Commonwealth Numbered Acts

STATES GRANTS (GENERAL PURPOSES) AMENDMENT ACT 1996 No. 69, 1996 - SCHEDULE 1

Schedule 1 - Amendment of the States Grants (General 
Purposes) Act 1994 
Part 1 - Amendments relating to the grant years commencing on
1 July 1996 and 1 July 1997 1 After section 12 Insert: 12A Competition
payments
Subject to this Act, the Treasurer may pay by way of financial assistance to a
State, in relation to the grant year commencing on 1 July 1997:

   (a)  an amount that does not exceed; or

   (b)  amounts that in total do not exceed; the maximum amount that may be
        paid to that State under the applicable Schedule. Note: This provision
        is enacted pursuant to the Agreement to Implement the National
        Competition Policy and Related Reforms executed at the Council of
        Australian Governments on 11 April 1995. Under that Agreement, the
        Commonwealth undertakes to provide financial assistance by way of
        general purpose payments to the States over a period beginning on 1
        July 1997 subject to the States complying with the conditions set out
        in the Agreement. 2 At the end of Division 2 of Part 2 Add: 15A State
        fiscal contribution - 1996-97

(1) Financial assistance to which a State is entitled under section 9
(financial assistance grant) in relation to the grant year commencing on 1
July 1996 is granted on condition that the State will pay to the Commonwealth
an amount of fiscal contribution (1996-97 fiscal contribution) worked out in
accordance with the applicable Schedule.

(2) The Treasurer may deduct from any amount payable under this Act in respect
of the financial assistance grant to the State for the grant year commencing
on 1 July 1996 an amount that, together with the amounts (if any) paid, or
taken (under this Act or any other Act) to have been paid, by the State in
satisfaction of the State's 1996-97 fiscal contribution, does not exceed the
amount of that contribution.

(3) If part of the State's 1996-97 fiscal contribution remains unpaid on 1
July 1997, the Treasurer may deduct from any amount payable under this Act in
respect of the financial assistance grant to the State for the grant year
commencing on 1 July 1997 an amount that, together with the amounts (if any)
paid, or taken (under this Act or any other Act) to have been paid, by the
State in satisfaction of the State's 1996-97 fiscal contribution, does not
exceed the amount of that contribution.

(4) An amount deducted under subsection (2) or (3) from the State's financial
assistance grant is taken to have been paid by the State to the Commonwealth
in satisfaction of the State's 1996-97 fiscal contribution. 3 Subsection 20(1)
Omit "14", substitute "12A, 14, 15A". 4 At the end of the Act Add: Schedule 3
- Grant year commencing 1 July 1996 1 Application
This Schedule relates to the grant year commencing on 1 July 1996. 2
Interpretation
In this Schedule: base assistance amount means $14,936,808,951. previous year
means the financial year commencing on 1 July 1995. 3 Relativity factors
The relativity factor for each State for the grant year is as shown in the
following table:

Relativity factors
      State                    Relativity factor

      New South Wales                    0.87472

      Victoria                           0.87577

      Queensland                         1.04176

      Western Australia                  1.01409

      South Australia                    1.18772

      Tasmania                           1.54644

      Australian Capital Territory       0.88883

      Northern Territory                 4.87829
4 Arterial road grants
The amount payable to each State under subsection 10(2) in relation to the
grant year is to be worked out by using the formula: where: BA (base amount)
means $371,014,429. IF (index factor) means the index factor for the grant
year. PF (population factor) means the population factor for the grant year.
ASP (adjusted state population) means the adjusted population of the State in
relation to the grant year. ATP (adjusted total population) means the sum of
the adjusted populations of all the States in relation to the grant year. HS
(historic share) means the number set out opposite the name of the State in
the following table:

Arterial Road Grants
      State                          Historic share

      New South Wales                    0.296

      Victoria                           0.295

      Queensland                         0.180

      Western Australia                  0.124

      South Australia                    0.065

      Tasmania                           0.025

      Australian Capital Territory       0.004

      Northern Territory                 0.011
5 Special revenue assistance grants
For the purposes of section 12, the base amount is the amount set out opposite
the name of the State in the following table:

Special revenue assistance grants
      State                              Base amount $

      New South Wales                    182,024,614

      Victoria                           231,921,978

      Queensland                             Nil

      Western Australia                      Nil

      South Australia                        Nil

      Tasmania                               Nil

      Australian Capital Territory           Nil

      Northern Territory                   9,615,310
6 State fiscal contribution - 1996-97
For the purposes of section 15A, the amount of fiscal contribution payable by
a State for the grant year is the amount worked out by using the formula:
where: BA (base amount) means $619,000,000. SP (state population) means the
estimated population of the State on 31 December 1996. TP (total population)
means the sum of the estimated populations of all the States on 31 December
1996. Schedule 4 - Grant year commencing 1 July 1997 1 Application
This Schedule relates to the grant year commencing on 1 July 1997. 2
Interpretation In this Schedule: previous year means the financial year
commencing on 1 July 1996. 3 Competition payments
For the purposes of section 12A, the maximum amount that may be paid to a
State is the amount worked out by using the formula: where: BA (base amount)
means $209,187,750. PIF (previous index factor) means the index factor for the
previous year. IF (index factor) means the index factor for the grant year. SP
(state population) means the estimated population of the State on 31 December
1997. TP (total population) means the sum of the estimated populations of all
the States on 31 December 1997.

Part 2 - Formal amendments 5 Subsection 3(1) Repeal the subsection,
substitute:

(1) In this Act, a reference, in relation to a grant year, to the applicable
Schedule is a reference to the Schedule that is expressed to relate to that
year. 6 Subsection 4(1) (definition of adjusted population) Repeal the
definition, substitute: adjusted population, in relation to a State and a
grant year, means the estimated population of the State on 31 December in that
year (see subsection 8(1)) multiplied by the relativities factor for the State
for that year. 7 Subsection 4(1) (definition of grant year) Repeal the
definition, substitute: grant year means:

   (a)  the financial year commencing on 1 July 1994; and

   (b)  each succeeding financial year. 8 Subsection 4(1) (definition of grant
        year calculation quarter) Before "means", insert ", in relation to a
        grant year,". 9 Subsection 4(1) (definition of Health Minister) Omit
        "Human Services and Health", substitute "Health and Family Services".
        10 Subsection 4(1) (definition of previous year) Before "has", insert
        ", in relation to a grant year,". 11 Subsection 4(1) (definition of
        previous year calculation quarter) Before "means", insert ", in
        relation to a grant year,". 12 Subsection 4(1) (definition of
        relativities factor) After "State", insert "for a grant year". 13
        Subsection 4(2) Omit "the grant year", substitute "a grant year". 14
        Subsection 5(1) After "State" (first occurring), insert "in respect of
        a grant year". 15 Subsection 8(1) Omit "the grant year" (first
        occurring), substitute "a grant year". 16 Subsection 8(2) Omit "the
        previous year", substitute "the year previous to the grant year". 17
        Subsection 8(2) Omit "statistician", substitute "Statistician". 18
        Section 9 Omit "the grant year" (first occurring), substitute "a grant
        year". 19 Section 9 (at the end of the definition of ASP) Add "for the
        grant year". 20 Section 9 (definition of THG) After "States", insert
        "in respect of the grant year". 21 Section 9 (at the end of the
        definition of ATP) Add "for the grant year". 22 Section 9 (definition
        of SHG) After "State", insert "in respect of the grant year". 23
        Subsection 12(1) Omit "the grant year", substitute "a grant year". 24
        Section 13 Omit "the grant year" (first occurring), substitute "a
        grant year". 25 Subsection 14(1) Omit "the grant year" (first
        occurring), substitute "a grant year". 26 Section 16 Omit "the grant
        year", substitute "a grant year". 27 Subsection 17(1) Omit "the grant
        year" (first occurring), substitute "a grant year". [Minister's second
        reading speech made in - House of Representatives on 11 September 1996
        Senate on 8 October 1996]