advances (section 7). The borrowed moneys, as well as any moneys borrowed under the Sewerage Agreements Act 1973, can only be used to make payments and advances to the states in accordance with the Act (section 8). The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated as necessary for the purposes of this Act (section 10). The Act imposes several obligations on the parties involved. Primarily, the Supplemental Agreements will not have any force or effect until they have been approved by the Parliament of Australia (section 4). The financial assistance provided must be in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in the Principal Agreements as varied by the Supplemental Agreements (section 6). The borrowed moneys can only be used for the specified purposes (section 8). Additionally, the Act requires that the Consolidated Revenue Fund be appropriated as necessary for the purposes of the Act (section 10). The Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or consequences for breach. However, failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreements or misuse of funds could potentially lead to legal consequences under other relevant legislation, such as the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) or state-specific legislation. Additionally, if the borrowed moneys are not used for the specified purposes, it could lead to financial mismanagement charges under the appropriate legislation. The maximum penalties for such offences would depend on the specific legislation under which the charges are brought.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Environmental Law
Finance & Banking Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Financial assistance
Repeal & Amendment
Application of moneys borrowed
Appropriation

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.