{"id":"F2020L00003","name":"Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership) Determination No.156 (December 2019)","slug":"federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":100534,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2020L00003-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Federal Financial Relations (National Pa","sectionType":"part","heading":"Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership) Determination No.156 (December 2019)","content":"# Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership) Determination No.156 (December 2019)","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Name of determination","sectionType":"division","heading":"Name of determination","content":"### Name of determination\n\n This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership) Determination No.156 (December 2019).","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Commencement","sectionType":"division","heading":"Commencement","content":"### Commencement\n\n 2. This determination commences on the day on which it is made.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Determination","sectionType":"division","heading":"Determination","content":"### Determination\n\n 3. The amounts specified in the following table are to be paid to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of financial assistance to:\n (a) support the delivery by the States of specified outputs or projects specified in Schedule 1;\n (b) facilitate the reforms by the States specified in Schedule 1; or\n (c) reward the States for the nationally significant reforms specified in \n Schedule 1.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Table 1: National Partnership Payments f","sectionType":"division","heading":"Table 1: National Partnership Payments for payment on 9 December 2019","content":"### Table 1: National Partnership Payments for payment on 9 December 2019\n\n```html\n

State

Amount of National Partnership Payments

New South Wales

$21,769,447.00

Victoria

$27,208,158.00

Queensland

$79,102,355.00

Western Australia

$71,326,724.33

South Australia

$11,796,166.00

Tasmania

$7,578,042.00

Australian Capital Territory

$180,000.00

Northern Territory

-

Total

$218,960,892.33

\n```\n\nSchedule 1 to this determination provides further information on these payments.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Amounts of National Partnership Payments for payment on 9 December 2019 ($)","content":"# Schedule 1: Amounts of National Partnership Payments for payment on 9 December 2019 ($)\n\n| | | NSW | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS | ACT | NT | Total |\n| --------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ------------ | ---------- | --- | -------------- |\n| Health | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Other health payments | x | | | | | | | | | |\n| Adult Public Dental Services | x | 17,182,900.00 | 13,440,968.00 | 10,832,237.00 | - | - | 1,693,824.00 | - | - | 43,149,929.00 |\n| Suicide Prevention | x | 440,000.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 180,000.00 | - | 620,000.00 |\n| Total Health National Partnership payments | | 17,622,900.00 | 13,440,968.00 | 10,832,237.00 | - | - | 1,693,824.00 | 180,000.00 | - | 43,769,929.00 |\n| | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Community Services | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Specialist disability services | x | - | - | - | 2,351,333.33 | - | - | - | - | 2,351,333.33 |\n| Total Community Services National Partnership payments | | - | - | - | 2,351,333.33 | - | - | - | - | 2,351,333.33 |\n| | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Infrastructure | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Infrastructure Investment Program | x | | | | | | | | | |\n| Infrastructure Investment Programme - Investment Road | x | 1,400,000.00 | - | 23,515,962.00 | 65,616,700.00 | 10,000,000.00 | - | - | - | 100,532,662.00 |\n| IIP Bridges Renewal Programme-Through States | x | 1,546,547.00 | 558,882.00 | 10,773,265.00 | 2,200,000.00 | 396,000.00 | 284,218.00 | - | - | 15,758,912.00 |\n| IIP Bridges Renewal Programme-To States | x | - | - | 2,362,449.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 2,362,449.00 |\n| Heavy Vehicle Safety - Through Payments | x | 1,200,000.00 | 191,500.00 | 1,130,200.00 | 228,405.00 | - | - | - | - | 2,750,105.00 |\n| Heavy vehicle safety - to States | x | - | - | 1,239,981.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 1,239,981.00 |\n| Black spot projects | x | - | 12,291,808.00 | 6,848,261.00 | 930,286.00 | 1,250,166.00 | - | - | - | 21,320,521.00 |\n| Total Infrastructure National Partnership payments | | 4,146,547.00 | 13,042,190.00 | 45,870,118.00 | 68,975,391.00 | 11,646,166.00 | 284,218.00 | - | - | 143,964,630.00 |\n| | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Environment | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Water Development Fund - Feasibility Component | x | - | - | 2,400,000.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 2,400,000.00 |\n| Water Infrastructure Development Fund - Capital Component | x | - | 725,000.00 | - | - | 150,000.00 | 5,600,000.00 | - | - | 6,475,000.00 |\n| Total Environment National Partnership payments | | - | 725,000.00 | 2,400,000.00 | - | 150,000.00 | 5,600,000.00 | - | - | 8,875,000.00 |\n| | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Other | | | | | | | | | | |\n| North Queensland Stadium | x | - | - | 20,000,000.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 20,000,000.00 |\n| Total Other National Partnership payments | | - | - | 20,000,000.00 | - | - | - | - | - | 20,000,000.00 |\n| | | | | | | | | | | |\n| Total National Partnership Payments | | 21,769,447.00 | 27,208,158.00 | 79,102,355.00 | 71,326,724.33 | 11,796,166.00 | 7,578,042.00 | 180,000.00 | - | 218,960,892.33 |","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This determination exercises the ordinary Commonwealth power under the Federal Financial Relations framework to allocate national partnership payments to States for specified outputs and reforms. It does not expand the administrative or legal scope beyond the usual purpose of national partnership determinations: it simply lists specific payments and purposes for a one‑off payment date (9 December 2019). Any change of substantive scope (for example, creating new types of federal obligations or novel conditionality) is not evident in the text provided; detailed conditions would be in the Schedule or companion agreements rather than changing the determination’s scope."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: 3 substantive clauses (title/commencement/determination) plus one schedule","One schedule (Schedule 1) containing multiple program line items across 8 jurisdictions","Approximately 20–30 discrete payment line items across sectors (health, community services, infrastructure, environment, other)","Payment specificity (fixed amounts and a single payment date) but limited conditional text in the determination itself (conditions likely in the Schedule or associated agreements)","Minimal cross‑references to other legislation; primary reference is internal Schedule 1"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanics):**\n\n- This is a Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership) Determination that sets out specific one‑off payments the Commonwealth will make to State and Territory governments on 9 December 2019. (See section 3 and Schedule 1.)