STATES GRANTS (DROUGHT RELIEF).
No. 70 of 1946.
An Act to grant and apply out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund a Sum for the purpose of making Grants to certain States for the purpose of Drought Relief.
[Assented to 14th December, 1946.]
[Date of commencement, 11th January, 1947.]
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 (Drought Relief) Act 1946.
Definition.
2. In this Act, “cereal crops” means crops of wheat, oats or barley or wheaten or oaten hay.
Payment for financial assistance to certain States.
3. There shall be payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly, the amounts payable in accordance with this Act, but not exceeding in the whole the sum of Five hundred and twenty thousand pounds, for the purpose of financial assistance to the States of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, or such of those States as the Governor-General, having regard to the effects of drought on cereal crops in each of those States, determines.
Allocation of grant.
4. The amount payable to each State under this Act shall be such amount as the Governor-General determines, but no such determination shall be made until after the Minister has conferred with the Premiers of each of the States to which an amount is payable under this Act concerning the amounts to be paid to those States.
Conditions of grant.
5. Any amount granted and paid to a State under this Act shall be paid to that State upon condition—
(a) that it is applied by that State, in a manner approved by the Minister, for the purpose of the alleviation of hardship suffered, in consequence of drought, by persons concerned in the production of cereal crops; and
(b) that an equal amount will be made available by the State and that the amount so made available will be applied by the State for the same purpose, and in the same manner as the amount payable to that State under this Act.
Overview
The States Grants (Drought Relief) Act 1946 was enacted to provide financial assistance to certain states affected by drought, specifically New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The Act was introduced to address the economic hardship faced by cereal crop producers due to drought conditions. Enacted by the Parliament of Australia, the Act authorises the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to support these states, with a maximum total payout of £520,000. The grant is intended to alleviate the hardship suffered by persons involved in the production of cereal crops, with conditions stipulating that the funds must be matched by the recipient states and used in a manner approved by the Minister for the same purpose. The policy objective is to provide timely financial relief to those affected by drought, ensuring that the assistance is applied effectively and efficiently to mitigate the impact on cereal crop producers.
Scope and Application
The States Grants (Drought Relief) Act 1946 applies to the States of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, providing financial assistance from the Commonwealth's Consolidated Revenue Fund to alleviate the hardship caused by drought, particularly in relation to cereal crop production. The Act allows the Governor-General to determine the specific amount payable to each state, considering the severity of drought impacts on cereal crops, after consulting with the relevant state's Premier and the Minister. The funds granted must be used by the states in a manner approved by the Minister for the purpose of drought relief and must be matched by an equal contribution from the state itself, with both funds applied to the same relief efforts. The Act's financial assistance is capped at a total of Five hundred and twenty thousand pounds, with no individual state receiving more than its allocated amount unless specified by the Governor-General.
Key Provisions
The States Grants (Drought Relief) Act 1946 primarily involves the appropriation of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for financial assistance to certain States suffering from drought effects on cereal crops. Section 3 of the Act mandates that up to £520,000 is to be allocated for this purpose, with the total amount payable not exceeding the stated sum. Section 4 stipulates that the allocation of the grant to each state, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, will be determined by the Governor-General. However, this determination cannot be made until after the Minister has consulted with the Premiers of the respective states regarding the amounts to be paid.
The obligations and requirements imposed by the Act are detailed in Section 5, which outlines the conditions under which any granted amount will be paid to a state. The funds must be applied for the alleviation of hardship experienced by individuals involved in the production of cereal crops due to drought. Additionally, the state must match the amount granted by the Commonwealth with an equal sum, which will also be used for the same purpose and in the same manner as the grant from the Commonwealth.
In terms of penalties and consequences for breaches, the Act does not explicitly detail specific offences or penalties within the provided text. However, by imposing strict conditions on the use of the grants, it can be inferred that non-compliance with these conditions could lead to the withholding of future grants or other administrative actions to ensure adherence to the Act’s stipulations. The Act's focus on relief and support underscores its intent to provide timely and effective assistance to those affected by drought, ensuring that the allocated funds are used in a manner that benefits the intended recipients.