Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Buildings) Act 1933-34

Overview

The Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Buildings) Act 1933–34 was enacted to address the need for additional funding for the year ended 30 June 1934, specifically for works and buildings under various departments and territories. This Act was passed by the Parliament of Australia to allocate an extra £45,981 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which was intended to cover expenses for new works, additions, and buildings across different government departments and territories. The appropriation was meant to ensure that necessary infrastructure and service improvements could be undertaken without disrupting the fiscal year's budget constraints. The policy objective of the Act was to provide supplementary funding to meet unforeseen or additional requirements for infrastructure and building projects that were not covered in the initial budget. This was achieved by ensuring that the allocated funds were appropriated from the date of the passing of the Act No. 15 of 1933. The Act was assented to on 25 October 1935, thus enabling the government to proceed with the outlined expenditures for the specified purposes.

Scope and Application

The Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Buildings) Act 1933–34 applies to the Commonwealth of Australia, with the primary focus on allocating funds for the service of the year ending 30 June 1934. The Act is concerned with the appropriation of funds for specific purposes including additions, new works, buildings, and other related services within the federal departments and services, business undertakings, and territories of the Commonwealth. The appropriation of £45,981 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund is outlined in the schedule, detailing expenditures across different departments and territories. The funds are designated for the purchase of machinery and equipment, construction of buildings and engineering services, and other sundry works and services. The Act does not explicitly exclude any entities or types of conduct from its application, implying that it applies broadly to the specified purposes unless otherwise restricted by subordinate instruments or specific departmental guidelines.

Key Provisions

The Supplementary Appropriation (Works and Buildings) Act 1933–34 (section 1) is the formal title of this Act, which was enacted to allocate additional funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the year ending 30 June 1934. According to section 2, the sum of £45,981 is to be considered as appropriated for the purposes outlined in the Schedule, which includes detailed allocations for various departments, business undertakings, and territories of the Commonwealth. The Schedule is divided into three parts, with Part I detailing allocations for departments and services excluding business undertakings and territories, Part II detailing allocations for business undertakings, and Part III detailing allocations for territories of the Commonwealth. The Act imposes specific obligations on the departments and entities it governs, primarily through the allocation of funds as per the Schedule. For instance, under the Department of the Treasury, there is an allocation for the purchase of machinery and additional equipment for the Government Printing Office in Canberra (Schedule, Part I, Division No. 2). Similarly, the Department of Trade and Customs under the Department of the Interior has an allocation for buildings, works, and sites amounting to £15,420 (Schedule, Part I, Division No. 16). For business undertakings, the Postmaster-General's Department has an allocation of £34,655, with a specific note on the amount estimated to remain unexpended at the close of the year (Schedule, Part II, Division No. 22). Finally, the Northern Territory under the Department of the Interior has an allocation for buildings, works, and sites, including water boring and road construction, amounting to £22,000 (Schedule, Part III, Division No. 23). There are no explicit provisions in the Act regarding offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach. However, the Act's purpose is to ensure that the allocated funds are used strictly for the specified purposes as outlined in the Schedule. Any misuse or misappropriation of these funds could potentially lead to accountability issues and financial mismanagement, though specific legal repercussions would need to be addressed under other relevant financial and administrative laws.