(1) There is to be established in the Special Deposits Account a fund called the Minerals and Petroleum Investment Fund (
"the Investment Fund" ).
(2) The Investment Fund is to be administered by the Secretary.
(3) There is payable into the Investment Fund--(a) annual rental fees payable under Part 14A of this Act or under Part 7A of the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 , and(b) all money directed or authorised to be paid into the Investment Fund by or under this or any other Act, and(c) the proceeds from the investment of money in the Investment Fund.
(4) There is payable from the Investment Fund--(a) such amounts as the Secretary authorises for the purpose of funding any authorised investment program (including any associated administrative expenses), and(b) administrative expenses incurred in relation to the Investment Fund, and(c) administrative expenses incurred in relation to the collection and recovery of amounts payable into the Investment Fund, and(d) any refund required under this Act or the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 of an amount paid as an annual rental fee.
(5) The Secretary may invest money in the Investment Fund--(a) if the Department is a GSF agency for the purposes of Part 6 of the Government Sector Finance Act 2018 --in any way that the Department is permitted to invest money under that Part, or(b) if the Department is not a GSF agency for the purposes of Part 6 of the Government Sector Finance Act 2018 --in any way approved by the Treasurer.
(6) The annual report of the Department is to include details of the amounts paid from the Investment Fund during the financial year to which the report relates and the purposes for which those payments were made.
(7) In this section--
"authorised investment program" means any Government program or initiative the object of which is to promote investment in State minerals or petroleum (or both), including--(a) the program administered by the Department known as the New Frontiers minerals and energy exploration initiative (or New Frontiers), and(b) any other program or initiative that provides for, or improves, the geoscience information available in respect of State minerals or petroleum (or both), and(c) any other program or initiative declared by the regulations under this Act or under the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 to be an authorised investment program.
"petroleum" has the same meaning as it has in the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 .