States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976

Legislation au C2004A01550 Not in force Act

Select Document

STATES GRANTS (UNIVERSITIES) AMENDMENT ACT (No. 2) 1976

No. 119 of 1976

An Act to amend the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 and the States Grants (Universities) Act 1976.

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

PART I—PRELIMINARY

Short title, &c.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976.

(2) Section 1 of the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 (being Act No. 125, 1972) is amended by omitting sub-section (1) and substituting the following sub-section:—

“(1) This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act 1972.”

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 4 and 10 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 31 December 1975.

PART II—AMENDMENTS OF STATES GRANTS (UNIVERSITIES) ACT 1972

Interpretation.

3. The States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 (being Act No. 126, 1972 as amended) is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

Grants for expenditure on University building projects, &c.

4. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (1d) the word “during” and substituting the words “in respect of”.

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

5. Section 9 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (2) the figures “$7,150” and substituting the figures “$7,200”.

(b) by omitting the table from sub-section (3) and substituting the following table:—

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Number of Full-time Students	Amount for 1974	Amount for 1975
	$	$
Less than 100 .................................	6,130	7,200
Not less than 100 but less than 120 ...................	6,750	7,920
Not less than 120 but less than 140 ...................	7,360	8,640
Not less than 140 but less than 160 ...................	7,970	9,360
Not less than 160 but less than 180 ...................	8,590	10,080
Not less than 180 ...............................	9,200	10,800

(c) by omitting from sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) the figures “$85.80” and substituting the figures “$86.40”;

(d) by omitting from sub-paragraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) the figures “$42.90” and substituting the figures “$43.20”; and

(e) by omitting from sub-paragraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) the figures “$14.30” and substituting the figures “$14.40”.

First Schedule.

6. The First Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting Part III and substituting the following Part:—

PART III

GRANTS FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR 1975

First Column		Second Column
University		Amount of Grant
		$
New South Wales—
University of Sydney.......................................		53,350,600
University of New South Wales................................		51,734,000
University of New England...................................		15,751,600
University of Newcastle.....................................		11,836,800
Macquarie University......................................		19,204,000
University of Wollongong...................................		5,535,500
		157,412,500
Victoria—
University of Melbourne....................................		45,930,000
Monash University........................................		38,811,000
La Trobe University.......................................		18,132,000
Deakin University.........................................		170,000
		103,043,000
Queensland—
University of Queensland....................................	41,474,000
James Cook University of North Queensland .......................	7,568,000
Griffith University ........................................	2,913,500
	51,955,500
South Australia—
University of Adelaide......................................	28,129,000
Flinders University of South Australia...........................	11,996,000
	40,125,000
Western Australia—
University of Western Australia................................	26,118,000
Murdoch University.......................................	3,673,500
	29,791,500
Tasmania—
University of Tasmania.....................................	12,785,000
	395,112,500

Third Schedule.

7. The Third Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting Part II and substituting the following Part:—

PART II Section 6a

PROVISION FOR COST INCREASES IN RELATION TO EXPENDITURE ON EQUIPMENT

University	Maximum Additional Grant
	$
University of Sydney........................................	689,000
University of New South Wales.................................	581,000
University of New England....................................	125,000
University of Newcastle......................................	117,000
Macquarie University........................................	160,000
University of Wollongong.....................................	113,000
University of Melbourne......................................	575,000
Monash University.........................................	272,000
La Trobe University.........................................	236,000
University of Queensland.....................................	442,000
James Cook University of North Queensland........................	48,000
Griffith University..........................................	39,000
University of Adelaide.......................................	370,000
Flinders University of South Australia.............................	175,000
University of Western Australia.................................	274,000
Murdoch University.........................................	68,000
University of Tasmania.......................................	155,000
	4,439,000

Fourth Schedule.

8. The Fourth Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting Part II and substituting the following Part:—

PART II Section 7a

PROVISION FOR COST INCREASES IN RELATION TO SPECIAL RESEARCH
GRANTS

University	Maximum Additional Grant
	$
University of Sydney........................................	221,000
University of New South Wales.................................	191,000
University of New England....................................	49,000
University of Newcastle......................................	27,000
Macquarie University........................................	48,000
University of Wollongong.....................................	20,000
University of Melbourne......................................	209,000
Monash University.........................................	164,000
La Trobe University.........................................	41,000
University of Queensland.....................................	157,000
James Cook University of North Queensland........................	19,000
University of Adelaide.......................................	145,000
Flinders University of South Australia.............................	37,000
University of Western Australia.................................	94,000
University of Tasmania.......................................	44,000
	1,466,000

Seventh Schedule.

