States Grants (Universities) Act 1974

Legislation au C2004A00133 Not in force Act

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STATES GRANTS (UNIVERSITIES) ACT 1974

No. 75 of 1974

 

An Act relating to the Grant of Financial Assistance in Connexion with Universities.

 

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Act 1974.

(2) The States Grants (Universities) Act 1972-1973 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972-1974.

Commencement.

2. (1) Subject to sub-section (2), this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(2) Sections 3 and 5 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 12 December 1973.

Interpretation.

3. Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting paragraph (b) of the definition of “fees” in sub-section (1) and substituting the following paragraph:—

“(b) fees payable in respect of an organization of students, or of students and other persons, or in respect of the provision to students of amenities or services that are not of an academic nature;”.

Grants for expenditure on University building projects, &c.

4. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting after sub-section (1c) the following sub-sections:—

“(1d) There is payable to a State, in relation to a University situated in that State that is specified in the first column of the Tenth Schedule, during the period of 3 years to which this Act applies, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to a project of that University specified in the second column of that Schedule, the amount specified in respect of that project in the third column of that Schedule.

“(1e) There is payable to the State of New South Wales, for the purpose of financial assistance towards the cost of acquisition of a site near Campbelltown in that State for the establishment of a proposed new University, an amount of $99,437.”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-section (4) the words “under sub-section (1) or (1c)” and substituting the words “under sub-section (1), (1c) or (1d)”.

Building grants in respect of halls of residence and residential colleges.

5. Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (2b) the word “one-twelfth” (wherever occurring) and substituting the word “one-eighth”.

6. After section 11b of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Special purpose recurrent grants.

“11c. (1) There is payable to a State, in relation to a University situated in that State that is specified in the Eleventh Schedule, in a year specified in that Schedule, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to a special purpose of that University specified in that Schedule, the amount specified for that year in respect of that special purpose.

“(2) The financial assistance to a State by way of payment of an amount under this section is granted on the condition that—

(a) the State will, without undue delay, pay the amount to the University; and

(b) the State will ensure that the amount so paid to the University is applied by the University for expenditure on or before 31 December 1975 towards the special purpose for which the amount is granted.”.

Part II and III of First Schedule.

7. The First Schedule to the Principal Act is amended–

(a) by omitting from Part II the words and figures

 

“University of New South Wales.......................

34,190,000”,

and substituting the words and figures

 

“University of New South Wales.......................

34,390,000;

(b) by omitting from Part II the figures 106,061,000 and substituting the figures 106,261,000;

(c) by omitting from Part II the figures 266,537,000 and substituting the figures 266,737,000;

(d) by omitting from Part III the words and figures-

 

University of New South Wales.......................

37,791,000”,

and substituting the words and figures-

 

“University of New South Wales.......................

38,121,000;

 

(e) by omitting from Part III the figures “115,373,000 and substituting the figures “115,703,000; and

(f) by omitting from Part III the figures 291,252,000 and substituting the figures “291,582,000.

Ninth Schedule.

8. The Ninth Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting the words and figures—

“Monash University...............

15,000

25,000

35,000.

Tenth and Eleventh Schedules.

9. After the Ninth Schedule to the Principal Act the Schedules set out in the Schedule to this Act are added.

 

_______

 

SCHEDULE Section 9

SCHEDULES TO BE ADDED AFTER THE NINTH SCHEDULE TO THE PRINCIPAL ACT

________

 

TENTH SCHEDULE Section 5

GRANTS FOR UNIVERSITY PROJECTS

First column

Second column

Third column

University

Project

Grant

New South Wales—

 

$

University of Newcastle.....

Medical School—Planning................

160,000

Macquarie University.......

Special Education—Clinical, Diagnostic, Teaching and Research facilities 

400,000

Victoria—

Monash University........

 

 

Education Building—completion of Special Education Facilities 

80,000

Queensland—

University of Queensland....

