{"id":"nsw:act-1965-033","name":"Decimal Currency Act 1965","slug":"decimal-currency-act-1965","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"33 of 1965","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":110981,"registerId":"nsw-act-1965-033-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Act, citation and commencement","content":"#### 1 Name of Act, citation and commencement\n\n1 Name of Act, citation and commencement\n\n> > (1) This Act may be cited as the [Decimal Currency Act 1965](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1965-033).\n> \n> > (2) This Act, sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 excepted, shall commence upon the day upon which it receives the Royal assent.\n> \n> > (3) Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 shall commence upon the appointed day.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"#### 2 Interpretation\n\n2 Interpretation\n\n> > (1) In this Act, unless the context or subject-matter otherwise indicates or requires:\n> > \n> > Appointed day means the day upon which Part II of the Commonwealth Act commences.\n> > \n> > Commonwealth Act means the [Currency Act 1965](http://www.legislation.gov.au/) of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia and includes any Act passed in amendment of or substitution for that Act.\n> > \n> > Decimal currency means the currency provided for by Part II of the Commonwealth Act.\n> > \n> > Law of the State means:\n> > \n> > > (a) a law in force in New South Wales on the appointed day, or\n> > \n> > > (b) a law passed or made before the appointed day that comes into force in New South Wales on or after the appointed day,\n> > \n> > to which the Commonwealth Act does not extend.\n> > \n> > Old currency means the currency provided for by the Acts repealed by the Commonwealth Act.\n> > \n> > Special law means this Act and:\n> > \n> > > (a) a law of the State:\n> > > \n> > > > (i) that it is not competent for the legislature of New South Wales to amend,\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) in respect of which the State of New South Wales has agreed to make no amendment without the concurrence of the Commonwealth of Australia,\n> > > \n> > > > (iii) in respect of which any amendment would be required to be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure thereon,\n> > > \n> > > > (iv) that is an amending provision (within the meaning of the [Reprints Act 1972](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1972-048)),\n> > > \n> > > > (v) that, being a provision of an Act, has been amended otherwise than by an amending provision (within the meaning of the [Reprints Act 1972](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1972-048)),\n> > > \n> > > > (vi) that is an award made or an industrial agreement filed under the provisions of the [Industrial Arbitration Act 1940](/view/pdf/asmade/act-1940-2), as amended by subsequent Acts,\n> > \n> > > (b) that part of a law of the State that is a copy of an agreement or arrangement or proposed agreement or arrangement or that sets forth any matter to be embodied in a proposed agreement or arrangement,\n> > \n> > > (c) an Act specified in the first column of the Second Schedule, to the extent specified opposite that Act in the second column of that Schedule,\n> > \n> > > (d) a law of the State embodied in an Appropriation Act, a Supply Act, a General Loan Account Appropriation Act or an Act that authorises the raising of a specific loan,\n> > \n> > > (e) any provision of an Act imposing, increasing, reducing or suspending rates of:\n> > > \n> > > > (i) income tax,\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) income and wages tax,\n> > > \n> > > > (iii) unemployment relief tax,\n> > > \n> > > > (iv) social services tax, or\n> > > \n> > > > (v) family endowment tax,\n> > \n> > > (f) a Private Act,\n> > \n> > > (g) a law of the State that is an Imperial Act.\n> \n> > (2) In the Schedules to this Act, a reference to an Act means that Act, as amended by subsequent Acts other than this Act.\n> \n> > (3) For the purposes of this Act, the equivalent in decimal currency of an amount of money in old currency shall be calculated on the basis specified in subsection (4) of section 8 of the Commonwealth Act.\n> \n> **s 2:** Am 1972 No 48, Sch; GG No 126 of 17.9.1982, p 4407.