States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949

Legislation au C1949A00074 Not in force Act

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STATES GRANTS (ENCOURAGEMENT OF MEAT PRODUCTION).

 

No. 74 of 1949.

An Act to make provision for the Grant of Financial Assistance to the States of Queensland and Western Australia for the purpose of encouraging the Development of Meat Production by the Provision of Improved Roads and other Facilities for the Movement of Live-stock.

[Assented to 28th October, 1949.]

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 (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Interpretation.

3. For the purposes of this Act, the expenditure of a State upon any works shall be deemed to include the cost to the State of necessary surveys preliminary to the carrying out of those works.

Financial assistance to State of Queensland.

4.—(1.) The works to which this section relates shall be—

(a) the construction or improvement of the following roads:—

Currawilla to Yaraka via Canterbury and Windorah;

Quilpie to Eromanga and thence westerly to the vicinity of the Coonaberry Creek; and

Thargomindah to Cunnamulla via Eulo, and Cunnamulla to the border of the State of Queensland in the vicinity of Barringun in the State of New South Wales;

(b) the construction of eight cattle loading and unloading points, together with watering facilities, for use in connexion with the roads mentioned in the last preceding paragraph; and


(c) improvement of watering facilities on the following stock routes:—

Channel trunk route, from the junction of Burke and Georgina Rivers via Bedourie, Cacoory, Betoota, Gilpeppee Creek and Durham Downs to Warry Warry Gate;

Connexion from Bedourie to Currawilla;

Connexion from Gilpeppee Creek via Tanbar to Canterbury;

Connexion from Tanbar to Coombill;

Connexion from Wheeo to a point south of Pinkilla Station on the road between Quilpie and Eromanga;

Continuation of Far Western Main Trunk Route from Eromanga via Thargomindah to Hungerford;

Connexion from Glencairn to Thargomindah; and

Connexion from Camooweal to Mount Isa.

(2.) Subject to this Act, there shall be payable to the State of Queensland, as financial assistance—

(a) the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the last preceding sub-section; and

(b) one half of the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (c) of the last preceding sub-section.

(3.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, the amount of any expenditure by the State shall be deemed to be reduced by any amount of that expenditure disallowed by the Treasurer under section nine of this Act.

(4.) The total of the amounts payable under this Act in respect of expenditure referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-section (2.) of this section shall not exceed Seventy-five thousand five hundred pounds.

Financial assistance to State of Western Australia.

5.—(1.) The works to which this section relates shall be—

(a) the construction of a road, including necessary bridges, from Wyndham to Nicholson Station on the general alignment of Ivanhoe, Argyle Downs, Rosewood and Ord River Stations, and situated principally in the State of Western Australia, but such sections as may most advantageously be within the Northern Territory of Australia being situated in that Territory; and

(b) improvement of watering facilities on the following stock routes:—

Wyndham to Ruby Plains Station via Ord River Station;

Wyndham to Halls Creek via Turkey Creek;

Wyndham to Fossil Downs Station via Bedford Downs Station; and

Wyndham to Karungie Downs Station.


(2.) Subject to this Act, there shall be payable to the State of Western Australia, as financial assistance—

(a) the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (a) of the last preceding sub-section; and

(b) one half of the amounts from time to time expended by the State upon the works referred to in paragraph (b) of the last preceding sub-section.

(3.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, the amount of any expenditure by the State shall be deemed to be reduced by any amount of that expenditure disallowed by the Treasurer under section nine of this Act.

(4.) The total of the amounts payable under this Act in respect of expenditure referred to in paragraph (b) of sub-section (2.) of this section shall not exceed Thirty-one thousand five hundred pounds.

Conditions precedent to right of payment.

6.—(1.) Subject to this section, a State shall not be entitled to a payment (other than an advance) under this Act in respect of an amount expended by the State upon a part of any works unless the State has complied with the provisions of section eight of this Act and unless—

(a) the State has, before commencing that part of those works, carried out such surveys, and prepared and submitted to the Minister such plans, specifications and estimates of costs, as the Minister has required (whether in respect of that part or in respect of any related part of the works);

(b) the State has incorporated in all such plans and specifications such standards of design and construction as have been determined by the Minister, and has based estimates of cost upon the standards so determined;

(c) the State has not commenced that part of the works without the approval of the Minister to plans and specifications for that part of the works; and

(d) the State has, in carrying out that part of the works, conformed to plans and specifications approved by the Minister.

(2.) Where a State has. with the approval of the Minister, applied, in carrying out a part of any works, standards of design and construction requiring greater expenditure than the standards determined by the Minister, paragraph (b) of the last preceding sub-section shall not be applicable but the excess expenditure so required shall not be deemed to be expenditure upon the works for the purposes of the determination by the Treasurer of amounts payable under this Act.


Conditions on which payments made.

7. Payments to a State under this Act shall be made on the conditions that—

(a) the State will not, without the consent of the Minister, impose any road or bridge toll on the transportation of cattle or goods along a road or over a bridge the construction or improvement of which forms part of any works referred to in section four or five of this Act, as the case may be; and

(b) the State will maintain in reasonable order and condition every road, bridge or other thing the construction or improvement of which forms part of those works.