 

Teaching facilities at Community Centres
Health...........................

50,000

 

South Australia—

 

Flinders University of South Australia

Teaching facilities at Community Centres
Health...........................

50,000

_________

 


ELEVENTH SCHEDULE Section 11c

GRANTS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

University

Special Purpose

1974

1975

Amount of
Grant

Amount of
Grant

New South Wales—

University of Newcastle.....

 

$

$

Teaching and research purposes of Medical School 

30,000

70,000

Macquarie University.......

Teaching and research in Special Education 

50,000

80,000

Victoria—

Monash University........

 

Teaching and research in Special Education 

25,000

40,000

 

Queensland—
University of Queensland….

 

 

Teaching and research in community practice associated with Community Health Centres 

Teaching and research in Social Planning 

Teaching and research in Special Education 

Teaching and research in Special Education 

 

 

 

35,000

75,000

 

25,000

23,000

 

25,000

40,000

James Cook University of North Queensland

25,000

40,000

 

South Australia—

Flinders University of South Australia

 

Teaching and research in community practice associated with Community Health Centres 

Teaching and research in Special Education 

35,000

75,000

 

 

25,000

40,000

 

Western Australia—

University of Western Australia

Teaching and research in Social Work

Teaching and research in Special Education 

20,000

 

25,000

40,000

 

Tasmania—

University of Tasmania.

Teaching and research in Special Education 

25,000

40,000

 

Overview

The States Grants (Universities) Act 1974 was enacted to provide financial assistance to universities in Australia, addressing a gap in funding for university projects and special purposes. The Act amends the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972-1973, focusing on enhancing the allocation of funds to specific universities for particular projects and purposes. Enacted by the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of Australia, the Act aims to support university infrastructure and special initiatives, ensuring that universities can continue to provide high-quality education and research facilities. The Act includes provisions for grants related to university building projects and special recurrent grants for particular purposes, thereby supporting a range of educational and research activities across different universities in Australia.

Scope and Application

The States Grants (Universities) Act 1974 applies to the provision of financial assistance by the Commonwealth to the states for the benefit of public universities. It amends the Principal Act to specify the conditions under which grants are payable for particular university projects and special purposes, with the funds intended to support building projects and research initiatives. The Act applies to specific universities named in the Tenth and Eleventh Schedules, which list the projects and special purposes eligible for funding, along with the amounts allocated. The financial assistance is provided to the states, which are then responsible for ensuring that the funds are passed on to the relevant universities and used for the specified purposes. The geographic reach of this Act is nationwide, covering all states and territories in Australia. However, the Act does not extend its application to private universities or institutions that do not fall under the category of public universities. Subordinate instruments may be used to further define or extend the application of the Act, ensuring compliance and providing additional details on the implementation of the grants.

Key Provisions

The States Grants (Universities) Act 1974 provides financial assistance for specified university projects and special purposes. Section 4 amends the Principal Act by specifying financial assistance for university building projects (subsection 1d) and for the acquisition of a site near Campbelltown in New South Wales for a new university (subsection 1e). Section 5 modifies the proportion of financial assistance for building grants related to halls of residence and residential colleges, changing the allocation from one-twelfth to one-eighth. Additionally, Section 6 introduces special purpose recurrent grants, providing financial assistance for specific purposes at designated universities as outlined in the Eleventh Schedule. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. States are required to ensure that any financial assistance received under the Act is used by the relevant universities strictly for the specified purposes and within the stipulated timeframes. For example, universities must use the funds granted for special purposes by 31 December 1975 (subsection 11c(2)). Furthermore, the Act mandates that states must promptly transfer the allocated funds to the relevant universities. Failure to comply with the provisions of this Act may lead to civil or criminal consequences, although specific penalties are not outlined within the text. However, general provisions under Australian law suggest that non-compliance could result in fines or other penalties as determined by the relevant authorities. The exact penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, as well as other applicable laws.

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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.