{"id":"F2016L01188","name":"Federal Financial Relations (General purpose financial assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)","slug":"federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":94563,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2016L01188-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Federal Financial Relations (General Pur","sectionType":"part","heading":"Federal Financial Relations (General Purpose Financial Assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)","content":"# Federal Financial Relations (General Purpose Financial Assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"preliminary","content":"```html\n

Federal Financial Relations (General Purpose Financial Assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)

I, SCOTT JOHN MORRISON, Treasurer, make this Determination under section 9 of the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.

SCOTT JOHN MORRISON


Dated: 16 March 2016

\n```\n\n## Part 1 — preliminary\n\n### Name of Determination\n\n This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (General purpose financial assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016).\n\n### Commencement\n\n 2. This determination commences on the day on which this determination is made.\n\n### Definitions\n\n 3. The following definitions are used throughout this determination:\n\nAct means the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.\n\nCOAG Reform Fund means the COAG Reform Fund established by section 5 of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008.\n\nIntergovernmental Agreement means the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations that took effect on 1 February 2009. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides an overarching framework for financial transfers between the Commonwealth and the States and related collaboration on policy development and service delivery.\n\nState includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.\n\n### Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003\n\n 4. Subsection 9(5) of the Act provides that this determination is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 does not apply to this determination.\n\n## PArt 2 — Purpose\n\n### Provision of financial assistance\n\n 5. This determination is made, in accordance with section 9 of the Act, for the purpose of providing financial support for the States’ service delivery efforts through general purpose financial assistance to be used by the States for any purpose.\n\n### Terms and conditions\n\n 6. Subsection 9(2) of the Act requires that an amount determined under subsection 9(1) must be credited to the COAG Reform Fund.\n 7. The COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 established the COAG Reform Fund and specifies that it is a Special Account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.\n 8. Subsection 7(2) of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 requires that the terms and conditions on which financial assistance is granted through the COAG Reform Fund are to be set out in a written agreement between the Commonwealth and the State.\n 9. The terms and conditions for all payments of general purpose financial assistance are provided in ‘Schedule D — Payment Arrangements’ to the Intergovernmental Agreement. Schedule 1 to this determination provides a summary of the relevant provisions for general purpose financial assistance.\n\n## Part 3 — General Purpose Financial Assistance\n\n### Determination\n\n 10. In accordance with subsection 9(1) of the Act, the amounts specified in Table 1 are to be credited to the COAG Reform Fund before being paid on 21 March 2016 to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance to those States.\n\n### Table 1: General Purpose financial assistance for payment on 21 March 2016\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n 11. Schedule 2 to this determination provides further information on these payments.\n\n### Debit limit\n\n 12. Subsection 9(3) of the Act provides that the total amount credited to the COAG Reform Fund for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance in the financial year starting on 1 July 2015 must not exceed $5,000,000,000.00.\n 13. The amounts specified in Table 2 are the total amounts determined in the 2015-16 financial year in respect of general purpose financial assistance, including this determination.\n\n### Table 2: Total cumulative payments of general purpose financial assistance in 2015-16\n\n ![](image.002.png)\n\n 14. The total amount determined for payment of general purpose financial assistance to date in the 2015-16 financial year does not exceed the debit limit.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Name of Determination","sectionType":"division","heading":"Name of Determination","content":"### Name of Determination\n\n This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (General purpose financial assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016).","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Commencement","sectionType":"division","heading":"Commencement","content":"### Commencement\n\n 2. This determination commences on the day on which this determination is made.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Definitions","sectionType":"division","heading":"Definitions","content":"### Definitions\n\n 3. The following definitions are used throughout this determination:\n\nAct means the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.\n\nCOAG Reform Fund means the COAG Reform Fund established by section 5 of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008.\n\nIntergovernmental Agreement means the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations that took effect on 1 February 2009. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides an overarching framework for financial transfers between the Commonwealth and the States and related collaboration on policy development and service delivery.\n\nState includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"Exemption from section 42 (disallowance)","sectionType":"division","heading":"Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003","content":"### Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003\n\n 4. Subsection 9(5) of the Act provides that this determination is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 does not apply to this determination.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"PArt 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Purpose","content":"```html\n

Federal Financial Relations (General Purpose Financial Assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)

I, SCOTT JOHN MORRISON, Treasurer, make this Determination under section 9 of the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.