9. The Seventh Schedule to the Principal Act is amended by omitting Part III and substituting the following Part:—

PART III

GRANTS FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE IN RESPECT OF TEACHING HOSPITALS OF SPECIFIED UNIVERSITIES FOR THE YEAR 1975

First Column	Second Column
University	Amount of Grant
	$
New South Wales—
University of Sydney.......................................	362,000
University of New South Wales................................	311,000
	673,000
Victoria—
University of Melbourne ....................................	369,000
Monash University........................................	247,000
	616,000
Queensland—
University of Queensland....................................	272,000
South Australia—
University of Adelaide......................................	179,000
Western Australia—
University of Western Australia................................	136,000
Tasmania—
University of Tasmania.....................................		60,000
		1,936,000

Tenth Schedule.

10. The Tenth Schedule to the Principal Act is repealed and the following Schedule substituted:—

TENTH SCHEDULE Section 5

GRANTS FOR UNIVERSITY PROJECTS

First Column University	Second Column Project	Third Column Grant
		$
New South Wales—
University of New South Wales...	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	2,000
University of Newcastle ........	Medical School—Planning .........	160,000
Macquarie University..........	Special Education—Clinical, Diagnostic, Teaching and Research facilities	495,000
Victoria—
Monash University............	Education Building—completion of Special Education Facilities	80,000
	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	1,837
Queensland—
University of Queensland........	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	3,000
South Australia—
University of Adelaide.........	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	34,700
Flinders University of South Australia	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	9,593
Tasmania—
University of Tasmania.........	Teaching facilities at Community Health Centres	448

Payments made before Royal Assent

11. Payments (including advances) by way of financial assistance made to a State under the States Grants (Universities) Act (No. 2) 1972 or under that Act as amended and in force at any time before the date on which this Act received the Royal Assent shall be deemed to have been made for the purposes of the Principal Act as amended by this Act.

PART III—AMENDMENTS OF STATES GRANTS (UNIVERSITIES) ACT 1976

Interpretation.

12. The States Grants (Universities) Act 1976 is in this Part referred to as the Principal Act.

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

13. Section 12 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-section (2) the figures “$7,000” and substituting the figures “$8,000”;

(b) by omitting from sub-section (2) the figures “$110” and substituting the figures “$125.72”;

(d) by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) the figures “$250” and substituting the figures “$285.73”;

(e) by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (4) the figure “$2” and substituting the figures “$2.29”;

(f) by omitting from paragraph (c) of sub-section (4) the figures “$200” and substituting the figures “$228.48”;

(g) by omitting from paragraph (c) of sub-section (4) the figures “$0.80” and substituting the figures “$0.91”;

(h) by omitting from paragraph (d) of sub-section (4) the figures “$180” and substituting the figures “$205.73”; and

(i) by omitting from paragraph (d) of sub-section (4) the figures “$0.16” and substituting the figures “ $0.18 ”.

Grants for expenditure on University building projects, &c.

14. Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (6) the figures “$51,600,000” and substituting the figures “$58,257,000”.

Additional grants for cost increases— University building projects, &c.

15. After section 16 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted: —

“16a. (1) Subject to this section, where—

(a) a University is specified in Schedule 5; and

(b) the cost of a project of that University that is specified in relation to that University in the second column of Schedule 5 exceeds, or appears to the Minister likely to exceed, the amount specified opposite to that project in the third column of that Schedule,

there is payable to the State in which the University is situated, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to that project, in addition to the amount payable in respect of the project under section 16, such amount as the Minister determines, not exceeding the amount of the excess or the likely excess.

“(2) Subject to this section, where—

(a) a project of a University (not being a project of the kind referred to in paragraph 4(1)(c)) has been approved by the Commission under sub-section 4(2); and

(b) the cost of the project exceeds, or appears to the Minister likely to exceed, the amount payable to the State under sub-section 16(2) in relation to that project,

there is payable to the State in which the University is situated, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to that project, such amount as the Minister determines, not exceeding the amount of the excess or the likely excess.

