STATES GRANTS (AIR QUALITY MONITORING) ACT 1976
No. 82 of 1976
An Act to provide Financial Assistance to the States for Purposes connected with the Monitoring of the Quality of the Outdoor Atmosphere.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short title.
1. This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Air Quality Monitoring) Act 1976.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
Interpretation.
3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—
“air quality monitoring” means the measurement and observation of, and of conditions affecting the movement of, contaminants in the outdoor atmosphere, and includes the recording, arrangement, analysis and publication of information arising from any such measurement or observation;
“year to which this Act applies” means the year ending on 30 June 1976.
Approval of works, &c.
4. For the purposes of this Act, a State may, during the year to which this Act applies, request the Minister to approve, in relation to that year, specified works, items of equipment, facilities or things in connexion with air quality monitoring in the State (including such a work, item of equipment, facility or thing in respect of which the State has, during that year but before the commencement of this Act, incurred expenditure), and the Minister may approve such a work, item of equipment, facility or thing in relation to that year.
Grants for air quality monitoring.
5. Subject to section 6, where a State has, during the year to which this Act applies, incurred expenditure in connexion with works, items of equipment, facilities and things approved (whether before or after the expenditure) under section 4 in relation to that year, there is payable to the State in respect of that year, by way of financial assistance—
(a) an amount equal to one-half of the expenditure so incurred; or
(b) the sum of $33,333,
whichever is the less.
Statement as to expenditure.
6. A State is not entitled to financial assistance under this Act in relation to expenditure incurred by the State unless the State has furnished to the Treasurer—
(a) a statement in respect of that expenditure, in accordance with a form approved by the Treasurer, accompanied by a certificate by the Auditor-General of the State certifying that, in his opinion, the expenditure shown in the statement was incurred by the State in connexion with works, items of equipment, facilities and things approved under section 4; and
(b) such further information (if any) as the Treasurer requires in respect of that expenditure.
Advances.
7. The Treasurer may, at such times and in such amounts as he thinks fit, make advances to a State on account of an amount that may become payable under this Act to the State.
Over-payments.
8. Payment to a State under this Act of an amount (including an advance made under section 7) is subject to the condition that the State will repay to the Commonwealth, on demand by the Treasurer, the amount by which, at the time of the demand, the total of the amounts (including any such advances) paid to the State under this Act exceeds the total of the amounts that have become payable to the State under section 5.
Appropriation.
9. Amounts payable to a State under this Act are payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.