Statements of expenditure by States.

8. The Premier of the State of Queensland and the Premier of the State of Western Australia shall, as soon as possible after the thirtieth day of June and the thirty-first day of December in each year, forward to the Treasurer a statement certified by the Auditor-General of the State setting out particulars of the amount expended by the State on works referred to in section four or five of this Act respectively, during the period of six months which ended on that thirtieth day of June or that thirty-first day of December, as the case may be.

Determination by Treasurer of amounts payable.

9.—(1.) Upon receipt of a statement from the Premier of a State in accordance with the last preceding section, the Treasurer shall determine the amount payable to the State in accordance with section four or section five of this Act in respect of expenditure of the State during the period to which the statement relates.

(2.) In determining an amount payable to a State under this Act, the Treasurer may disallow in whole or in part any item of expenditure set out in a statement forwarded to him in pursuance of the last preceding section.

(3.) As soon as possible after the receipt of a statement from a Premier under the last preceding section, the Treasurer shall inform that Premier of the amounts (if any) disallowed in pursuance of the last preceding sub-section and of the amount determined by the Treasurer to be payable to the State.

Payment of advances.

10.—(1.) The Treasurer may, at such times as he thinks fit, make advances of such amounts as he thinks fit to a State on account of the total amount payable to that State under this Act.

(2.) Payment of an advance to a State shall be 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 advances paid to the State exceeds the total of the amounts determined by the Treasurer in pursuance of the last preceding section in respect of the State.

Appropriation.

11. The Consolidated Revenue Fund is, to the extent of an amount not exceeding Two million one hundred and sixty-six thousand pounds, hereby appropriated for the purpose of payments (including advances) under this Act.

Overview

The States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to address the problem of limited infrastructure for the movement of livestock, thereby encouraging the development of meat production in Queensland and Western Australia. This Act was designed to provide financial assistance to these states for the construction and improvement of roads and other facilities necessary for livestock movement. The policy objective is to enhance the efficiency of meat production by improving the infrastructure, thus contributing to the overall economic development of the livestock industry in these states. Financial assistance is provided for specific road construction and improvement projects, as well as the enhancement of watering facilities on various stock routes, with conditions attached to the receipt and use of these funds.

Scope and Application

The States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949 applies to the States of Queensland and Western Australia, focusing on the provision of financial assistance to encourage the development of meat production through infrastructure improvements such as road construction and the enhancement of watering facilities for livestock. The Act outlines specific road improvements and stock route enhancements in Queensland and Western Australia, with financial support being contingent on the states meeting certain conditions, including the submission of expenditure statements and adherence to design and construction standards. The financial assistance provided is subject to the approval of the Treasurer and is limited to a maximum amount for each state. The Act also imposes conditions on the states, such as the prohibition of tolls on roads funded by the Act and the obligation to maintain the infrastructure in good condition. The Act's jurisdiction is federal, applying across the Commonwealth of Australia, and it does not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions beyond the conditions and limitations outlined. The Act's provisions may be further defined through subordinate instruments, but these are not detailed within the primary text of the Act itself.

Key Provisions

The States Grants (Encouragement of Meat Production) Act 1949 (sections 1-11) establishes the framework for financial assistance to the states of Queensland and Western Australia to encourage meat production through the improvement of roads and other livestock movement facilities. The Act comes into operation on the day it receives Royal Assent (section 2). It provides definitions for terms used in the Act, such as the inclusion of preliminary survey costs in the expenditure of a state on any works (section 3). The Act specifies that financial assistance will be provided to the state of Queensland for the construction or improvement of certain roads, the establishment of cattle loading and unloading points with watering facilities, and the improvement of watering facilities on stock routes (section 4). Similarly, it outlines assistance for Western Australia for the construction of a specific road and the improvement of watering facilities on certain stock routes (section 5). The financial assistance is subject to the state's compliance with the Act, including the submission of plans, specifications, and cost estimates, adherence to the Minister's standards, and the Minister's approval of the works (section 6). Payments under the Act are conditional on the state not imposing tolls on cattle or goods transportation on the roads or bridges constructed or improved with the assistance and on the state maintaining these infrastructures in reasonable condition (section 7). The Act imposes obligations on the states of Queensland and Western Australia to submit statements of expenditure to the Treasurer, certified by the Auditor-General, by the 30th of June and the 31st of December each year (section 8). The Treasurer is then required to determine the amount payable to each state based on the submitted statements, with the ability to disallow any expenditure deemed inappropriate (section 9). The Treasurer also has the authority to make advances to the states, which are subject to repayment if the total advances exceed the determined payable amounts (section 10). The Act appropriates funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of these payments and advances, up to a total of Two million one hundred and sixty-six thousand pounds (section 11). The Act does not explicitly state offences, penalties, or consequences for breach; however, non-compliance with the conditions for payment or the failure to maintain the infrastructure in reasonable order could potentially result in the withholding of financial assistance or the requirement to repay any advances already received. The implications of such breaches would be determined by the Treasurer's discretion in disallowing expenditure and the subsequent determination of payable amounts.

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Area of Law
Environmental Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations
Financial Assistance

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.