SCOTT JOHN MORRISON


Dated: 16 March 2016

\n```\n\n## Part 1 — preliminary\n\n### Name of Determination\n\n This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (General purpose financial assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016).\n\n### Commencement\n\n 2. This determination commences on the day on which this determination is made.\n\n### Definitions\n\n 3. The following definitions are used throughout this determination:\n\nAct means the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.\n\nCOAG Reform Fund means the COAG Reform Fund established by section 5 of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008.\n\nIntergovernmental Agreement means the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations that took effect on 1 February 2009. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides an overarching framework for financial transfers between the Commonwealth and the States and related collaboration on policy development and service delivery.\n\nState includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.\n\n### Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003\n\n 4. Subsection 9(5) of the Act provides that this determination is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 does not apply to this determination.\n\n## PArt 2 — Purpose\n\n### Provision of financial assistance\n\n 5. This determination is made, in accordance with section 9 of the Act, for the purpose of providing financial support for the States’ service delivery efforts through general purpose financial assistance to be used by the States for any purpose.\n\n### Terms and conditions\n\n 6. Subsection 9(2) of the Act requires that an amount determined under subsection 9(1) must be credited to the COAG Reform Fund.\n 7. The COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 established the COAG Reform Fund and specifies that it is a Special Account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.\n 8. Subsection 7(2) of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 requires that the terms and conditions on which financial assistance is granted through the COAG Reform Fund are to be set out in a written agreement between the Commonwealth and the State.\n 9. The terms and conditions for all payments of general purpose financial assistance are provided in ‘Schedule D — Payment Arrangements’ to the Intergovernmental Agreement. Schedule 1 to this determination provides a summary of the relevant provisions for general purpose financial assistance.\n\n## Part 3 — General Purpose Financial Assistance\n\n### Determination\n\n 10. In accordance with subsection 9(1) of the Act, the amounts specified in Table 1 are to be credited to the COAG Reform Fund before being paid on 21 March 2016 to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance to those States.\n\n### Table 1: General Purpose financial assistance for payment on 21 March 2016\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n 11. Schedule 2 to this determination provides further information on these payments.\n\n### Debit limit\n\n 12. Subsection 9(3) of the Act provides that the total amount credited to the COAG Reform Fund for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance in the financial year starting on 1 July 2015 must not exceed $5,000,000,000.00.\n 13. The amounts specified in Table 2 are the total amounts determined in the 2015-16 financial year in respect of general purpose financial assistance, including this determination.\n\n### Table 2: Total cumulative payments of general purpose financial assistance in 2015-16\n\n ![](image.002.png)\n\n 14. The total amount determined for payment of general purpose financial assistance to date in the 2015-16 financial year does not exceed the debit limit.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"Provision of financial assistance","sectionType":"division","heading":"Provision of financial assistance","content":"### Provision of financial assistance\n\n 5. This determination is made, in accordance with section 9 of the Act, for the purpose of providing financial support for the States’ service delivery efforts through general purpose financial assistance to be used by the States for any purpose.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"Terms and conditions","sectionType":"division","heading":"Terms and conditions","content":"### Terms and conditions\n\n 6. Subsection 9(2) of the Act requires that an amount determined under subsection 9(1) must be credited to the COAG Reform Fund.\n 7. The COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 established the COAG Reform Fund and specifies that it is a Special Account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.\n 8. Subsection 7(2) of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 requires that the terms and conditions on which financial assistance is granted through the COAG Reform Fund are to be set out in a written agreement between the Commonwealth and the State.\n 9. The terms and conditions for all payments of general purpose financial assistance are provided in ‘Schedule D — Payment Arrangements’ to the Intergovernmental Agreement. Schedule 1 to this determination provides a summary of the relevant provisions for general purpose financial assistance.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"General Purpose Financial Assistance","content":"```html\n

Federal Financial Relations (General Purpose Financial Assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016)

I, SCOTT JOHN MORRISON, Treasurer, make this Determination under section 9 of the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.

