Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences

No. 124 of 1965

An Act to amend the Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences Act 1953.

[Assented to 18 December, 1965]

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 and citation.

1.—(1.)  This Act may be cited as the Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences Act 1965.

(2.)  The Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences Act 1953 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.)  The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences Act 1953–1965.

Commencement.

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

Definitions.

3.  Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting before the definition of “the Fund” the following definition:—

“‘eligible person’ means—

(a) a former male member of the Royal Australian Air Force;

(b) the widow of a deceased former male member of the Royal Australian Air Force;

(c) the mother of a deceased former unmarried male member of the Royal Australian Air Force, if the mother—

(i) is a widow and was dependent on the former member at the time of his appointment to, or enlistment in, the Royal Australian Air Force; or

(ii) is a married woman whose husband is so incapacitated as to be unable to contribute materially to her support; or

(d) a former female member of the Royal Australian Air Force, or a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service, who—

(i) is an Australian soldier for the purposes of the War Service Homes Act 1918–1962 by reason of her service as such a member; and

(ii) satisfies the Trust that she has a dependant for whom it is necessary for her to maintain a home;”.

4.  Section 4 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—

Purpose of Fund.

“4.  The purpose of the Fund is the provision of a residence or residences in which eligible persons who are in necessitous circumstances, and, if the Trust so approves, the dependants of such eligible persons, may be accommodated or supported.”.

Powers of Trust.

5.  Section 8 of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by omitting paragraph (d) of sub-section (2.) and inserting in its stead the following paragraph:—

“(d) determine the conditions under which eligible persons and their dependants are eligible to receive accommodation or support at residences maintained by the Trust, and the charges (if any) to be paid by a person receiving such accommodation or support;”; and

(b) by omitting sub-sections (3.) and (4.) and inserting in their stead the following sub-sections:—

“(3.) The Trust shall, in the provision of accommodation under this Act, give preference to former members of the Royal Australian Air Force, or of the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service, who served in the war that commenced on the third day of September, One thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine, and their dependants.

“(4.) The Trust may, in its discretion, determine that, where accommodation was, or accommodation and support were, provided in a residence for an eligible person and his dependants jointly, the dependants shall, on the death of the eligible person, continue to be eligible to receive accommodation or accommodation and support, as the case may be.”.

Accounts and audit.

6.  Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from sub-section (3.) the word “Treasurer” and inserting in its stead the word “Minister”.

Reports.

7.  After section 10 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

“10a.—(1.)  The Trust shall, as soon as practicable after each thirtieth day of June after the commencement of this section, furnish to the Minister a report on the administration of the Fund during the year ended on that date.

“(2.)  The Minister shall lay the report before each House of the Parliament within fifteen sitting days of that House after its receipt by the Minister.”.