Western Australia Grant (Beef Cattle Roads) Act 1961

Legislation au C1961A00091 Not in force Act

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA GRANT (BEEF CATTLE ROADS).

 

No. 91 of 1961.

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the State of Western Australia for Works in connexion with certain Roads to be used for the transport of Beef Cattle.

[Assented to 27th October, 1961.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Western Australia Grant (Beef Cattle Roads) Act 1961.

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—

“the northern part of the State” means that part of the State that is north of the twentieth parallel of south latitude;

“the State” means the State of Western Australia.

Works to which Act applies.

4. This Act applies to the following works:—

(a) the improvement of the road between Wyndham and Nicholson station;

(b) the improvement of the road between Wyndham and Halls Creek via Turkey Creek;

(c) the construction of a bridge over the Ord River at the Bandicoot Bar; and

(d) the construction of a bridge over the Dunham River near its junction with the Ord River.

Grant of financial assistance.

5.—(1.) Subject to this Act, there are payable to the State, for the purpose of financial assistance, amounts equal to—

(a) the amounts expended by the State, in the year that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-one, on the works specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the last preceding section; and


(b) one-half of the amounts expended by the State, in that year, on the works referred to in paragraphs (c) and (d) of the last preceding section.

(2.) The amounts payable to the State in accordance with this section shall not exceed, in the aggregate, Five hundred thousand pounds.

Grant conditional on State expenditure.

6. Financial assistance under this Act is not payable unless, within one month after the commencement of this Act, the State undertakes that the amount expended by the State in the year that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-one, on roads and bridges in the northern part of the State other than works to which this Act applies, together with one-half of any amount expended by the State in that year on the bridges referred to in section four of this Act, will be not less than Five hundred thousand pounds.

Standards of design and construction.

7. The Treasurer may, for the purposes of this Act, approve standards of design or construction for any of the works to which this Act applies and if, after standards so approved have been notified to the State, expenditure is incurred by the State in carrying out those works otherwise than in accordance with those standards, the Treasurer may direct that payments under this Act shall not be made in respect of that expenditure.

Statements of expenditure.

8. Payments under section five of this Act shall be made in respect of expenditure by the State in the periods of six months ending on the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-one, and the thirtieth day of June, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-two, respectively, and the State is not entitled to a payment in respect of expenditure in either of those periods unless the State has furnished to the Treasurer, as soon as practicable after the end of that period—

(a) a statement, in accordance with a form approved by the Treasurer, giving particulars of that expenditure;

(b) a certificate by the Auditor-General of the State that the particulars shown in the statement are correct; and

(c) such other relevant information as the Treasurer requests.

Certain expenditure not to be taken into account for purposes of Commonwealth Aid Roads Act.

9. Amounts expended by the State in the year that commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-one, on works to which this Act applies shall not, except to the extent to which those amounts exceed the total of the amounts payable to the State under this Act, be taken into account for the purposes of section six of the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1959.


Advances.

10.—(1.) The Treasurer may, at such times as he thinks fit, make advances of such amounts as he thinks fit to the State on account of an amount that may become payable under this Act to the State.

(2.) Payment of an advance to the State shall be subject to the condition that the State will repay to the Commonwealth, on demand by the Treasurer, the amount by which, at the time of the demand, the total of the payments (including advances) paid to the State under this Act exceeds the total of the amounts that have become payable to the State under section five of this Act.

Appropriation.

11. Payments under this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

 

Overview

The Western Australia Grant (Beef Cattle Roads) Act 1961 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to provide financial assistance to the State of Western Australia for specific infrastructure improvements related to beef cattle transportation. The Act was introduced to address the need for improved roads and bridges in the northern part of Western Australia, which were critical for the efficient transport of beef cattle. The primary objective of the Act was to facilitate the economic development of the region by enhancing the infrastructure necessary for the beef cattle industry. Financial assistance was contingent on the State meeting certain expenditure conditions, and the Act included provisions for the approval of design and construction standards, regular reporting of expenditures, and the potential for advances to be made to the State. The Act was designed to ensure that the Commonwealth’s financial support was effectively utilised to achieve the desired infrastructure improvements.

Scope and Application

The Western Australia Grant (Beef Cattle Roads) Act 1961 applies specifically to the State of Western Australia, focusing on financial assistance for works related to certain roads used for the transport of beef cattle. The Act concerns itself with the improvement of specific roads between Wyndham and Nicholson station, Wyndham and Halls Creek via Turkey Creek, and the construction of bridges over the Ord River at Bandicoot Bar and the Dunham River near its junction with the Ord River. This Act is limited geographically to the northern part of Western Australia, which is defined as the area north of the twentieth parallel of south latitude. The Act provides for the Commonwealth to pay financial assistance to Western Australia for these specified works, subject to certain conditions, including the expenditure of a minimum amount by the State on roads and bridges outside the scope of this Act. The financial assistance provided under this Act is capped at a maximum of five hundred thousand pounds. The Act also outlines requirements for statements of expenditure and the approval of design and construction standards, ensuring that the works meet certain criteria before financial assistance is granted. Any advances made to the State under this Act must be repaid if the total payments exceed the amounts payable under the Act. This legislation is an example of targeted federal support for state infrastructure projects, with specific conditions and limitations to ensure proper use of funds.

Key Provisions

The Western Australia Grant (Beef Cattle Roads) Act 1961 (sections 1 to 11) is a legislative measure that provides financial assistance to the State of Western Australia for the improvement and construction of certain roads and bridges intended for the transport of beef cattle. The Act specifies that it applies to the improvement of the road between Wyndham and Nicholson station, the road between Wyndham and Halls Creek via Turkey Creek, the construction of a bridge over the Ord River at Bandicoot Bar, and the construction of a bridge over the Dunham River near its junction with the Ord River. The Act allows for financial assistance to be paid to the State, subject to certain conditions and limitations, for the expenditure incurred on these works. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties involved. The State of Western Australia must ensure that it undertakes certain expenditures on roads and bridges in the northern part of the State, with specific minimum amounts specified in section 6. Furthermore, the State must comply with the standards of design or construction approved by the Treasurer, as outlined in section 7, and provide statements of expenditure and relevant information as requested by the Treasurer (section 8). Failure to meet these obligations may result in the withholding of payments under the Act. Under the Act, there are potential consequences for non-compliance. The Act does not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties, but it does provide for the withholding of payments if the State fails to meet the financial conditions or comply with the standards and reporting requirements. Additionally, if the State expends amounts on the specified works that exceed the total payable under the Act, those excess amounts may not be considered for other purposes under the Commonwealth Aid Roads Act 1959 (section 9).

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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.