SCOTT JOHN MORRISON


Dated: 16 March 2016

\n```\n\n## Part 1 — preliminary\n\n### Name of Determination\n\n This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (General purpose financial assistance) Determination No. 84 (March 2016).\n\n### Commencement\n\n 2. This determination commences on the day on which this determination is made.\n\n### Definitions\n\n 3. The following definitions are used throughout this determination:\n\nAct means the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.\n\nCOAG Reform Fund means the COAG Reform Fund established by section 5 of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008.\n\nIntergovernmental Agreement means the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations that took effect on 1 February 2009. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides an overarching framework for financial transfers between the Commonwealth and the States and related collaboration on policy development and service delivery.\n\nState includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.\n\n### Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003\n\n 4. Subsection 9(5) of the Act provides that this determination is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 does not apply to this determination.\n\n## PArt 2 — Purpose\n\n### Provision of financial assistance\n\n 5. This determination is made, in accordance with section 9 of the Act, for the purpose of providing financial support for the States’ service delivery efforts through general purpose financial assistance to be used by the States for any purpose.\n\n### Terms and conditions\n\n 6. Subsection 9(2) of the Act requires that an amount determined under subsection 9(1) must be credited to the COAG Reform Fund.\n 7. The COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 established the COAG Reform Fund and specifies that it is a Special Account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.\n 8. Subsection 7(2) of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 requires that the terms and conditions on which financial assistance is granted through the COAG Reform Fund are to be set out in a written agreement between the Commonwealth and the State.\n 9. The terms and conditions for all payments of general purpose financial assistance are provided in ‘Schedule D — Payment Arrangements’ to the Intergovernmental Agreement. Schedule 1 to this determination provides a summary of the relevant provisions for general purpose financial assistance.\n\n## Part 3 — General Purpose Financial Assistance\n\n### Determination\n\n 10. In accordance with subsection 9(1) of the Act, the amounts specified in Table 1 are to be credited to the COAG Reform Fund before being paid on 21 March 2016 to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance to those States.\n\n### Table 1: General Purpose financial assistance for payment on 21 March 2016\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n 11. Schedule 2 to this determination provides further information on these payments.\n\n### Debit limit\n\n 12. Subsection 9(3) of the Act provides that the total amount credited to the COAG Reform Fund for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance in the financial year starting on 1 July 2015 must not exceed $5,000,000,000.00.\n 13. The amounts specified in Table 2 are the total amounts determined in the 2015-16 financial year in respect of general purpose financial assistance, including this determination.\n\n### Table 2: Total cumulative payments of general purpose financial assistance in 2015-16\n\n ![](image.002.png)\n\n 14. The total amount determined for payment of general purpose financial assistance to date in the 2015-16 financial year does not exceed the debit limit.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"Determination","sectionType":"division","heading":"Determination","content":"### Determination\n\n 10. In accordance with subsection 9(1) of the Act, the amounts specified in Table 1 are to be credited to the COAG Reform Fund before being paid on 21 March 2016 to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance to those States.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"Table 1: General Purpose financial assis","sectionType":"division","heading":"Table 1: General Purpose financial assistance for payment on 21 March 2016","content":"### Table 1: General Purpose financial assistance for payment on 21 March 2016\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n 11. Schedule 2 to this determination provides further information on these payments.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"Debit limit","sectionType":"division","heading":"Debit limit","content":"### Debit limit\n\n 12. Subsection 9(3) of the Act provides that the total amount credited to the COAG Reform Fund for the purpose of making a grant of general purpose financial assistance in the financial year starting on 1 July 2015 must not exceed $5,000,000,000.00.\n 13. The amounts specified in Table 2 are the total amounts determined in the 2015-16 financial year in respect of general purpose financial assistance, including this determination.","sortOrder":12},{"sectionNumber":"Table 2: Total cumulative payments of ge","sectionType":"division","heading":"Table 2: Total cumulative payments of general purpose financial assistance in 2015-16","content":"### Table 2: Total cumulative payments of general purpose financial assistance in 2015-16\n\n ![](image.002.png)\n\n 14. The total amount determined for payment of general purpose financial assistance to date in the 2015-16 financial year does not exceed the debit limit.","sortOrder":13},{"sectionNumber":"SChedule 1","sectionType":"part","heading":null,"content":"# SChedule 1\n\n## Summary of relevant agreements for general purpose financial assistance\n\n| Payment title | Purpose | Relevant agreement |\n| -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Compensation for impact on royalties of excise amendment | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to compensate Western Australia for the loss of royalty revenue resulting from the removal in the 2008-09 Budget of the exemption of condensate from crude oil excise. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |\n| ACT Municipal Services | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to the Australian Capital Territory to:• assist in meeting the additional municipal costs which arise from Canberra's role as the national capital; and• compensate the Australian Capital Territory for additional costs resulting from the national capital planning influences on the provision of water and sewerage services. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |\n| — Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to Western Australia from royalties payable under the Offshore Petroleum (Royalty) Act 2006 in respect of the North West Shelf oil and gas project off the coast of Western Australia. The Commonwealth collects these royalties because it has jurisdiction over off‑shore areas.These royalties will be shared between the Commonwealth (approximately one third) and Western Australia (approximately two thirds). These payment arrangements are in accordance with section 75 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |","sortOrder":14},{"sectionNumber":"Summary of relevant agreements for gener","sectionType":"part","heading":"Summary of relevant agreements for general purpose financial assistance","content":"## Summary of relevant agreements for general purpose financial assistance\n\n| Payment title | Purpose | Relevant agreement |\n| -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Compensation for impact on royalties of excise amendment | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to compensate Western Australia for the loss of royalty revenue resulting from the removal in the 2008-09 Budget of the exemption of condensate from crude oil excise. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |\n| ACT Municipal Services | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to the Australian Capital Territory to:• assist in meeting the additional municipal costs which arise from Canberra's role as the national capital; and• compensate the Australian Capital Territory for additional costs resulting from the national capital planning influences on the provision of water and sewerage services. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |\n| — Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 | The Commonwealth provides general purpose financial assistance to Western Australia from royalties payable under the Offshore Petroleum (Royalty) Act 2006 in respect of the North West Shelf oil and gas project off the coast of Western Australia. The Commonwealth collects these royalties because it has jurisdiction over off‑shore areas.These royalties will be shared between the Commonwealth (approximately one third) and Western Australia (approximately two thirds). These payment arrangements are in accordance with section 75 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. | Schedule D – Payment arrangement of the Intergovernmental Agreement |","sortOrder":15},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 2","sectionType":"part","heading":null,"content":"# Schedule 2\n\n## Amounts of general purpose financial assistance on 21 March 2016 ($)\n\n![](image.003.png)","sortOrder":16},{"sectionNumber":"Amounts of general purpose financial ass","sectionType":"part","heading":"Amounts of general purpose financial assistance on 21 March 2016 ($)","content":"## Amounts of general purpose financial assistance on 21 March 2016 ($)\n\n![](image.003.png)","sortOrder":17}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument is administrative and transactional: it specifies payment amounts and timing within an existing statutory framework. It does not expand or narrow the legal category of assistance or change recipient eligibility or the stated purpose of general purpose financial assistance; it implements existing arrangements and ensures the debit limit is respected."},"complexity_factors":["Reliance on cross‑instrument architecture: interacts with Federal Financial Relations Act 2009 (s9), COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 (s5, s7(2)) and the Intergovernmental Agreement (Schedule D).","Accounting mechanics: requires amounts to be credited to a Special Account (COAG Reform Fund) under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 before payment.","Numerical/debit constraint: a statutory $5,000,000,000 debit limit for the 2015–16 year (s9(3)) imposes a cap that must be tracked cumulatively.","Administrative detail is split across schedules and external agreements (Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 here; detailed terms in Schedule D of the IGA), requiring cross‑reference for full effect.","Limited parliamentary oversight: subsection 9(5) exempts this instrument from disallowance under section 42 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, affecting review routes.","Form and record issues: key payment tables are embedded as schedules/images rather than inline numbered clauses, increasing implementation friction for auditors and administrators."],"plain_english_summary":"This determination directs the Commonwealth Treasurer to credit specified sums to the COAG Reform Fund and pay them on 21 March 2016 to the States as general purpose (untied) grants to be used by the States for any purpose. \n\nIt operates under section 9 of the Federal Financial Relations Act and relies on the Intergovernmental Agreement (Schedule D) and the COAG Reform Fund Act: the Commonwealth provides the money, the Treasurer sets the amounts, payments must be channelled through the COAG Reform Fund and stay within a $5 billion debit limit."},"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"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The determination operates within its original intended scope. It is a routine administrative instrument made under section 9 of the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009 to authorise specific GST-related and compensation payments. There is no evidence of scope creep; it does not expand beyond the Act's framework for general purpose financial assistance."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument with only 14 operative provisions","Only 4 defined terms in the interpretation section","Straightforward conditional logic: money credited to Fund → paid to States → must not exceed annual cap","Heavy reliance on external documents (Intergovernmental Agreement, Schedule D) for substantive terms and conditions, but these are summarised rather than incorporated in full","No nested exceptions or complex temporal triggers","Contains placeholder image references for financial tables rather than embedded data, which reduces parseable complexity but creates opacity"],"plain_english_summary":"This Ministerial determination (21 Mar 2016) authorises the Commonwealth to pay general-purpose financial assistance from the COAG Reform Fund to Australian States and Territories, directing specified amounts and capped by a $5 billion debit limit. Payments are untied, letting jurisdictions spend funds as they choose.\n\nIt notably compensates Western Australia for lost petroleum royalty/excise revenue and provides the ACT extra funding for national-capital costs; the instrument is not subject to parliamentary disallowance."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016","history":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016/history","analysis":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-general-purpose-financial-assistance-determination-no-84-march-2016/documents"}}