STATES GRANTS.
No. 66 of 1940
An Act to grant and apply out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund sums for the purposes of Financial Assistance to the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
[Assented to 16th December, 1940.]
Preamble.
BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—
Short title.
1. This Act may be cited as the States Grants Act 1940.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
Payment for financial assistance to States.
3. There shall be payable, for the purposes of financial assistance to the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, during the year commencing on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty, the sum of Two million and fifty thousand pounds.
Allocation of grant.
4. The amount payable to each State under this Act shall be the amount shown in the following table opposite the name of that State:—
| £ |
South Australia........ | 1,000,000 |
Western Australia....... | 650,000 |
Tasmania............ | 400,000 |
| 2,050,000 |
Method of payment.
5. The amount payable to any State under this Act shall be paid to that State in equal monthly instalments.
Appropriation.
6. Payments in accordance with this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly.
Overview
The States Grants Act 1940 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide financial assistance to the States of South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The Act was introduced to address the need for financial support to these states during a time of economic difficulty, specifically during the period beginning on the first day of July, 1940. The policy objective of the Act was to provide a total sum of Two million and fifty thousand pounds to these states in equal monthly instalments to help them manage their finances and support necessary public services and infrastructure. The Act allocates the grant amounts to each state as follows: £1,000,000 to South Australia, £650,000 to Western Australia, and £400,000 to Tasmania. The payments are to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, as appropriated by this Act.
Scope and Application
The States Grants Act 1940 applies to the financial assistance that is to be provided to the States of South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. It is a Commonwealth Act that appropriates funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to provide this assistance, specifying the amount and method of payment for each state. The Act provides a structured approach to the distribution of funds, ensuring that the payments are made in equal monthly instalments throughout the financial year starting from 1 July 1940. The Act's application is geographically limited to the aforementioned states and is effective from the day it receives Royal Assent. The Act does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, and there is no indication that the application of this Act is extended or restricted through subordinate instruments.
Key Provisions
The States Grants Act 1940 (section 1) is an Act that provides for the allocation and payment of financial assistance to the states of South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The Act (section 2) came into operation on the day it received Royal Assent, which was the 16th of December, 1940. According to the Act (section 3), a sum of Two million and fifty thousand pounds is to be paid for financial assistance to the mentioned states during the year commencing on the first day of July, 1940.
The Act (section 4) provides a table that allocates the grant to each state, with South Australia receiving £1,000,000, Western Australia £650,000, and Tasmania £400,000, totalling £2,050,000. The payments are to be made in equal monthly instalments (section 5) and are to be sourced from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly (section 6).
The Act imposes certain obligations and requirements on the parties involved. Firstly, it mandates that the government must pay the specified sums to the respective states in equal monthly instalments (section 5). Secondly, the payments must be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which has been appropriated for this purpose (section 6). Failure to comply with these requirements may result in legal consequences.
Under the Act, there are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach outlined. However, non-compliance with the Act's requirements may potentially result in legal action being taken against the responsible parties for failing to meet their obligations. The precise consequences of such non-compliance would depend on the specific circumstances and applicable laws at the time of the breach.