States Grants Act 1962

Overview

The States Grants Act 1962 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide financial assistance to certain states, specifically for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of July 1961. This Act was an appropriation originating in the House of Representatives and aimed to address the financial needs of these states during that particular period. The financial assistance is outlined in a schedule attached to the Act, specifying the amounts payable to Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The payments are to be made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly to cover these grants. The policy objective of the States Grants Act 1962 was to ensure that the specified states receive the necessary financial support during the designated fiscal year. The Act also includes a provision to adjust the grant to Victoria for the financial year starting on the first day of July 1962, deeming the previous year's grant to be a specific amount to facilitate this adjustment.

Scope and Application

The States Grants Act 1962 applies to the States of Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania, as specified in the Schedule to the Act. The primary purpose of the Act is to provide financial assistance to these states during the year commencing on the first of July, 1961. The financial assistance is to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which has been appropriated accordingly. The Act also includes a provision to vary the grant to Victoria for the financial year commencing on the first of July, 1962, adjusting the previous year's grant to Seventy-two million seven hundred and thirty thousand pounds. The geographic scope of the Act is limited to the Commonwealth level, as it pertains to the allocation of funds from the federal Consolidated Revenue Fund to specified states. The Act does not extend or restrict its application through subordinate instruments and does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds beyond those mentioned in the main text.

Key Provisions

The States Grants Act 1962 (section 1) serves as the primary legislative document under which financial assistance is granted to specified states, and it may be cited as such. The Act came into operation on the day it received Royal Assent (section 2), which was on 6th April 1962. Under section 3(1), the Act mandates the payment of financial assistance to the states listed in the Schedule to this Act for the financial year that commenced on 1 July 1961. The payments are to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which has been appropriated accordingly (section 3(2)). The Act imposes specific obligations on the Commonwealth to provide financial assistance to the states of Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Each of these states is to receive an amount specified in the Schedule to the Act for the financial year in question. For instance, Victoria is to receive £1,024,000, Western Australia £339,000, and Tasmania £97,000, summing to a total of £1,460,000 (Schedule). The obligation extends to ensuring that the payments are made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund as per the appropriation outlined in the Act. Section 4 of the Act provides a variation of the grant for the state of Victoria for the financial year commencing on 1 July 1962. It specifies that the grant payable to Victoria for the financial year preceding that (1 July 1961 to 30 June 1962) shall be deemed to be £72,730,000. This particular provision modifies the grant amount for Victoria under the States Grants Act 1959 to reflect this new amount. There are no explicit provisions in the Act that detail offences, penalties, or consequences for breach. However, given the nature of the Act and the statutory context, any failure to comply with the Act’s requirements could potentially lead to legal consequences. Such consequences may include financial penalties or legal actions to enforce compliance with the financial obligations outlined in the Act.