Victoria Grant (River Murray Salinity)

No. 34 of 1968

An Act to grant Financial Assistance to the State of Victoria in connexion with Measures to reduce the Salinity of the River Murray.

[Assented to 13 June 1968]

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 Victoria Grant (River Murray Salinity) Act 1968.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

Definition.

3. In this Act, “the State” means the State of Victoria.

Grant of financial assistance.

4.—(1.) Subject to this Act, there are payable to the State, by way of financial assistance, amounts equal to the amounts expended by the State on or after the twenty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, in carrying out the works, and doing the other things, referred to in the Schedule to this Act.

(2.) The amounts payable to the State under this Act shall not exceed, in the aggregate, Three million six hundred thousand dollars.

Power of Minister to vary description of work.

5. Where the State so requests, the Minister may from time to time, by instrument in writing, direct that this Act shall have effect in relation to a work referred to in the Schedule to this Act as if the description in that Schedule of that work were varied in such manner as is specified in the instrument.

Provision relating to carrying out of works.

6. The State is not entitled to financial assistance under this Act in relation to expenditure by the State, whether incurred before or after the commencement of this Act, in carrying out a particular work—

(a) where the Minister has requested the State to furnish information in relation to the design or construction of the work—unless the State has duly furnished that information;

(b) unless the Minister is satisfied that the design and construction of the work are in accordance with the purposes for which the work was proposed by the State; and

(c) where the expenditure was incurred under a contract providing for the expenditure of more than Five hundred thousand dollars—unless the contract was entered into with the approval of the Minister.

Information to be furnished by State in relation to expenditure.

7. The State is not entitled to financial assistance under this Act in relation to particular expenditure by the State unless the State has burnished to the Treasurer—

(a) a statement in respect of that expenditure in a form approved by the Treasurer, accompanied by a certificate of the Auditor-General of the State certifying that the expenditure shown in the statement was incurred in carrying out works, or doing other things, referred to in the Schedule to this Act; and

(b) such further information, if any, as the Treasurer requires in respect of that expenditure.

Advances.

8. 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.

Overpayments.

9. Payment to the State under this Act of any amount (including an advance) is 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 amounts (including advances) paid to the State under this Act exceeds the total of the amounts that have become payable to the State under section 4 of this Act.

Appropriation.

10. Amounts payable to the State under this Act are payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

THE SCHEDULE Section 4(1.).

MATTERS IN RESPECT OF WHICH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS GRANTED

Part I.

1. The construction at Lake Hawthorne near Mildura of a pumping station with the capacity to pump water at the rate of approximately twenty cubic feet per second by means of the works referred to in the next succeeding paragraph.

2. The construction of works to convey saline water to evaporating basins at a distance of approximately seven miles from the pumping station.

3. The construction of embankments to provide evaporating basins having a total area of approximately three thousand acres.

4. The carrying out of works incidental to any of the works referred to in the preceding paragraphs of this Part of this Schedule.

5. The acquisition of land required for the carrying out of any of the works referred to in the preceding paragraphs of this Part of this Schedule, and the payment of compensation for land affected by any of those works.

The Schedule—continued

Part II.

1. The construction near Kerang of two diversion weirs.

2. The construction at Barr Creek near Kerang of a pumping station with the capacity to pump water at the rate of approximately sixty cubic feet per second by means of the works referred to in the next succeeding paragraph.

3. The construction of works to convey saline water to Lake Tutchewop at a distance of approximately six miles from the pumping station and to evaporating basins between the pumping station and Lake Tutchewop.

4. The construction of works to divert floodwaters from the evaporating basins.

5. The carrying out of works incidental to any of the works referred to in the preceding paragraphs of this Part of this Schedule.

6. The acquisition of land required for the carrying out of any of the works referred to in the preceding paragraphs of this Part of this Schedule, and the payment of compensation for land affected by any of those works.