Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1967

Legislation au C1967A00106 Not in force Act

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Universities (Financial Assistance)

 

No. 106 of 1967

An Act relating to Financial Assistance to States in connexion with Universities.

[Assented to 14 November 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 Universities (Financial Assistance) 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—

State contribution means moneys paid by a State to a University for university purposes, other than moneys paid in fulfilment of the conditions upon which a payment is or has been made to the State by the Commonwealth under this Act or any other Act;

the Commission means the Australian Universities Commission established by the Australian Universities Commission Act 19591965.


Grants in respect of halls of residence and residential colleges.

4.—(1.) Subject to this section, if—

(a) on or after the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, and on or before a date determined by the Minister in relation to the building concerned, not being later than the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, an amount derived by a University from a State contribution is expended on the purchase, erection or alteration of a building of a hall of residence specified in the Schedule to this Act, or an amount derived otherwise than in consequence of the grant of financial assistance by the Commonwealth to the State in which the relevant University is situated is expended by the body administering a residential college specified in the Schedule to this Act on the purchase, erection or alteration of a building of the college; and

(b) the whole or a part of the expenditure is approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section,

there is payable to that State, for the purpose of financial assistance, an amount equal to so much of the expenditure as is so approved by the Commission.

(2.) For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, expenditure by a University or body on the provision of furnishings and equipment, as approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section, for a building that has been erected by that University or body, or for additions that have been made to a building by that University or body, shall be deemed to be expenditure on the erection or alteration of that building.

(3.) The sum of the amounts paid to a State under this section in relation to expenditure in respect of a hall of residence or residential college shall not exceed the amount specified in the Schedule to this Act in respect of that hall of residence or residential college, being an amount equal to the maximum amount that could have become payable to the State, in relation to expenditure in respect of that hall of residence or residential college, under section 7 of the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966, in addition to the amounts that have become payable to the State under that section.

(4.) The financial assistance to a State under this section is granted on the condition that the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University or body administering the hall of residence or residential college in relation to which that payment is made an amount equal to that payment.

(5.) A State contribution that is taken into account for the purposes of this section shall not be taken into account for the purposes of section 7 of the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1966.

Grant in respect of International House at the University of Melbourne.

5.—(1.) There is payable to the State of Victoria, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to part of the expenditure incurred by the University of Melbourne, during the period to which the

 

Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966 applied, in respect of International House at that University, an amount of One thousand two hundred and ninety-one dollars, being the amount by which the total of the amounts that became payable in relation to the University of Queensland under section 7 of that Act is less than the maximum amount that could have become payable in relation to that University under that section.

(2.) The financial assistance to the State of Victoria under this section is granted on the condition that the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University of Melbourne an amount equal to that payment.

Grant for expenditure in respect of Great Hall of University of Queensland.

6.—(1.) Subject to this section, if a State contribution received by the University of Queensland on or after the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, and on or before a date determined by the Minister, not being later than the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, was made for the purpose of assisting the University to carry out the project consisting of the erection of a Great Hall of the University and the provision of furnishings or equipment, as approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section, for that Great Hall, there is payable to the State of Queensland, for the purpose of financial assistance, an amount equal to the State contribution.

(2.) The sum of the amounts paid to the State of Queensland under this section shall not exceed One hundred thousand dollars, being an amount equal to the amount of the financial assistance in respect of the project referred to in the last preceding sub-section that would have become payable under the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966.

(3.) The financial assistance to the State of Queensland under this section is granted on the conditions that—

(a) the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University of Queensland an amount equal to that payment; and

(b) the State will ensure that each amount so paid to the University is applied by the University, without undue delay, for the purposes of the project referred to in sub-section (1.) of this section.

Additional conditions.

7. In addition to the conditions specified in any other provision of this Act, an amount of financial assistance to a State under this Act is granted on the conditions that—

(a) if the Minister informs the State that he is satisfied that the State has failed to fulfil the conditions applicable to that amount, the State will repay that amount to the Commonwealth; and

(b) if that amount exceeds the amount properly payable, the State will repay the excess to the Commonwealth.


Advances.

8. The Treasurer may, at such times as he thinks fit, make advances of such amounts as he thinks fit to a State on account of an amount that may become payable under this Act to the State, and the conditions that would be applicable to a payment of the last-mentioned amount are applicable to any such advance.

Appropriation.

9. Payments to a State under this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

Progress reports.

