States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967

Legislation au C1967A00034 Not in force Act

Legislation content

States Grants (Teachers Colleges)

No. 34 of 1967

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the States for the purposes of Building Projects in connexion with Teachers Colleges.

[Assented to 24 May 1967]

BE it enacted by the Queens Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967.

Commencement.

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

Definitions.

3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

approved building project, in relation to a teachers college, means a building project approved by the Minister in connexion with that teachers college under the next succeeding section;

building project includes—

(a) the purchase of land, with or without buildings;

(b) the planning, erection, alteration or extension of a building;

(c) the development or preparation of land for building or other purposes;

(d) the installation of water, electricity or other services; and

(e) the provision of furniture or equipment for a building that has been purchased, erected, altered or extended for the purposes of a teachers college;

private student, in relation to a teachers college in a State, means a student who is engaged in a course of study at the college but has not executed an agreement or bond in relation to service for a period after successful completion of the course under the Department of State of that State dealing with matters of education;

teachers college means a place of education that is conducted, or is proposed to be conducted, by a State wholly or principally for the purpose of training persons as school teachers and includes a place where residential accommodation is provided by the State in connexion with such a place of education;

the prescribed period means the period commencing on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, and ending on the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and seventy;

the Schedule means the Schedule to this Act.


Minister may approve building projects.

4. The Minister may, for the purposes of this Act, approve a building project in connexion with a teachers college and may revoke or vary such an approval.

Grants for building projects in connexion with teachers colleges.

5.(1.) The Minister may, during the prescribed period, authorize the payment to a State under this Act, in relation to an approved building project in connexion with a teachers college in the State, by way of financial assistance, of such amounts as, subject to this Act, he determines.

(2.) The Minister shall not authorize payments to a State under the last preceding sub-section that exceed, in the aggregate, the amount specified in the Schedule opposite to the name of that State.

(3.) The Minister shall not, before the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-eight, authorize payments under this Act of amounts that exceed in the aggregate Eight million dollars.

(4.) The Minister shall not, before the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, authorize payments under this Act of amounts that exceed in the aggregate Sixteen million dollars.

(5.) The Minister may, at any time during the prescribed period, by writing under his hand, determine that this Act shall have effect as if the amounts specified in the Schedule opposite to the names of any States were varied in accordance with the determination, but not so as to—

(a) vary the total of the amounts specified opposite to the names of the States in the Schedule; or

(b) reduce the amount specified in the Schedule in respect of a State below the total of the amount that the State has, before the determination, expended in connexion with approved building projects and the amount that, in the opinion of the Minister, the State would be in a position to expend in the remainder of the prescribed period in connexion with approved building projects.

(6.) A copy of every determination made under the last preceding sub-section shall be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after the determination has been made.

Grants to be expended on approved building projects.

6. Payment of an amount to a State under this Act is subject to the condition that the State will ensure that an amount equal to that payment is applied, as approved by the Minister, towards the approved building project in relation to which the payment was authorized.

Ten per centum of places at colleges to be available to private students.

7. In addition to the condition specified in the last preceding section, payment of an amount to a State under this Act is subject to the condition that, unless and until otherwise determined by the Minister, there shall be admitted, in each academic year, to teachers colleges in that State, as private students, a number of students—

(a) equal to the number determined by the Minister, after consultation with the State, to be the number of students the admission of whom as private students to teachers colleges in the State will

result in the number of private students at teachers colleges in the State in that year being not less than ten per centum of the number of students at teachers colleges in the State whose admission to those colleges is attributable to the expenditure of grants under this Act; or

(b) if the number of persons applying for admission in that year as private students to teachers colleges in that State and complying with the reasonable requirements for such admission is less than the number determined under the last preceding paragraph, equal to that lesser number.

Appropriation.

8. Amounts payable to a State under this Act are payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

Annual reports by the Minister.

9. The Minister shall cause a statement to be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of each year in the prescribed period setting out the payments that have been authorized by him under this Act during that year and specifying the projects in relation to which the payments have been so authorized.

THE SCHEDULE Section 5(2.).

Limits of Grants

 

$

New South Wales............................

7,500,000

Victoria..................................

5,350,000

Queensland................................

3,750,000

South Australia.............................

3,200,000

Western Australia............................

2,700,000

Tasmania.................................

1,500,000

 

24,000,000

 

Overview

The States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967 was enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia to address the need for financial assistance to states for building projects in connection with teachers colleges. This legislation provided a mechanism for the Commonwealth to offer grants to states for approved building projects in teachers colleges, aiming to enhance educational infrastructure and resources. The Act also stipulated that a certain percentage of places in these colleges be made available to private students. The policy objective was to ensure that the federal government's financial assistance would be used effectively and transparently, as evidenced by the requirement for annual reports to be laid before Parliament detailing the payments made and the projects they supported. The Act empowers the Minister to approve building projects, determine the amount of financial assistance to be provided to each state within specified limits, and ensure that the funds are applied towards the approved projects. Additionally, it mandates that a certain proportion of students admitted to teachers colleges must be private students, thereby promoting diversity in the student body. The appropriations for these grants are made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and the Act includes provisions for annual reporting to Parliament to maintain accountability and transparency in the use of funds.

Scope and Application

The States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967 applies to financial assistance provided by the Commonwealth to the states for building projects in connection with teachers colleges. The Act is limited to projects in the prescribed period from the first of July 1967 to the thirtieth of June 1970, and it specifically pertains to the construction, planning, land purchase, and equipping of teachers colleges. The Act applies to the six states of Australia, each of which has a specific limit on the amount of grants they can receive as outlined in the Schedule to the Act. The Act does not explicitly state any exclusions or exemptions; however, the grants are subject to conditions such as being applied towards approved building projects and ensuring a proportion of student places are available to private students. The application and scope of the Act may be extended or modified through subordinate instruments made by the Minister, subject to the limitations and conditions set out in the Act.

Key Provisions

The States Grants (Teachers Colleges) Act 1967 provides financial assistance to states for building projects connected with teachers colleges (section 1). The act comes into operation on the day it receives Royal Assent (section 2). Key terms defined in the act include "approved building project" (section 3), which encompasses various activities related to the purchase, planning, construction, or development of buildings or land for teachers colleges, and "private student" (section 3), which refers to a student at a teachers college who has not agreed to serve a period after completing their course under the relevant state department. The act also outlines the Minister's role in approving building projects (section 4) and authorizing financial assistance for approved projects within specific periods and limits (section 5). It stipulates that grants must be used for approved building projects (section 6) and mandates that at least 10% of places at teachers colleges be available to private students, unless otherwise determined by the Minister (section 7). The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. The Minister has the authority to approve building projects, determine the amounts to be paid to states, and ensure that the funds are used for the approved projects (sections 4 and 5). States receiving grants must ensure that the funds are applied towards the approved building projects and must comply with the requirement to admit a certain number of private students (sections 6 and 7). Additionally, the Minister is required to lay copies of any determinations varying the specified grant amounts before each House of Parliament (section 5(6)) and to submit annual reports detailing the payments authorized under the Act and the projects for which these payments were made (section 9). Breaches of the Act may result in civil or criminal consequences, although specific offences, penalties, or consequences are not detailed within the text of the Act itself. The Act primarily focuses on the procedural and financial aspects of the grants and building projects, with the primary enforcement mechanisms being the oversight and reporting requirements imposed on the Minister. Any legal actions or penalties for non-compliance would likely be pursued under the broader legal framework governing administrative actions and financial oversight in Australia.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Education Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Commencement Provisions
Offence Provisions

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.