Commonwealth of Australia Bills
[Index]
[Search]
[Download]
[Related Items]
[Help]
This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND FOR THE LOWER LAKES AND COORONG REGION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA BILL 2008 [NO. 2]
2008
The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
THE SENATE
Presented and read a first time
Emergency Assistance Fund for the
Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of
South Australia Bill 2008
No. , 2008
(Senator Minchin)
A Bill for an Act concerning the provision of
emergency assistance for the communities of the
Lower Lakes and Coorong region of South
Australia
i Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia
Bill 2008 No. , 2008
Contents
1
Short title ............................................................................................ 1
2
Commencement .................................................................................. 1
3
Objects of Act ..................................................................................... 2
4
Interpretation....................................................................................... 2
5
Guidelines for the scheme .................................................................. 2
6
Priorities for assistance ....................................................................... 2
7
Consultation ........................................................................................ 3
8
Responsibility of Minister .................................................................. 3
9
Secretary to have responsibility for administration of scheme........... 3
10
Payment not to be made unless in accordance with guidelines .......... 4
11
Principles of administration ................................................................ 4
12
Regulations ......................................................................................... 4
Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia Bill
2008 No. , 2008 1
A Bill for an Act concerning the provision of
1
emergency assistance for the communities of the
2
Lower Lakes and Coorong region of South
3
Australia
4
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
5
6
1 Short title
7
This Act may be cited as the Emergency Assistance Fund for the
8
Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia Act 2008.
9
2 Commence ment
10
This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal
11
Assent.
12
Section 3
2 Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia
Bill 2008 No. , 2008
3 Objects of Act
1
The objects of this Act are to make provision for emergency
2
funding by the Commonwealth to assist the communities in the
3
Lower Lakes and Coorong region of South Australia.
4
4 Inte rpretation
5
In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:
6
Minister means the Minister for Climate Change and Water.
7
scheme means the scheme known as the Lower Lakes and Coorong
8
Assistance Scheme.
9
Secretary means the Secretary of the Department of the
10
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
11
5 Guidelines for the scheme
12
(1) As soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act the
13
Minister must, by instrument in writing, determine guidelines for
14
the operation of the scheme.
15
(2) Guidelines determined under subsection (1) must contain details of
16
the eligibility requirements to be satisfied by a person or an
17
organisation in order to receive assistance under the scheme.
18
(3) An instrument determining guidelines under subsection (1) is a
19
legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative
20
Instruments Act 2003.
21
6 Priorities for assistance
22
The guidelines determined under section 5 must ensure that the
23
need to provide immediate practical assistance to local people,
24
local business, local communities and local wildlife suffering due
25
to the devastation of the Lower Lakes and Coorong economy is
26
recognised, and that due regard is had to:
27
(a) the needs of the local community, small business, tourism
28
operators, the fishing industry and farmers; and
29
Section 7
Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia Bill
2008 No. , 2008 3
(b) the need to provide special support for the protection of
1
wildlife and flora in the region.
2
7 Consultation
3
(1) The Minister must, for the purposes of this Act, consult with
4
representatives of:
5
(a) local government;
6
(b) community or welfare organisations;
7
(c) local environmental groups;
8
(d) small business, including tourism operators;
9
(e) farmers;
10
(f) the fishing industry;
11
(g) any other relevant individuals or bodies.
12
(2) Consultation under subsection (1) must take place:
13
(a) before guidelines are determined for the purposes of
14
section 5; and
15
(b) twice each year after the commencement of the scheme.
16
8 Responsibility of Minister
17
The Minister is to have general responsibility for the operation of
18
the scheme and, in particular for:
19
(a) determining guidelines under section 5; and
20
(b) in the event of the disallowance of guidelines made under
21
section 5, determining replacement guidelines so as to ensure
22
that there is no time when the scheme is not in operation.
23
9 Secretary to have responsibility for administration of scheme
24
The Secretary is to have general responsibility for the
25
administration of the scheme.
26
Section 10
4 Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia
Bill 2008 No. , 2008
10 Payment not to be made unless in accordance with guidelines
1
A payment must not be made in relation to the scheme unless the
2
requirements of the guidelines made under section 5 have been
3
satisfied in respect of the payment.
4
11 Principles of administration
5
In administrating this Act, the Secretary is to have regard to the
6
necessity of ensuring that:
7
(a) payments for the purposes of the scheme are made only in
8
accordance with guidelines determined under section 5; and
9
(b) information about the operation of the scheme is made
10
available to members of the public in the region; and
11
(c) procedures and practices established under or for the
12
purposes of this Act and for the operation of the scheme help
13
to minimise abuses of the scheme.
14
12 Regulations
15
The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters:
16
(a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or
17
(b) necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or
18
giving effect to this Act.
19