Housing Assistance Amendment Act 1994

No. 34 of 1994

An Act to amend the Housing Assistance Act 1989

[Assented to 15 March 1994]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

Short title etc.

1.(1) This Act may be cited as the Housing Assistance Amendment Act 1994.

(2) In this Act, “Principal Act” means the Housing Assistance Act 19891.

Commencement

2. This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Principal appropriation

3. Section 7 of the Principal Act is amended:

(a) by omitting from paragraph (3A)(b) “$1,080,890,000” and substituting “$1,042,390,000”;

(b) by omitting from paragraph (3A)(c) “$1,010,641,000” and substituting “$1,028,141,000”;

(c) by omitting from paragraph (3A)(d) “$1,017,863,000” and substituting “$1,035,363,000”.

Grants to be matched by State

4. Section 15 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after subsection (2) the following subsection:

“(2A) Despite subsection (2), the Minister may, in respect of the sixth grant year, authorise untied grants to a particular State, even if the Minister cannot ensure that the State will match the grants in accordance with the provision of its housing agreement corresponding to paragraph 13(2)(b) of the form of housing agreement in Schedule 1.”.

Insertion of new section

5. After section 15 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:

Grants to be matched by State—exception

“15A.(1) The Minister may determine in writing that, in respect of a grant year, a particular State is taken to have fulfilled its obligation to provide matching funds in accordance with the provision of its housing agreement corresponding to paragraph 13(2)(b) of the form of housing agreement in Schedule 1.

“(2) A determination made under subsection (1) must be in relation to the fifth grant year or the sixth grant year.

“(3) The Minister must not make the determination unless satisfied, after consulting with the State Minister of that State, that, in the circumstances, the State was unable to meet its obligation in respect of that grant year under that provision.

“(4) The determination has effect for the purposes of the housing agreement.

“(5) In deciding whether to make the determination, the Minister must have regard to the extent to which assistance provided by the State under the housing agreement reflects the principles set out in Recital (D) of the form of housing agreement in Schedule 1.

“(6) The State Minister of that State must agree in writing to the determination being made.

“(7) The determination made by the Minister must be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after it is made.”.

NOTE

1. No. 7, 1990, as amended. For previous amendments, see No. 22, 1992.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 19 October 1993

Senate on 28 February 1994]