Commonwealth Numbered Acts

Commonwealth Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1983 No. 144 of 1983 - SECT 22

22. Section 38 of the Principal Act is amended-

   (a)  by omitting ''the Commonwealth Electoral Officer for the State or any
        other officer acting under his direction all such information as he
        requires'' and substituting ''the Electoral Commission or to any
        officer acting under its direction all such information as the
        Electoral Commission requires''; and

   (b)  by adding at the end thereof the following sub-sections:

''(2) At least once in each period of 2 years the Electoral Commission shall
cause to be conducted in each State and Territory a habitation review, being a
review of the Rolls for that State or Territory conducted-

   (a)  to the extent to which, in the opinion of the Commission, it is
        reasonably practicable to do so-by arranging for each habitation in
        the State or Territory to be visited; and

   (b)  to the extent to which the Commission is not of the opinion referred
        to in paragraph (a)-in such other manner as the Commission considers
        to be appropriate,

with a view to ascertaining such information as is required for the
preparation, maintenance and revision of the Rolls.

''(3) Where the Electoral Commission causes only one habitation review of the
kind referred to in sub-section (2) to be conducted in a particular State or
Territory during each period of 2 years, there shall be paid to the Commission
out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund in respect of the conduct of that review
an amount equal to the sum of the expenses reasonably incurred by it in
respect of the conduct of that review.

''(4) Where-

   (a)  the Electoral Commission causes 2 or more habitation reviews of the
        kind referred to in sub-section (2) to be conducted in a particular
        State or Territory during each period of 2 years; and

   (b)  the Commission nominates 2 of those reviews in accordance with
        sub-section (5) as reviews to which this sub-section applies,

there shall be paid to the Commission out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, in
respect of the conduct of each review so nominated, an amount equal to the sum
of the expenses reasonably incurred by it in respect of the conduct of that
review.

''(5) Of the habitation reviews conducted in a particular State or Territory
and nominated under paragraph (4)(b), at least one shall be a review conducted
in-

   (a)  the period of 18 months expiring on the expiry of the House of
        Representatives by effluxion of time; or

   (b)  a period of 12 months, being a period that the Commission declares,
        for the purposes of this paragraph, to be a period that is likely to
        precede a redistribution in that State or Territory.

''(6) The Consolidated Revenue Fund is appropriated as necessary for the
purposes of sub-section (3) or (4).

''(7) The Minister for Finance may make advances to the Electoral Commission
on account of the amount that is expected to become payable under this section
to the Commission.

''(8) Amounts payable to the Electoral Commission under this section shall be
paid in such amounts, and at such times, as the Minister for Finance
determines.''.