States Grants (Science Laboratories) Act 1971

No. 65 of 1971

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the States for Science Laboratories and Equipment in Schools

Contents

1  Short title

2  Interpretation

3  Grants for science laboratories and equipment

4  Regulations may vary amounts

5  Annual statement by Minister

6  Appropriation

7  Regulations

Schedule 1—Limit of grants

States Grants (Science Laboratories) Act 1971

No. 65 of 1971

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the States for Science Laboratories and Equipment in Schools

[Assented to 25 May 1971]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Science Laboratories) Act 1971.

2  Interpretation

  In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

school means a school or a similar institution, whether conducted by a State or not.

the period to which this Act applies means the period commencing on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑one, and ending on the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑five.

3  Grants for science laboratories and equipment

 (1) The Minister may authorize the payment to a State, under this Act, during the period to which this Act applies or, subject to the next succeeding sub‑section, after that period, by way of financial assistance, of such amounts as, subject to this section, he determines.

 (2) The Minister shall not authorize the payment of an amount to a State under this section after the period to which this Act applies unless he is satisfied that the amount will be applied for the purpose of meeting commitments undertaken during that period.

 (3) The Minister shall not authorize payments to a State under this section that:

 (a) exceed, in the aggregate, the amount specified in the sixth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;

 (b) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑two—exceed, in the aggregate, one‑quarter of that amount;

 (c) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑three—exceed, in the aggregate, one‑half of that amount; or

 (d) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑four—exceed, in the aggregate, three‑quarters of that amount.

 (4) Payment of an amount to a State under this Act is subject to the condition that the amount will be applied by the State, as approved by the Minister, for purposes in connexion with laboratories and equipment for use in the teaching of science in schools at the secondary level of education.

 (5) The Minister shall not grant an approval under the last preceding subsection for the application of an amount by a State in respect of a school where:

 (a) in the case of a school conducted by the State‑if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of schools conducted by the State would exceed the amount specified in the second column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;

 (b) in the case of a school not conducted by the State, being a Roman Catholic school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of schools in the State not conducted by the State, being Roman Catholic schools, would exceed the amount specified in the third column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State; or

 (c) in the case of a school not conducted by the State, not being a Roman Catholic school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of schools in the State not conducted by the State, not being Roman Catholic schools, would exceed the amount specified in the fourth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State.

4  Regulations may vary amounts

  At any time during the period to which this Act applies, provision may be made by the regulations that this Act shall have effect as if the amounts specified in the third or fourth column, or both of those columns, and the amounts specified in the fifth and sixth columns, of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the names of any States were varied in accordance with the regulations, but not so as to vary the total of the amounts specified in the fifth column, or the total of the amounts specified in the sixth column, of that Schedule.

5  Annual statement by Minister

 (1) The Minister shall cause a statement to be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after each thirtieth day of June during the period to which this Act applies describing the arrangements in accordance with which payments under this Act have been authorized in the year that ended on that day and stating, in respect of each State:

 (a) in relation to schools not being schools conducted by the State:

 (i) the total of the amounts paid to the State under this Act in that year; and

 (ii) the names of the schools in respect of which approvals for the application of moneys included in that total have been given, and the amount approved for expenditure in respect of each such school; and

 (b) in relation to schools conducted by the State:

 (i) the total of the amounts paid to the State under this Act in that year; and

 (ii) the names of the schools in respect of which the State has, during that year, applied amounts paid to the State under this Act.

 (2) For the purposes of the last preceding subsection, any payment made to a State under this Act after the period to which this Act applies shall be deemed to have been made during the year that ended on the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy‑five.

6  Appropriation

  Payments under this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

7  Regulations

  The Governor‑General may make regulations for the purposes of section 4 of this Act, including regulations repealing or amending regulations previously made under this section.

Schedule 1—Limit of grants

Section 3