Universities (Financial Assistance)

No. 106 of 1967

An Act relating to Financial Assistance to States in connexion with Universities.

[Assented to 14 November 1967]

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 Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1967.

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—

“State contribution” means moneys paid by a State to a University for university purposes, other than moneys paid in fulfilment of the conditions upon which a payment is or has been made to the State by the Commonwealth under this Act or any other Act;

“the Commission” means the Australian Universities Commission established by the Australian Universities Commission Act 1959–1965.

Grants in respect of halls of residence and residential colleges.

4.—(1.)     Subject to this section, if—

(a) on or after the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, and on or before a date determined by the Minister in relation to the building concerned, not being later than the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, an amount derived by a University from a State contribution is expended on the purchase, erection or alteration of a building of a hall of residence specified in the Schedule to this Act, or an amount derived otherwise than in consequence of the grant of financial assistance by the Commonwealth to the State in which the relevant University is situated is expended by the body administering a residential college specified in the Schedule to this Act on the purchase, erection or alteration of a building of the college; and

(b) the whole or a part of the expenditure is approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section,

there is payable to that State, for the purpose of financial assistance, an amount equal to so much of the expenditure as is so approved by the Commission.

(2.)     For the purposes of the last preceding sub-section, expenditure by a University or body on the provision of furnishings and equipment, as approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section, for a building that has been erected by that University or body, or for additions that have been made to a building by that University or body, shall be deemed to be expenditure on the erection or alteration of that building.

(3.)     The sum of the amounts paid to a State under this section in relation to expenditure in respect of a hall of residence or residential college shall not exceed the amount specified in the Schedule to this Act in respect of that hall of residence or residential college, being an amount equal to the maximum amount that could have become payable to the State, in relation to expenditure in respect of that hall of residence or residential college, under section 7 of the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966, in addition to the amounts that have become payable to the State under that section.

(4.)     The financial assistance to a State under this section is granted on the condition that the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University or body administering the hall of residence or residential college in relation to which that payment is made an amount equal to that payment.

(5.)     A State contribution that is taken into account for the purposes of this section shall not be taken into account for the purposes of section 7 of the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1966.

Grant in respect of International House at the University of Melbourne.

5.—(1.)     There is payable to the State of Victoria, for the purpose of financial assistance in relation to part of the expenditure incurred by the University of Melbourne, during the period to which the

Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966 applied, in respect of International House at that University, an amount of One thousand two hundred and ninety-one dollars, being the amount by which the total of the amounts that became payable in relation to the University of Queensland under section 7 of that Act is less than the maximum amount that could have become payable in relation to that University under that section.

(2.)     The financial assistance to the State of Victoria under this section is granted on the condition that the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University of Melbourne an amount equal to that payment.

Grant for expenditure in respect of Great Hall of University of Queensland.

6.—(1.)     Subject to this section, if a State contribution received by the University of Queensland on or after the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven, and on or before a date determined by the Minister, not being later than the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine, was made for the purpose of assisting the University to carry out the project consisting of the erection of a Great Hall of the University and the provision of furnishings or equipment, as approved by the Commission for the purposes of this section, for that Great Hall, there is payable to the State of Queensland, for the purpose of financial assistance, an amount equal to the State contribution.

(2.)     The sum of the amounts paid to the State of Queensland under this section shall not exceed One hundred thousand dollars, being an amount equal to the amount of the financial assistance in respect of the project referred to in the last preceding sub-section that would have become payable under the Universities (Financial Assistance) Act 1963-1966.

(3.)     The financial assistance to the State of Queensland under this section is granted on the conditions that—

(a) the State will, in respect of each payment of that financial assistance and without undue delay, pay to the University of Queensland an amount equal to that payment; and

(b) the State will ensure that each amount so paid to the University is applied by the University, without undue delay, for the purposes of the project referred to in sub-section (1.) of this section.

Additional conditions.

7.  In addition to the conditions specified in any other provision of this Act, an amount of financial assistance to a State under this Act is granted on the conditions that—

(a) if the Minister informs the State that he is satisfied that the State has failed to fulfil the conditions applicable to that amount, the State will repay that amount to the Commonwealth; and

(b) if that amount exceeds the amount properly payable, the State will repay the excess to the Commonwealth.

Advances.

8.  The Treasurer may, at such times as he thinks fit, make advances of such amounts as he thinks fit to a State on account of an amount that may become payable under this Act to the State, and the conditions that would be applicable to a payment of the last-mentioned amount are applicable to any such advance.

Appropriation.

9.  Payments to a State under this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.

Progress reports.

10.   The Commission shall furnish to the Minister, at such times as the Minister directs, such reports as the Minister requires on the progress made, and the progress proposed to be made, in the erection or alteration of a building referred to in this Act or on any other matter relevant to the operation of this Act.

THE SCHEDULE                                            Section 4.