“(3) Amounts determined by the Minister under sub-sections (1) and (2) shall not, in the aggregate, exceed $6,657,000.

“(4) The financial assistance to a State by way of payment of an amount under sub-section (1) or (2) in relation to a project of a University is granted on the conditions 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, or so much of the amount as is necessary, is applied towards the carrying out of the project, and, if the amount exceeds the amount necessary, the State will pay to the Commonwealth the amount of the excess.”.

Schedules l, 2, 3 and 4

16. Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the Principal Act are repealed and the following Schedules substituted:—

SCHEDULE 1 Section 5

PART I

Column 1 University		Column 2 Amount
		$
New South Wales—
University of Sydney........................................		61,431,000
University of New South Wales.................................		59,220,000
University of New England....................................		18,344,000
University of Newcastle......................................		14,252,000
Macquarie University........................................		22,810,000
University of Wollongong.....................................		7,040,000
		183,097,000
Victoria—
University of Melbourne......................................		52,987,000
Monash University..........................................		44,216,000
La Trobe University.........................................		22,378,000
Deakin University..........................................		686,000
		120,267,000
Queensland—
University of Queensland......................................		48,906,000
James Cook University of North Queensland.........................		9,212,000
Griffith University..........................................	4,972,000
	63,090,000
South Australia—
University of Adelaide.......................................	32,267,000
Flinders University of South Australia.............................	14,353,000
	46,620,000
Western Australia—
University of Western Australia.................................	30,037,000
Murdoch University ........................................	6,595,000
	36,632,000
Tasmania—
University of Tasmania......................................	14,730,000
	464,436,000

PART II

SPECIAL PURPOSES IN RELATION TO GRANTS FOR RECURRENT
EXPENDITURE

Column 1 University	Column 2 Purpose	Column 3 Amount
		$
University of Sydney............	General development approved by Commission	1,029,000
University of New South Wales.....	Australian Graduate School of Management, for teaching and research	537,000
University of Newcastle..........	School of Medicine, for teaching and research	183,000
University of Melbourne..........	General development approved by Commission	1,029,000
James Cook University of North Queensland	School of Medicine, for planning purposes	46,000
Flinders University of South Australia.	School of Medicine, for teaching and research	1,554,000
Murdoch University.............	School of Veterinary Studies, for teaching and research	817,000

–––––––––

SCHEDULE 2 Section 8

SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS

Column 1 University	Column 2 Amount
	$
University of Sydney..........................................	497,000
University of New South Wales..................................	440,000
University of New England.....................................	143,000
University of Newcastle........................................	91,000
Macquarie University.........................................	171,000
University of Wollongong.......................................		51,000
University of Melbourne........................................		509,000
Monash University............................................		389,000
La Trobe University...........................................		166,000
University of Queensland.......................................		383,000
James Cook University of North Queensland...........................		51,000
Griffith University............................................		23,000
University of Adelaide.........................................		326,000
Flinders University of South Australia...............................		86,000
University of Western Australia...................................		223,000
Murdoch University...........................................		40,000
University of Tasmania.........................................		97,000
		3,686,000

––––––––––

SCHEDULE 3 Section 11

PART I

GRANTS FOR EQUIPMENT

Column 1 University	Column 2 Amount
	$
University of Sydney..........................................	1,391,000
University of New South Wales...................................	1,125,000
University of New England......................................	327,000
University of Newcastle.........................................	255,000
Macquarie University..........................................	238,000
University of Wollongong.......................................	632,000
University of Melbourne........................................	1,075,000
Monash University............................................	515,000
La Trobe University...........................................	283,000
Deakin University............................................	188,000
University of Queensland........................................	1,153,000
James Cook University of North Queensland...........................	510,000
Griffith University............................................	820,000
University of Adelaide.........................................	726,000
Flinders University of South Australia...............................	643,000
University of Western Australia...................................	493,000
Murdoch University...........................................	1,036,000
University of Tasmania.........................................	227,000
	11,637,000