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation of laws of the State","content":"#### 3 Interpretation of laws of the State\n\n3 Interpretation of laws of the State\n\n> A reference in a law of the State, other than a special law, not being a special law referred to in paragraph (f) or (g) of the definition of Special law in subsection (1) of section 2, to an amount of money or a percentage, rate or proportion, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency shall, unless the context or subject matter is such that it would be inappropriate or the contrary intention appears, be construed as a reference to the equivalent amount of money, or the same percentage, rate or proportion, as the case may be, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Amendments of Acts","content":"#### 4 Amendments of Acts\n\n4 Amendments of Acts\n\n> > (1), (2) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (3) The provisions of the [Reprints Act 1972](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1972-048) shall apply to and in respect of the amendments made by this section.\n> \n> **s 4:** Am 1972 No 48, Sch; GG No 126 of 17.9.1982, p 4407; 1999 No 85, Sch 4.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Acts providing for borrowing etc of money","content":"#### 5 Acts providing for borrowing etc of money\n\n5 Acts providing for borrowing etc of money\n\n> > (1) In this section:\n> > \n> > Applied in relation to money includes borrowed, expended, paid, accepted, deducted, contributed and any other manner of dealing with money and application has a corresponding meaning.\n> \n> > (2) This section shall apply to references in laws of the State to amounts of money that were, before the appointed day, authorised or required by those laws to be applied:\n> > \n> > > (a) for a specified purpose,\n> > \n> > > (b) in a specified manner,\n> > \n> > > (c) in specified circumstances, or\n> > \n> > > (d) during a period, whether defined or not, that commenced before and concludes on or after the appointed day.\n> \n> > (3) Where, before the appointed day the whole or part of the amount of money authorised or required to be applied as referred to in subsection (2) has not been applied, the amount of money that on and after the appointed day may be so applied shall be the equivalent in decimal currency of the amount of money that, immediately before the appointed day, has not been so applied.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Calculations related to references in old currency","content":"#### 6 Calculations related to references in old currency\n\n6 Calculations related to references in old currency\n\n> > (1) In this section:\n> > \n> > Reference in old currency means a reference to an amount of money, or a percentage, rate or proportion, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency.\n> > \n> > Reference in decimal currency means a reference to an amount of money, or a percentage, rate or proportion, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency.\n> \n> > (2) For the purpose of making a calculation or determination:\n> > \n> > > (a) that is required by a law of the State to be made by reference to old currency and is relevant to some matter arising before the appointed day, such calculation or determination may be made in old currency and the result expressed, in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency, as the equivalent amount of money in that currency,\n> > \n> > > (b) that is required by a law of the State to be made by relating a reference in decimal currency to a reference in old currency:\n> > > \n> > > > (i) the reference in old currency shall, where it is a reference in a law of the State, be construed as a reference to the equivalent amount of money expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency,\n> > > \n> > > > (ii) the reference in decimal currency shall, where the reference in old currency is a reference to which subsection (2) of section 18 of the Commonwealth Act applies, be construed as a reference to the equivalent amount of money, or the same percentage, rate or proportion, as the case may be, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency.\n> \n> > (3) Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subsection (2) shall cease to have effect upon the date fixed pursuant to section 21 of the Commonwealth Act.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Regulations","content":"#### 7 Regulations\n\n7 Regulations\n\n> > (1) The Governor may, where it is necessary or convenient in consequence of the enactment of the Commonwealth Act or this Act:\n> > \n> > > (a) to amend an Act that is not within paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of Special law in subsection (1) of section 2, or\n> > \n> > > (b) to except an Act from the operation of subsection (2) of section 4, either wholly or to a specified extent,\n> > \n> > make regulations amending the Schedules to this Act and the Schedules, as so amended, shall be the Schedules to this Act.\n> \n> > (2) The Governor may make regulations that in the Governor’s opinion are necessary or convenient for or with respect to:\n> > \n> > > (a) the resolution of any dispute, doubt or difficulty that arises or may arise in the operation of laws of the State in consequence of the enactment of the Commonwealth Act or this Act,\n> > \n> > > (b) the administration of this Act or the carrying out of its objects and purposes, or\n> > \n> > > (c) the alteration or amendment of registers, rolls, lists, records and the like containing references to amounts of money or percentages, rates or proportions expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency and the effect of such alterations or amendments.\n> \n> > (3) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (4)\n> > \n> > > (a) Regulations made under this section before the appointed day shall take effect on the appointed day or on some later day specified in the regulations.\n> > \n> > > (b) Regulations made under this section after the appointed day shall take effect on the day of publication or on some other day specified in the regulations, being a day before or after the day of publication, but not earlier than the appointed day.\n> \n> **s 7:** Am 1987 No 48, Sch 32.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Regulations etc under other Acts","content":"#### 8 Regulations etc under other Acts\n\n8 Regulations etc under other Acts\n\n> > (1) Where an Act confers no power to make regulations, rules, ordinances, orders or by-laws, the Governor shall be deemed to have power pursuant to that Act to make regulations thereunder which, in the Governor’s opinion, are necessary or convenient in consequence of the enactment of the Commonwealth Act and this Act.\n> \n> > (2) (Repealed)\n> \n> > (3) Where an Act confers a power to make regulations, rules, ordinances, orders or by-laws that is insufficient to authorise the making of regulations, rules, ordinances, orders or by-laws that are necessary or convenient in consequence of the enactment of the Commonwealth Act or this Act, the power conferred shall be deemed to extend to the making of such regulations, rules, ordinances, orders or by-laws, as the case may be.\n> \n> > (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Act pursuant to which they are made, regulations, rules, ordinances, orders or by-laws made pursuant to subsection (1) or subsection (3) or under any other power to make them for the same purposes may be made to take effect on the day of publication in the Gazette or on some other day specified in the regulations, being a day before or after the day of publication in the Gazette, but not earlier than the appointed day.\n> \n> **s 8:** Am 1987 No 48, Sch 32.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Forms","content":"#### 9 Forms\n\n9 Forms\n\n> > (1) Where, immediately before the appointed day, a law of the State prescribes a form that contains a reference to or provision for the specification of an amount of money, or a percentage, rate or proportion, expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency, or any symbol or other type designed to assist in the expression of an amount of money in old currency that form may continue to be issued after the appointed day for use pursuant to subsection (2).\n> \n> > (2) Any such form issued after the appointed day shall be the relevant prescribed form if it is altered to express amounts of money or percentages, rates or proportions in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency in lieu of old currency in conformity with the form as prescribed after the appointed day.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Liabilities in arrears or unascertained","content":"#### 10 Liabilities in arrears or unascertained\n\n10 Liabilities in arrears or unascertained\n\n> > (1) Except as might otherwise expressly be provided, nothing in this Act and no amendment of the laws of the State made by or pursuant to this Act or in any other manner that substitutes for a reference in any such law to an amount of money expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with old currency a reference to an amount of money expressed in terms or in a manner used in connection with decimal currency (whether the substituted reference is to the equivalent amount of money or not) shall operate to extinguish, wholly or in part, a liability to pay money (certain or contingent) that arose under any such law before the appointed day or that might have arisen under any such law if this Act had not been passed or the relevant amendment made, whether or not the amount of money payable pursuant to that liability is ascertainable or becomes due for payment before or after the appointed day.