Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989

Administered by Department of Finance

Legislation au C2004A03873 In force Act

Legislation content

Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989

No. 125 of 1989

 

An Act to amend certain Acts and regulations relating to superannuation and similar benefits

[Assented to 17 October 1989]

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

PART 1PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989.

Commencement

2. This Act commences, or is to be taken to have commenced, as the case requires, on 20 October 1989.


PART 2—AMENDMENTS OF THE DEFENCE FORCE RETIREMENT AND DEATH BENEFITS ACT 1973

Principal Act

3. In this Part, Principal Act means the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 19731.

4. After section 98ga of the Principal Act the following section is inserted in Part XA:

Pension benefits payable on or after 20 October 1989—variation of rate

98gb. (1) Where:

(a) a pension benefit is payable to a person on 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension benefit was payable to the person was affected because of the operation of subsection 98f (2) or 98g (3) or section 98ga;

the rate at which the pension benefit is payable to the person on or after that day is the rate that would apply if subsection 98f (2) or 98g (3) or section 98ga (as the case may be) had not been enacted.

(2) Where:

(a) a person to whom a pension benefit was payable died before 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension benefit was payable to the person was affected by the operation of subsection 98f (2) or 98g (3) or section 98ga; and

(c) because of that persons death, or because of the death of that person and of a person to whom a pension benefit became payable on the death of the first-mentioned person, a pension benefit is payable to another person;

the rate at which the last-mentioned pension benefit is payable to that other person on or after 20 October 1989 is the rate that would apply if subsection 98f (2) or 98g (3) or section 98ga (as the case may be) had not been enacted.

(3) Where a pension benefit would, but for its suspension under section 35, be payable to a person on or after 20 October 1989, the pension benefit is to be taken, for the purposes of this section, to be so payable to the person..

PART 3—AMENDMENTS OF THE DEFENCE FORCES RETIREMENT BENEFITS ACT 1948

Principal Act

5. In this Part, Principal Act means the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Act 19482.


6. After section 84g of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:

Pensions payable on or after 20 October 1989—variation of rate

84ga. (1) Where:

(a) a pension is payable to a person on 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected because of the operation of subsection 84e (2) or 84f (3) or section 84g;

the rate at which the pension is payable to the person on or after that day is the rate that would apply if subsection 84e (2) or 84f (3) or section 84g (as the case may be) had not been enacted.

(2) Where:

(a) a person to whom a pension was payable died before 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected by the operation of subsection 84e (2) or 84f (3) or section 84g; and

(c) because of that persons death, or because of the death of that person and of a person to whom a pension became payable on the death of the first-mentioned person, a pension is payable to another person;

the rate at which the last-mentioned pension is payable to that other person on or after 20 October 1989 is the rate that would apply if subsection 84e (2) or 84f (3) or section 84g (as the case may be) had not been enacted.

(3) Where a pension would, but for its suspension under section 53b, be payable to a person on or after 20 October 1989, the pension is to be taken, for the purposes of this section, to be so payable to the person..

 

PART 4—AMENDMENT OF THE SUPERANNUATION ACT 1922

Principal Act

7. In this Part, Principal Act means the Superannuation Act 19223.

8. After section 127 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted in Part XI:

Pensions payable on or after 20 October 1989—variation of rate

128. (1) Where:

(a) a pension is payable to a person on 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected because of the operation of section 127;


the rate at which the pension is payable to the person on or after that day is the rate that would apply if section 127 had not been enacted.

(2) Where:

(a) a person to whom a pension was payable died before 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected by the operation of section 127; and

(c) because of that persons death, or because of the death of that person and of a person to whom a pension became payable on the death of the first-mentioned person, a pension is payable to another person;

the rate at which the last-mentioned pension is payable to that other person on or after 20 October 1989 is the rate that would apply if section 127 had not been enacted..

PART 5—AMENDMENT OF THE SUPERANNUATION ACT 1976

Principal Act

9. In this Part, Principal Act means the Superannuation Act 19764.

10. After section 153a of the Principal Act the following section is inserted in Part X:

Pensions payable on or after 20 October 1989—variation of rate

153aaa. (1) Where:

(a) a pension to which this Part applies is payable to a person on 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected because of the operation of section 153a;

the rate at which the pension is payable to the person on or after that day is the rate that would apply if section 153a had not been enacted.

(2) Where:

(a) a person to whom a pension to which this Part applies was payable died before 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected by the operation of section 153a; and

(c) because of that persons death, or because of the death of that person and of a person to whom a pension to which this Part applies became payable on the death of the first-mentioned person, a pension to which this Part applies is payable to another person;


the rate at which the last-mentioned pension is payable to that other person on or after 20 October 1989 is the rate that would apply if section 153a had not been enacted..

PART 6—AMENDMENT OF THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA (STAFFING ASSISTANCE) (SUPERANNUATION) REGULATIONS

11. After regulation 111ea of the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) (Superannuation) Regulations the following regulation is inserted in Part Xa:

Pensions payable on or after 20 October 1989—variation of rate

111eb. (1) Where:

(a) a pension is payable to a person on 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected because of the operation of regulation 111ea;

the rate at which the pension is payable to the person on or after that day is the rate that would apply if regulation 111ea had not been enacted.

(2) Where:

(a) a person to whom a pension was payable died before 20 October 1989; and

(b) at any time before that day, the rate at which the pension was payable to the person was affected by the operation of regulation 111ea; and

(c) because of that persons death, or because of the death of that person and of a person to whom a pension became payable on the death of the first-mentioned person, a pension is payable to another person;

the rate at which the last-mentioned pension is payable to that other person on or after 20 October 1989 is the rate that would apply if regulation 111ea had not been enacted..

Future amendments etc.