PART II

SPECIFIED EQUIPMENT EXPENDITURE IN RELATION TO GRANTS FOR EQUIPMENT

Column 1 University	Column 2 Equipment	Column 3 Amount
		$
University of Newcastle.........	Library material for Medical Library	44,000
University of Wollongong........	Library material for University Library	188,000
Deakin University.............	Library material for University Library	188,000
James Cook University of North Queensland	Library material for University Library	188,000
Flinders University of South......	Equipment for School of Medicine	443,000
Australia...................	Library material for Medical Library	50,000
Murdoch University ...........	Equipment for School of Veterinary Studies	222,000

–––––––––

SCHEDULE 4 Section 13

GRANTS FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE IN RESPECT OF TEACHING HOSPITALS OF SPECIFIED UNIVERSITIES FOR THE YEAR 1976

Column 1 University	Column 2 Amount
	$
New South Wales—
University of Sydney.........................................	283,000
University of New South Wales..................................	271,000
	554,000
Victoria—
University of Melbourne.......................................	296,000
Monash University..........................................	175,000
	471,000
Queensland—
University of Queensland......................................	199,000
South Australia—
University of Adelaide........................................	181,000
Western Australia—
University of Western Australia..................................	96,000
Tasmania—
University of Tasmania.......................................	48,000
	1,549,000

Payments made before Royal Assent.

17. Payments by way of financial assistance made to a State under the Principal Act before the date on which this Act received the Royal Assent shall be deemed to have been made for the purposes of that Act as amended by this Act.

Overview

The States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 was enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament to amend the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 and the States Grants (Universities) Act 1976. This legislation aimed to address the need for adjustments in funding allocations for university building projects, recurrent expenditure, and specific purposes such as special research grants and equipment. The policy objective was to ensure that the financial support provided to universities was aligned with their evolving needs and operational costs, thus facilitating better educational infrastructure and research capabilities. The Act introduced amendments to various sections of the Principal Acts, adjusting figures and conditions related to grants for university projects, recurrent expenditure, and other specified purposes.

Scope and Application

The States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 amends the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 and the States Grants (Universities) Act 1976, primarily concerning the financial assistance provided to universities in Australia. This Act applies to the states of Australia and the specified universities within those states. It defines the grants for recurrent expenditure, university building projects, and special research grants, as well as additional grants for cost increases related to these projects. The Act provides specific funding allocations to universities, ensuring financial assistance is directed to support educational infrastructure and research initiatives. Notably, the Act also includes provisions for additional financial support if the costs of specified projects exceed the amounts allocated, subject to ministerial discretion. Payments made under the amended Acts before the Royal Assent date are deemed to have been made under the amended Acts.

Key Provisions

The States Grants (Universities) Amendment Act (No. 2) 1976 amends the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972 and the States Grants (Universities) Act 1976, primarily to adjust financial provisions related to university grants. The Act includes amendments to the interpretation sections of the Principal Acts, as well as modifications to the amounts and conditions of grants for various university expenditures. For instance, section 4 of the 1972 Act modifies the criteria for grants concerning university building projects, while section 5 adjusts recurrent grants for halls of residence and residential colleges, updating the figures and rates specified in the original Acts. Additionally, the Act introduces new provisions for additional grants for cost increases related to university building projects (section 16a of the 1976 Act) and updates the amounts of grants for recurrent expenditure on university projects (Schedule 1 of the 1976 Act). The amendments impose several obligations on the relevant parties. Universities must adhere to the updated grant amounts and conditions specified in the Act. The Minister for Education is tasked with determining additional grants where project costs exceed specified amounts, ensuring that the aggregate of these additional grants does not surpass $6,657,000. Furthermore, States are required to ensure that any grants received are promptly passed to the universities for the intended project expenditures and that any excess amounts are repaid to the Commonwealth. Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act can result in civil or criminal consequences. Although the Act does not explicitly detail specific offences or penalties, breaches of conditions related to grant usage or misapplication of funds could potentially be prosecuted under related legislation, with penalties varying based on the severity and intent of the breach. Non-compliance might also result in the withholding of future grants or financial assistance.

Area of Law: Education Law; Public Finance Law
Instrument: Amending Act
Concepts: Commencement Provisions; Repeal & Amendment; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations; Regulatory Standards; Definitions & Interpretation

Interactions

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.

Legislation content

Overview

Scope and Application

Key Provisions

Legal classification tags

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions