EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules No. 178
Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
Veterans’ Entitlements Regulations (Amendment)
Issued by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
Section 216 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make Regulations, not inconsistent with the Act, prescribing all matters which are by the Act required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
These Statutory Rules provided for the correction of an error in Statutory Rules No. 122 of 1987. Details of the Regulation are set out below.
Travelling expenses under section 110 or 132 of the Act
Section 110 of the Act provides for the payment of prescribed travelling expenses in respect of approved travel in connection with treatment, restoration of health or fittings of artificial aids and appliances.
Section 132 provides for the payment of prescribed travelling expenses to a claimant for pension or a person likely to be affected by a review, or in certain circumstances, to an attendant of such a person.
Regulation 9 of the Veterans’ Entitlements Regulations prescribes the rates of travelling expenses payable under sections 110 and 132 and the conditions under which they may be paid. Prior to the commencement of the amending Regulation, paragraph 9(10)(c) prescribed as $15.50 the amount payable for dinner. $15.50 was a new rate inserted in the Regulation by Statutory Rules No. 122 of 1987, effective from 1 July 1987.
Statutory Rules No. 122 of 1987 should have increased the dinner rate from $13 (the rate in force prior to 1 July 1987) to $14.50.
These Statutory Rules amended existing paragraph 9(10)(c) by substituting the correct rate of $14.50. This rate applies from the date of notification of the amending Rules in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.