STATES GRANTS.
No. 33 of 1951.
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 24th November, 1951.]
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 1951.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
Payment of financial assistance to States.
3. There is payable to the States of South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, during the year which commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and fifty-one, for the purposes of financial assistance, the sum of Ten million five hundred and twenty-two thousand pounds.
Allocation of grant.
4. The amount payable to each State under this Act is the amount shown in the following table opposite the name of that State:—
| £ |
South Australia................................ | 4,558,000 |
Western Australia.............................. | 5,088,000 |
Tasmania.................................... | 876,000 |
| 10,522,000 |
Appropriation.
5. 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 1951 was enacted to address a specific financial need for three states: South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. This legislation was introduced to allocate financial assistance from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 1951. The Act was enacted by the Australian Parliament and its purpose is to provide a designated sum to these states to support their financial requirements during that period. The total amount allocated under this Act is £10,522,000, with specific allocations of £4,558,000 for South Australia, £5,088,000 for Western Australia, and £876,000 for Tasmania. The Act ensures that these payments are made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, thus formalising the appropriation of the necessary funds.
Scope and Application
The States Grants Act 1951 is a legislative instrument enacted to allocate specific sums of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the states of South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania for financial assistance purposes. The Act comes into effect immediately upon receiving the Royal Assent and is applicable to the designated states for the financial year starting on the first day of July, 1951. The financial assistance amounts allocated to each state are explicitly detailed, with South Australia receiving £4,558,000, Western Australia £5,088,000, and Tasmania £876,000, totalling £10,522,000. These payments are to be made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated for this purpose. The Act does not provide for any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, nor does it extend or restrict its application through subordinate instruments.
Key Provisions
The States Grants Act 1951 (section 1) is the primary legislative instrument that facilitates the allocation of funds for financial assistance to the states of South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. This Act became effective from the day it received Royal Assent (section 2). The primary provision of the Act is the payment of a financial grant totaling £10,522,000 to these three states for the fiscal year beginning 1 July 1951 (section 3). The allocation of this grant is specified in a detailed table within section 4, where South Australia is to receive £4,558,000, Western Australia £5,088,000, and Tasmania £876,000, summing up to the total grant amount.
The Act imposes specific obligations on the Commonwealth to make the payments as allocated. The funds are to be disbursed from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated for this purpose (section 5). This ensures that the financial assistance is sourced directly from the national revenue pool, underscoring the commitment of the Commonwealth to supporting these states' fiscal needs.
In terms of compliance, breaches of the Act's provisions, such as failing to make the specified payments, would be subject to legal consequences. Although the Act itself does not explicitly detail offences or penalties, non-compliance could potentially lead to legal action under other related legislative frameworks. Typically, failure to adhere to such financial obligations could result in civil or administrative penalties, including financial penalties or legal proceedings to enforce the payment. The exact penalties would be determined by the applicable laws governing public finance and appropriation in Australia.