COMMONWEALTH AID ROADS AND WORKS.

No. 91 of 1948.

An Act to amend the Commonwealth Aid Roads and Works Act 1947.

[Assented to 21st December, 1948.]

[Date of commencement, 18th January, 1949.]

BE it enacted by the King’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 and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Aid Roads and Works Act 1948.

(2.) The Commonwealth Aid Roads and Works Act 1947 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Aid Roads and Works Act 1947–1948.

Payments into Trust Account.

2. Section four of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting from paragraph (b) the word “and” (last occurring); and

(b) by inserting after that paragraph the following paragraph:—

“(ba) in each year during the period of two years which commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-eight, the sum of One million pounds; and”.

Payment of financial assistance to States.

3. Section six of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting sub-section (4.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-section:—

“(4.) There shall be payable for the purpose of financial assistance to the States out of the Trust Account—

(a) an amount of One million pounds out of each sum payable yearly to the Trust Account and to which paragraph (b) of section four of this Act applies; and

(b) the sum of One million pounds payable yearly to the Trust Account in pursuance of paragraph (ba) of section four of this Act.”; and

(b) by adding at the end of paragraph (c) of sub-section (5.) the following proviso:—

“Provided that, in respect of the year which commenced on the first day of July, One thousand nine hundred and forty-eighty a statement of the proposed expenditure by the State for that year on road construction and maintenance out of any amount payable to the State under paragraph (b) of sub-section (4.) of this section shall be submitted by the State to the Minister prior to the thirty-first day of December in that year.”.

Expenditure on strategic and other roads.

4. Section seven of the Principal Act is amended by omitting the proviso thereto and inserting in its stead the following proviso:—

“Provided that no amount shall be expended under, this section on any road, not being a road of access to Commonwealth property, unless—

(a) the Minister approves of that road as a strategic road; or

(b) the Minister is satisfied that the road forms part of the general road system of a State and that the standard of maintenance required by the Commonwealth is higher than that justified by the normal volume of traffic”.