10. The Commission shall furnish to the Minister, at such times as the Minister directs, such reports as the Minister requires on the progress made, and the progress proposed to be made, in the erection or alteration of a building referred to in this Act or on any other matter relevant to the operation of this Act.

 

THE SCHEDULE Section 4.

Hall of Residence or Residential College

Amount

 

$

University of Sydney—

 

Saint Johns College.............................................

73,297

University of New South Wales-

 

International House..............................................

197,000

Anglican Mens College...........................................

93,500

University of Melbourne—

 

Ormond College................................................

50,367

University of Western Australia—

 

St Thomas More College..........................................

2,000

University of Tasmania—

 

Hytten Hall...................................................

45,855

University of New England—

 

Mary White College.............................................

137,450

 

Overview

The Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1967 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide financial assistance to states in connection with universities. The act was introduced to address the need for financial support to universities for specific projects, such as the construction and alteration of buildings for halls of residence and residential colleges. The policy objective of the act is to provide financial assistance to states for expenditure on specified university projects, ensuring that the funds are passed on to the relevant universities for the intended purposes. This act provides a framework for the distribution of funds from the Commonwealth to the states, subject to certain conditions and approvals by the Australian Universities Commission. The act specifies the conditions under which financial assistance is granted, including the requirement for the states to pass on the assistance to the universities without undue delay and to repay any overpayments or amounts resulting from failure to fulfil the conditions. The act also allows for the payment of advances by the Treasurer to the states on account of amounts that may become payable under the act. The financial assistance is to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and the Australian Universities Commission is required to furnish progress reports to the Minister as directed.

Scope and Application

The Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1967 provides for financial assistance to states in connection with specified university projects. This Act applies to States and specific universities within Australia, providing financial assistance for the erection, alteration, or furnishing of buildings for halls of residence, residential colleges, and the Great Hall of the University of Queensland. The financial assistance is granted under certain conditions, such as the approval by the Australian Universities Commission and the requirement that the state must promptly pass the assistance to the respective university. The Act specifies the maximum amounts payable for each project, and any excess state contributions are not considered under this Act but may be accounted for under previous acts. The Act extends its application through the Schedule, which lists the specific colleges and the amounts associated with them. It also allows for the Treasurer to make advances to a State on account of an amount that may become payable under this Act, subject to the same conditions as the main payment. The Act is funded through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and the Australian Universities Commission is required to provide progress reports to the Minister as needed.

Key Provisions

The Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1967 outlines provisions for financial assistance to States in connection with universities, specifying how certain funds can be expended and reimbursed. Section 4 of the Act details the circumstances under which a State can receive financial assistance for expenditures related to halls of residence and residential colleges, provided that the expenditure is approved by the Australian Universities Commission and falls within specified limits (s. 4(1)-(5)). Section 5 provides a specific grant for the University of Melbourne's International House, capping the amount at $1,291 (s. 5(1)). Section 6 grants financial assistance to the State of Queensland for the University of Queensland's Great Hall project, with a maximum reimbursement of $100,000 (s. 6(1)-(3)). Additional conditions for financial assistance are stipulated in Section 7, which include repayment obligations if the State fails to meet the conditions or over-receives funds (s. 7(a)-(b)). Furthermore, Section 8 allows the Treasurer to make advances to States on account of potential future payments under the Act, subject to the same conditions (s. 8). The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Firstly, the States must ensure that any financial assistance received is promptly passed on to the respective universities for the specified projects, as outlined in Sections 4, 5, and 6. The State contributions must be used strictly for the purposes of the approved projects and not for other university expenditures. The Australian Universities Commission's approval is mandatory for any expenditure related to the buildings or projects mentioned (s. 4(1)-(5), s. 6(1)). Secondly, if the Minister determines that a State has failed to meet the conditions of the financial assistance, the State must repay any amount to the Commonwealth, as stipulated in Section 7(a) (s. 7(a)). Similarly, if a State receives more than the amount properly payable, it must repay the excess (s. 7(b)). Breach of the conditions set forth in the Act can lead to civil consequences, primarily the requirement to repay any improperly received funds to the Commonwealth. For instance, if a State fails to meet the conditions applicable to the financial assistance or over-receives funds, it must repay the amount to the Commonwealth (s. 7(a)-(b)). The Act does not explicitly state criminal penalties for breach, but the failure to comply with the financial obligations could potentially lead to legal actions under broader administrative or financial misconduct provisions within Australian law. The Act's focus is primarily on ensuring proper use of funds and accountability in the financial assistance provided to States for university projects.

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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.