States Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries)

No. 114 of 1971

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the States for Libraries at Secondary Schools and for the acquisition of Library Material and Equipment for use in such Libraries.

[Assented to 9 December 1971]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s 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 States Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries) Act 1971.

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—

“building” includes a part of a building;

“library” means a building for the accommodation and use of books and other library material;

“library material” includes books, periodicals, newspapers, films, sound recordings, musical scores, maps, plans, pictures, photographs and prints;

“secondary school” means a school or similar institution, whether conducted by a State or not, at which some or all of the students who attend the school are taught at a secondary level of education;

“the period to which this Act applies” means the period commencing on the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-two, and ending on the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.

Grants for libraries and for library material and equipment.

4.—(1.) The Minister may authorize the payment to a State, under this Act, during the period to which this Act applies, by way of financial assistance, of such amounts as, subject to this section, he determines.

(2.) The Minister shall not authorize payments to a State under the last preceding sub-section that—

(a) exceed, in the aggregate, the amount specified in the sixth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;

(b) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-two—exceed, in the aggregate, one-third of that amount; or

(c) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-three—exceed, in the aggregate, two-thirds of that amount.

(3.) Payment of an amount to a State under this Act is subject to the condition that the amount will be applied by the State, as approved by the Minister, for purposes in connexion with libraries at secondary schools and for the acquisition of library material and equipment for use in such libraries.

(4.) The Minister shall not grant an approval under the last preceding sub-section for the application of an amount by a State in respect of a secondary school where—

(a) in the case of a secondary school conducted by the State—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of secondary schools conducted by the State would exceed the amount specified in the second column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;

(b) in the case of a secondary school not conducted by the State, being a Roman Catholic secondary school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of

secondary schools in the State not conducted by the State, being Roman Catholic secondary schools, would exceed the amount specified in the third column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State; or

(c) in the case of a secondary school not conducted by the State, not being a Roman Catholic secondary school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of secondary schools in the State not conducted by the State, not being Roman Catholic secondary schools, would exceed the amount specified in the fourth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State.

Regulations may vary amounts.

5. At any time during the period to which this Act applies, provision may be made by the regulations that this Act shall have effect as if the amounts specified in the third or fourth column, or both of those columns, and the amounts specified in the fifth and sixth columns, of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the names of any States were varied in accordance with the regulations, but not so as to vary the total of the amounts specified in the fifth column, or the total of the amounts specified in the sixth column, of that Schedule.

Annual statement by Minister.

6. The Minister shall cause a statement to be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of each year during the period to which this Act applies describing the arrangements in accordance with which payments under this Act have been authorized in that year and stating, in respect of each State—

(a) in relation to secondary schools conducted by the State—

(i) the total amount paid to the State under this Act in that year; and

(ii) the names of the secondary schools in respect of which the State has, during that year, applied amounts paid to the State under this Act; and

(b) in relation to other secondary schools—

(i) the total amount paid to the State under this Act in that year; and

(ii) the names of the secondary schools in respect of which approvals for the application of moneys included in that amount have been given, and the amount approved for expenditure in respect of each such school.

Appropriation.

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

Regulations.

8. The Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 5 of this Act, including regulations repealing or amending regulations previously made under this section.

THE SCHEDULE Section 4.

Limit of Grants