12. Nothing in this Part prevents the amendment or repeal by a regulation under the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) Act 1973 of the Regulations amended by this section.


notes

1. No. 81, 1973, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 59, 1974; No. 96, 1975; No. 33, 1976; Nos. 13 and 161, 1977; No. 36, 1978; Nos. 15 and 135, 1979; Nos. 61, 92 and 144, 1981; No. 164, 1984; No. 65, 1985; No. 93, 1986; No. 65, 1987; and Nos. 100 and 104, 1988.

2. No. 31, 1948, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 37, 1949; No. 73, 1950; No. 29, 1951; No. 93, 1952; No. 80, 1953; No. 20, 1954; No. 19, 1955; No. 24, 1956; No. 95, 1957; No. 46, 1958; No. 103, 1959; No. 67, 1962; No. 103, 1963; Nos. 25, 98 and 135, 1965; No. 70, 1966; Nos. 55, 56 and 128, 1968; No. 61, 1969; No. 34, 1970; No. 47, 1971; No. 82, 1973; No. 216, 1973 (as amended by No. 20, 1974); No. 96, 1975; Nos. 13 and 161, 1977; No. 36, 1978; Nos. 15 and 135, 1979; No. 92, 1981; Nos. 76 and 164, 1984; No. 65, 1985; No. 93, 1986; No. 65, 1987; and No. 104, 1988.

3. No. 33, 1922, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 45, 1924; No. 22, 1930; No. 10, 1931; No. 45, 1934; No. 28, 1937; No. 53, 1942; No. 18, 1943; Nos. 15 and 30, 1945; No. 2, 1946; Nos. 1 and 35, 1947; No. 19, 1948; No. 76, 1950; Nos. 49 and 62, 1951; No. 92, 1952; No. 11, 1954; No. 27, 1955; Nos. 19 and 112, 1956; No. 94, 1957; No. 45, 1958; No. 102, 1959; No. 102, 1963; Nos. 97 and 154, 1965; Nos. 69 and 86, 1966; No. 52, 1967; Nos. 49 and 57, 1968; Nos. 14 and 26, 1969; No. 46, 1971; Nos. 46, 83 and 135, 1973; No. 216, 1973 (as amended by No. 20, 1974); No. 59, 1974; Nos. 32 and 37, 1976; No. 17, 1978; No. 92, 1981; No. 63, 1984; and Nos. 80, 93 and 151, 1986.

4. No. 31, 1976, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 51, 1976; No. 80, 1977; Nos. 17, 134, 169 and 170, 1978; Nos. 52 and 155, 1979; No. 177, 1980; No. 92, 1981; No. 92, 1983; No. 165, 1984; Nos. 80, 93, 151 and 153, 1986; No. 141, 1987; Nos. 38 and 130, 1988; and Nos. 71 and 97, 1989.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 6 September 1989

Senate on 5 October 1989]

Overview

The Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989 was enacted to amend certain Acts and regulations related to superannuation and similar benefits. The Act was assented to on 17 October 1989 and was introduced by the Parliament of Australia. The policy objective of this Act is to address the issue of varying rates of pension benefits payable to individuals on and after 20 October 1989, by adjusting the rates in light of specific subsections and sections that had been enacted prior to this date. The Act makes amendments to the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 1973, the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Act 1948, the Superannuation Act 1922, the Superannuation Act 1976, and the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) (Superannuation) Regulations. This legislation ensures that the rates of pension benefits are adjusted in accordance with the specified conditions and provisions, thereby maintaining fairness and consistency in the benefits provided to eligible individuals.

Scope and Application

The Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989 applies to individuals who are receiving or are entitled to receive pension benefits under the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 1973, the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Act 1948, the Superannuation Act 1922, the Superannuation Act 1976, and the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) (Superannuation) Regulations. The Act adjusts the rates of pension benefits payable on or after 20 October 1989, specifically reverting to the rates that would have applied if certain subsections and sections had not been enacted. It covers individuals who were receiving pensions on 20 October 1989, as well as those who would have been entitled to pensions following the death of a pensioner before that date. The Act applies across the Commonwealth of Australia and includes provisions for future amendments or repeals of the regulations under the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) Act 1973. There are no specific exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds mentioned in the Act, which suggests it applies broadly to the identified groups and scenarios.

Key Provisions

The Superannuation and Other Benefits Legislation Amendment Act 1989 (C2004A03873) introduces amendments to various Acts related to superannuation and benefits, with a focus on adjusting pension rates. Specifically, new sections 98gb, 84ga, 128, 153aaa, and 111eb are inserted into the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 1973, the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Act 1948, the Superannuation Act 1922, the Superannuation Act 1976, and the Papua New Guinea (Staffing Assistance) (Superannuation) Regulations, respectively. These new sections establish that the pension or benefit rates payable on or after 20 October 1989 should be calculated as if certain subsections or sections had not been enacted, thereby reverting to previous rates. Entities and individuals governed by these Acts and Regulations must ensure compliance with the new provisions regarding the variation of pension rates. For pensions payable on or after 20 October 1989, the rates must reflect those that would have applied if specific legislative changes had not been made. This includes pensions payable to individuals who were receiving benefits before 20 October 1989 and those payable to beneficiaries following the death of the original pensioner, provided the pension rate was affected by the mentioned legislative changes prior to 20 October 1989. The Act does not explicitly state any offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance. However, the implications of failing to adhere to these legislative amendments could potentially result in legal disputes regarding the correct pension rates. Parties affected by these changes might seek judicial review or compensation if they believe their entitlements have been unfairly calculated. Although specific penalties are not outlined in the Act, non-compliance could lead to financial repercussions and legal action from affected individuals or entities.

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Superannuation Law
Defence & Military Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Regulatory Standards
Offence Provisions
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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.