\n> \n> > (2) Where any liability referred to in subsection (1) is to pay an amount of money ascertained under the relevant law in old currency and payable after the appointed day, the amount so ascertained shall, for the purpose of making payment, be deemed to be an amount payable immediately before the appointed day.\n> \n> > (3) Nothing in subsection (2) shall affect the operation of any law relating to the limitation of actions.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"11","sectionType":"section","heading":"Citation of Acts","content":"#### 11 Citation of Acts\n\n11 Citation of Acts\n\n> > (1) This section shall apply to Acts amended by section 4.\n> \n> > (2) Where an Act to which this section applies may be cited in a manner that includes as part of the citation a reference to more than one secular year, that Act, as amended by subsequent Acts and by this Act, may be cited in the same manner amended by omitting the figures identifying the later of those years and by inserting in lieu thereof the figures “1965”.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 1","sectionType":"schedule","heading":null,"content":"# Schedule 1\n\nFirst Schedule (Repealed)\n\n**First Sch:** Am GG No 20 of 18.2.1966, p 822\\*; GG No 60 of 17.6.1966, p 2400\\*; GG No 120 of 4.11.1966, p 4516\\*; GG No 135 of 9.12.1966, p 5002\\*; GG No 23 of 10.3.1967, p 822\\*; GG No 110 of 13.10.1967, p 3725\\*; 1968 No 50, sec 4 (1) (b); 1970 No 11, Sch; 1973 No 9, Sch 2; 1979 No 89, Sch 5; 1979 No 145, Sch 1; 1979 No 205, Sch 1; 1980 No 120, Sch 4; 1981 No 90, Sch 1; 1981 No 125, Sch 1; 1981 No 126, Sch 1; 1981 No 127, Sch 1; 1982 No 148, Sch 1; 1983 No 30, Sch 1; 1986 No 85, Sch 1; 1987 No 108, Sch 1; 1987 No 143, Sch 1. Rep 1999 No 85, Sch 4.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 2","sectionType":"schedule","heading":null,"content":"# Schedule 2\n\nSecond Schedule\n\n(Section 2)\n\n| First Column | Second Column |\n| Reference to Act | Subject | Extent of exclusion |\n| 30 Vic | The City of Newcastle Gas and Coke Company’s Incorporation Act 1866. | Preamble. |\n| 51 Vic No 9 | Centenary Celebration | Sections 5 and 6. |\n| 56 Vic No 1 | Funded Stock | The whole. |\n| No 18, 1897 | Municipal Loans Further Validation | The whole. |\n| No 13, 1898 | Wills, Probate and Administration | Sections 50 and 61A. |\n| No 1, 1901 | Sydney Harbour Trust | Section 77N. |\n| No 94, 1902 | Treasury Bills | The whole. |\n| No 28, 1906 | Police Regulation (Superannuation) | Table contained in subsection (4) of section 7.Table contained in subsection (4) of section 10. |\n| No 34, 1906 | Municipal Loans Authorisation and Validation. | The whole. |\n| No 48, 1906. | (Repealed) | (Repealed) |\n| No 49, 1906 | Mining | Section 70C. |\n| No 53, 1906 | David Berry Hospital | The preamble and section 5. |\n| No 1, 1911 | Royal Agricultural Society | The whole. |\n| No 25, 1912 | Gaming and Betting | Subsection (1A) of section 50E.Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 50E. |\n| No 30, 1912 | Government Railways | Section 41S. |\n| No 44, 1912 | Water | Section 73A. |\n| No 7, 1913 | Crown Lands Consolidation | The words “two pence” wherever occurring in section 52.Subsection (1) of section 216.Section 286. |\n| No 6, 1914. | Savings Bank Amalgamation | Subsection (3) of section 12. |\n| No 24, 1914. | Local Government Validation and Enabling. | The whole. |\n| No 29, 1915 | City and Suburban Electric Railways. | Section 5.The words “three hundred thousand pounds” in section 5C. |\n| No 57, 1915 | Finance (Taxation) | Sections 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. |\n| No 69, 1915 | Meat Industry | Subsection (1) of section 25A. |\n| No 28, 1916 | Superannuation | The whole. |\n| No 82, 1916 | Destitute Children’s Society (Vesting). | The whole. |\n| No 19, 1917 | University Prizes and Medals Alteration. | The whole. |\n| No 41, 1919 | Local Government | Sections 368, 400B and 655. |\n| No 43, 1919 | (Repealed) | (Repealed) |\n| No 47, 1920 | Stamp Duties | The whole. |\n| No 29, 1922 | Local Government (Validation and Amendment). | Sections 3 and 39. |\n| No 27, 1923 | Anzac Memorial (Building) | The preamble. |\n| No 5, 1924 | Red Cross War Chest Farm Colony Transfer. | The whole. |\n| No 7, 1925 | George’s River Bridge (Guarantee) | The whole. |\n| No 18, 1927 | Government Insurance | Subsection (1) of section 4A. |\n| No 33, 1927 | Local Government (Amendment) | Section 24. |\n| No 11, 1928 | George’s River Bridge (Further Guarantee). | The whole. |\n| No 28, 1928 | McGarvie Smith Institute Incorporation. | Paragraph (j) of section 5. |\n| No 38, 1928 | Closer Settlement Fund | Schedule 2. |\n| No 41, 1928 | Local Government (Amendment) | Section 16. |\n| No 11, 1929 | Deficiency (Revenue) | The whole. |\n| No 17, 1929 | Burrinjuck Hydro-Electric (Administration). | Sections 3 and 7. |\n| No 18, 1929 | Public Works (Port Kembla Electricity). | Sections 3 and 11. |\n| No 22, 1929 | Wheat Marketing (Barring of Claims). | The whole. |\n| No 18, 1930 | Transport | Subsections (1) and (2) of section 40. |\n| No 31, 1930 | Superannuation (Amendment) | The whole. |\n| No 35, 1930 | Wade Shire Rates Validation | The whole. |\n| No 38, 1930 | Farrer Memorial Research Scholarship Fund. | The whole. |\n| No 44, 1931 | Interest Reduction | Subsection (2) of section 7. |\n| No 64, 1932 | Finances Adjustment (Further Provisions). | The whole. |\n| No 19, 1933 | Finances Adjustment (Further Provisions). | The whole. |\n| No 14, 1934 | Gold Clauses (Construction) | The whole. |\n| No 57, 1934 | Government Guarantees | The Schedule. |\n| No 32, 1935 | Saint Andrew’s Cathedral Site | The whole. |\n| No 36, 1936 | Australian Iron and Steel Limited Agreement Ratification. | Section 6. |\n| No 5, 1937 | University (J. B. Watt Travelling Scholarships). | The whole. |\n| No 8, 1937 | King George V and Queen Mary Maternal and Infant Welfare Foundation. | The whole. |\n| No 10, 1937 | Local Government (Amendment) | Sections 9, 16 and 17. |\n| No 16, 1937 | Finances Adjustment | The whole. |\n| No 31, 1938 | Walker Trusts | The whole. |\n| No 34, 1938 | General Motors–Holden’s Agreement Ratification. | The whole. |\n| No 2, 1940 | Industrial Arbitration | Sections 54, 57, 61J, 61K, 61U, 61V and 61Z.Subsection (2) of section 61AA.Section 88D. |\n| No 28, 1941 | Auctioneers, Stock and Station and Real Estate Agents. | Subsection (1) of section 14.Subsections (3), (4), (6) and (7) of section 75. |\n| No 45, 1941 | Coal and Oil Shale Mine Workers (Superannuation). | Section 6.Subsection (3) of section 19. |\n| No 14, 1943 | Loans (Validation) | Schedule. |\n| No 19, 1943 | New South Wales Government Engineering and Shipbuilding Undertaking. | Subsection (1) of section 7. |\n| No 30, 1944 | Deficiency (Revenue) | The whole. |\n| No 19, 1945 | Local Government (Amendment) | Section 30 and Schedule 1. |\n| No 26, 1945 | Bulli (Slacky Flat) Land Sale | The whole. |\n| No 32, 1945 | Governor General’s Residence (Grant) | The whole. |\n| No 14, 1948 | Camperdown Cemetery | Section 8. |\n| No 44, 1948 | Local Government (Further Amendment). | Section 6. |\n| No 12, 1950 | Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (Steelworks) Agreement Ratification. | The whole. |\n| No 34, 1950 | Hunter Valley Conservation Trust | Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 49. |\n| No 40, 1950 | Electricity Commission (Balmain Electric Light Company Purchase). | The whole. |\n| No 11, 1951 | (Repealed) | (Repealed) |\n| No 53, 1951 | Superannuation (Amendment) | The whole. |\n| No 26, 1952 | Closer Settlement (Maryvale Estate) | The whole. |\n| No 28, 1952 | General Loan Account (Expenditure Validation). | First Schedule. |\n| No 26, 1953 | King George V and King George VI Memorial. | The whole. |\n| No 34, 1954 | Australian Oil Refining Limited Agreement Ratification. | The whole. |\n| No 6, 1955 | Superannuation (Amendment) | The whole. |\n| No 18, 1955 | Pastures Protection (Amendment) | Section 3. |\n| No 30, 1955 | Stamp Duties (Amendment) | Section 4. |\n| No 42, 1955 | Housing (Amendment) | Section 4. |\n| No 18, 1956 | Gaming and Betting (Poker Machines) Taxation. | Subsection (1) of section 2.Section 2B.Section 5. |\n| No 26, 1956 | Land Tax Management | Subsections (3), (4) and (5) of section 9. |\n| No 43, 1957 | Electricity Commission (Transfer of Reticulation Works). | Section 7. |\n| No 21, 1958 | Local Government (Amendment) | Section 14. |\n| No 5, 1960 | Meat Industry (Amendment) | Section 3. |\n| No 36, 1960 | Superannuation (Amendment) | The whole. |\n| No 35, 1961 | Australian Oil Refining Pty. Limited Agreement Ratification (Amendment). | The whole. |\n| No 59, 1961 | Mining (Renewal of Leases) Amendment. | Section 7. |\n| No 71, 1961 | Companies | The figures and symbols “£5,000” where firstly occurring in paragraph 3 of the Second Schedule. |\n| No 18, 1962 | University of Sydney (J. J. W. Power Bequest). | The whole. |\n| No 27, 1962 | Stamp Duties (Amendment) | Subsections (2) and (3) of section 4. |\n| No 59, 1963 | (Repealed) | (Repealed) |\n| No 25, 1964 | Railways Retirement Fund | Schedule 1. |\n\n**Second Sch:** Am GG No 20 of 18.2.1966, p 822\\*; GG No 60 of 17.6.1966, p 2400\\*; GG No 77 of 5.8.1966, p 3115\\*; GG No 92 of 26.8.1966, p 3510\\*; GG No 132 of 2.12.1966, p 4906\\*; GG No 135 of 9.12.1966, p 5002\\*; GG No 23 of 10.3.1967, p 822\\*; GG No 46 of 5.5.1967, p 1439\\*; GG No 69 of 23.6.1967, p 2224\\*; GG No 110 of 13.10.1967, p 3726\\*; GG No 129 of 25.10.1974, p 4157\\*; 1979 No 89, Sch 5; 1979 No 205, Sch 1; 1980 No 103, Sch 7; 1981 No 90, Sch 1; 1985 No 231, sec 4 (2) (b); 1986 No 85, Sch 1; 1987 No 109, Sch 1; 1987 No 143, Sch 1.","sortOrder":12}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act remains a narrowly-focused transitional statute whose purpose is to convert references from old currency to decimal currency and to provide ancillary powers to effect that change across State law. While subsequent amendments and the addition or updating of Schedules have tailored treatment of particular State Acts or provisions, the statute has not grown significantly beyond its original transitional objective: it continues to deal with conversion mechanics, preservation of liabilities, delegated regulation-making for implementation, and specified exceptions (see sections 2–11 and the Second Schedule)."},"complexity_factors":["6 clearly defined terms in section 2, several with multi-part sub-definitions (e.g. 'Special law' with paragraphs (a)–(g) and nested items)","Extensive cross-references to the Commonwealth Currency Act 1965 (e.g. calculation base in s 2(3), time-limited effect in s 6(3))","Transitional and temporal logic: appointed day mechanics (ss 1–2), provisions that apply before/after that date (ss 1, 5, 6, 10)","Delegated powers: broad regulation-making and deeming powers in sections 7 and 8 that can amend Schedules and other Acts’ instruments","Preservation of liabilities with a complex effect on timing and payment (section 10)","Long Second Schedule listing many Acts and partial exclusions that require item-by-item treatment","Several repeals and amendments noted in marginal notes and historical notes (adds to interpretive work)","Conditional cessation of certain constructions tied to external Commonwealth dates (s 6(3))","Interaction with administrative forms and records (s 9) requiring operational changes across agencies","Some provisions leave substantive details to subordinate instruments (risk of many conditional rules in regulations)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (mechanically)\n\n- This Act converts references to the old currency system used in New South Wales laws into the new decimal currency established by the Commonwealth Currency Act 1965. It does this largely by treating references to old-money amounts, rates or proportions as references to their equivalent in decimal currency (see sections 2, 3, 6).\n\n- The Act sets an \"appointed day\" (the day Part II of the Commonwealth Act commences) on which many of its transitional rules take effect (see section 1(3) and the definition of \"appointed day\" in section 2).\n\n- It preserves existing liabilities and payments arising under pre-existing laws: amounts owed that arose before the appointed day are not extinguished by conversion to decimal currency (section 10). If an amount is calculated in old currency but payable after the appointed day, that amount is treated as if payable immediately before the appointed day for payment purposes (section 10(2)).\n\n- The Act authorises the Governor to make regulations to tidy up practical issues created by the currency change, including amending the schedules, resolving disputes about the effect of conversion on state laws, and altering administrative registers and forms that show old-currency amounts (sections 7 and 9). It also deems the Governor to have or extend regulation-making powers under other Acts where necessary to implement the decimal change (section 8).\n\n- The Schedules list specific State Acts or provisions that are treated differently (some fully excluded, some only partly) from the general conversion rules (see Second Schedule).\n\n\nWho is affected and who decides\n\n- Citizens and businesses: any person whose rights, obligations, debts, taxes, fees, awards, agreements or statutory amounts are expressed in old currency in NSW laws. Those monetary references will be read as their decimal equivalents unless the law is a \"special law\" listed or excluded in the Act (see sections 2 and 3).\n\n- State agencies and courts: must interpret and apply NSW laws using the conversion rules and may need to amend forms, registers and administrative practices (sections 3, 6, 9).\n\n- The Governor (executive): given broad delegated power to make regulations and consequential amendments to implement the conversion and to resolve disputes or practical difficulties (sections 7–8).\n\n\nWhy it matters (official purpose and how that works in practice)\n\n- Officially, the Act exists to ensure a smooth legal transition from old currency to decimal currency so that existing statutes, contracts and administrative processes continue to work without litigation or legal uncertainty. Mechanically, it does that by:\n  - Defining how to calculate decimal equivalents (ties to the Commonwealth Act, section 2(3));\n  - Stating that ordinary (non-special) State laws’ monetary references are to be read as decimal equivalents unless context shows otherwise (section 3);\n  - Preserving existing liabilities so that conversion does not unintentionally cancel debts or rights (section 10).\n\n\nPractical implications, incentives and trade-offs\n\n- Compliance burden and administrative cost: Government agencies must update forms, registers and administrative systems that record monetary amounts (authorised by section 9 and supported by regulation-making powers in sections 7 and 8). Businesses and courts may need to check historic and ongoing obligations to ensure amounts are being treated as the statutory equivalents.\n\n- Legal certainty vs. complexity: The Act increases legal certainty by providing a default rule to convert old monetary references to decimal equivalents (section 3). But the number of exceptions and the long Second Schedule (specific Acts and parts excluded or specially treated) means some matters require close legal checking rather than a blanket conversion.\n\n- Preservation of private expectations: By expressly not extinguishing liabilities that arose before the appointed day (section 10(1)), the Act preserves creditor and contract-holder expectations, which reduces the risk that conversion alters substantive obligations unexpectedly.\n\n- Executive discretion and implementation risk: The Governor’s broad power to make regulations and to supply missing regulation-making power in other Acts (sections 7 and 8) centralises much of the detailed implementation work in the executive. That reduces the need for further primary-legislative fixes but concentrates discretion in secondary instruments. This carries ordinary risks of administrative error or discretionary choices affecting outcomes; any such risks would show up through the content of the regulations made under those powers.\n\n- Interaction with Commonwealth law: Several provisions depend on or cross‑refer to the Commonwealth Currency Act 1965 (for example, conversion bases in section 2(3), and a time-limited construction in section 6(2)(b)(ii)). That means practical operation can depend on Commonwealth time‑lines and determinations.\n\n\nConcrete behavioural effects (who pays, who decides, what changes)\n\n- Who pays: existing payers of taxes, fees, debtors under court orders, contract payers and beneficiaries continue to pay their obligations, now expressed in decimal equivalents; the Act explicitly keeps liabilities intact (section 10).\n\n- Who decides: courts and administrative officers decide individual conversion questions where the statutory text or context is ambiguous; the Governor (via regulations) decides many of the practical details of implementation (sections 7–8).\n\n- What changes: statutory monetary references, forms and administrative records move from old-currency wording to decimal wording; certain listed Acts or provisions are treated according to the specific exclusions in the Second Schedule rather than by the general conversion rule.\n\n\nLimitations, risks and likely points of friction\n\n- The long Second Schedule of exceptions means some laws must be checked individually (Second Schedule).\n\n- Delegated regulation-making (sections 7–8) shifts many detailed decisions away from primary legislation, which is efficient but creates a dependence on properly drafted subordinate instruments and administrative action.\n\n- Calculations that cross-reference old and decimal amounts (section 6) contain transitional complexity and one sub-rule expires when a date is fixed by the Commonwealth Act (section 6(3)), so time‑limited provisions create additional legal complexity.\n\n\nBottom line\n\n- This Act is a transitional, technical statute that changes how NSW laws refer to money so the legal system operates on the Commonwealth’s new decimal currency. It preserves pre-existing liabilities, provides conversion mechanics, grants regulation-making powers to the Governor for practical implementation, and lists specific statutory exceptions that must be handled individually. The principal costs are administrative (updating forms, registers and practice) and the need for legal checks on excluded or specially-treated provisions.\n\n(References: sections 1–11; Second Schedule.)"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act appears to have remained true to its original narrow purpose: facilitating the transition from imperial currency (pounds, shillings and pence) to decimal currency (dollars and cents) in NSW law and legal documents. There is no indication from the available metadata that its scope was expanded beyond this transitional function. The last meaningful version date of 3 December 1999 suggests only minor administrative updates have been made since enactment."},"complexity_factors":["The Act deals with a narrow, one-time transitional purpose (currency conversion) that is now largely spent","Mathematical conversion rules (pounds to dollars) could involve rounding complexities, but these are mechanical rather than legally complex","Limited ongoing practical application — the law's active complexity has diminished significantly over 60 years","The full text of the Act was not available in the provided content, limiting deeper analysis, but the historical record indicates this was a straightforward transitional instrument","Interacts with other NSW legislation by modifying currency references across the statute book, which was complex at the time of enactment but is now settled"],"plain_english_summary":"The Decimal Currency Act 1965 (NSW) provided a legal bridge for Australia’s switch from pounds, shillings and pence to decimal dollars and cents, converting old-currency references in laws, contracts and obligations into equivalent decimal amounts and setting rules for rounding and enforcement. \n\nHistorically it affected all NSW parties with documents in the old currency; today it’s largely of historical importance, ensuring the 1966 currency change caused no legal disruption."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: facilitating the 1966 decimal currency conversion in NSW. While it has been amended multiple times (notably in 1972, 1987, and 1999) to update references and repeal spent provisions, it has not expanded beyond currency conversion mechanics. The 1999 amendments actually reduced scope by repealing the First Schedule entirely."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple nested definitions in section 2, including a 7-part definition of 'special law' with sub-sub-paragraphs","Extensive cross-referencing to the federal Currency Act 1965 (the 'Commonwealth Act')","Conditional commencement dates — some sections start immediately, others on the 'appointed day'","Schedule 2 contains 70+ specific exclusions with precise section references spanning 1866-1964","Section 6 contains complex bidirectional conversion rules for calculations spanning the changeover date","Multiple repealed provisions creating structural gaps (sections 4(1)-(2), 7(3), 8(2), First Schedule entirely repealed)"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a **New South Wales law from 1965** that helped Australia switch from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Converts old money references** in NSW laws from pounds/shillings/pence to decimal dollars/cents automatically\n- **Protects existing debts** — if someone owed you money before the changeover, they still owe it after (just converted to the new currency)\n- **Allows forms to be updated** — old government forms with pounds/shillings could be altered to show dollars/cents instead\n- **Gives the Governor power** to make regulations fixing any problems that pop up during the conversion\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone dealing with NSW laws that mention money (which is basically everyone)\n- Specifically excludes certain \"special laws\" like tax acts, private acts, industrial awards, and some historical acts listed in Schedule 2\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis was the legal machinery that made Australia's 1966 currency changeover actually work. Without it, every NSW law mentioning \"£5\" or \"2 shillings\" would have become nonsense overnight. It's a classic example of \"machinery legislation\" — boring but essential plumbing that keeps the legal system functioning during a major national change."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965","history":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965/history","analysis":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/decimal-currency-act-1965/documents"}}