\n- The determination lists the dollar amounts, the recipient State or Territory, and the specific program or project purpose for each payment (for example, adult public dental services, road and bridge programs, water infrastructure, a stadium payment, and small mental‑health and disability items). The total payable under this determination is $218,960,892.33.\n\n**Who pays and who receives:**\n\n- The payments are made by the Commonwealth of Australia to the States and Territories named in the tables (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT; the NT receives no amount under this determination). (See Table 1 and Schedule 1.)\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and practical effect):**\n\n- Stated purposes (section 3): the Commonwealth provides these amounts to States to (a) support delivery of specified outputs or projects, (b) facilitate specified reforms, or (c) reward States for nationally significant reforms. The Schedule identifies which payment corresponds to which purpose and program.\n- Practically, the determination moves federal money into State budgets earmarked for named activities (health services such as adult public dental care; suicide prevention; specialist disability services; multiple infrastructure programs including roads, bridges, heavy vehicle safety and black spot projects; water feasibility and capital; and one large sporting infrastructure payment for North Queensland Stadium).\n\n**Who is affected and how (plain terms):**\n\n- State and Territory treasuries: receive the funds and are responsible for spending them against the specified projects/outputs and for any reporting or compliance conditions set out in the accompanying schedule or agreements.\n- Service users and local communities: will be the ultimate beneficiaries (for example, people needing adult public dental care, road users, regional water users), subject to how States allocate and deliver the projects.\n- Contractors and suppliers: potential recipients of procurement contracts for the listed infrastructure and service delivery work.\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade‑offs (analyst’s lens):**\n\n- Who pays: the Commonwealth provides the cash. Who bears opportunity cost: federal budget choices determine whether these payments displace other Commonwealth spending.\n- Concentrated benefits vs diffuse cost: several large, project‑specific payments (for example, large road and bridge items in QLD and WA; $20m to North Queensland Stadium in QLD) concentrate benefits geographically and sectorally; the cost is borne by the Commonwealth’s budget as a whole.\n- Incentives for States: earmarked federal funds create an incentive for States to deliver the specified outputs or reforms to secure the payments. The Schedule and any associated National Partnership Agreement typically set performance, reporting or milestone conditions (the determination itself references Schedule 1 for further detail) — compliance requirements impose administrative burden on States.\n- Implementation risk and administrative burden: delivery depends on State capability and on any conditions or milestones in Schedule 1. There is a risk of delays, cost escalation, or re‑prioritisation at the State level that could affect outcomes.\n- Effects on private enterprise and competition: most payments fund public services or publicly procured infrastructure; private firms may compete to supply works or services under State procurement. The determination does not itself alter competition law or procurement rules, but the injection of project funding can affect local markets (demand for construction, professional services, health providers) and prices in those sectors.\n- Potential for substitution: federal funding tied to specific projects can lead States to reallocate their own funds away from those areas (substitution), unless agreements explicitly prevent it. The determination does not itself state whether payments are additional to State budgets; that detail is normally in the matching National Partnership Agreement or the Schedule.\n\n**Administrative discretion and visibility:**\n\n- The determination fixes amounts and purposes but relies on the detailed Schedule (and any associated intergovernmental agreements) for conditions and reporting. The Commonwealth decides the amounts here; States decide how to implement the projects within the Schedule’s constraints. (See section 3 and Schedule 1.)\n\n**Specific notable line items (from Schedule 1):**\n\n- Adult Public Dental Services: payments to multiple States totalling $43,149,929.00 (NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS listed). \n- Large infrastructure allocations: e.g. Investment Road items and Bridge Renewal items across several States; total infrastructure payments $143,964,630.00.\n- North Queensland Stadium: $20,000,000.00 paid to Queensland.\n- Water infrastructure and feasibility items to several States totalling $8,875,000.00 across the environment category.\n- Small targeted items: suicide prevention ($620,000 across NSW and ACT) and a specialist disability services payment to WA ($2,351,333.33).\n\n**Net effect:**\n\n- This instrument is an administrative allocation of federal funds to States for specified projects and priorities. It creates enforceable (or at least recordable) financial commitments from the Commonwealth tied to stated outputs and reforms; the practical effects depend on the detailed conditions and State delivery arrangements set out in Schedule 1 and any accompanying agreements.\n\n(References: section 2 (commencement), section 3 (determination and purposes), Table 1 and Schedule 1 for line‑by‑line allocations and program descriptions.)"},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This determination serves its original narrow purpose: authorising specific grant payments to states under existing National Partnership agreements. It does not expand beyond the standard administrative function of allocating funds already agreed to in broader framework agreements."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (3 operative clauses plus schedules)","No defined terms section — uses plain language","No cross-references to other legislation","Simple conditional logic: if a state is listed, it gets the specified amount","Schedule 1 is essentially a spreadsheet rendered as legislative text","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested conditions","Operates under existing framework of Federal Financial Relations Act 2009 (implied but not referenced)"],"plain_english_summary":"This determination authorises $218.96 million in Commonwealth payments to states and territories under National Partnership agreements, conditioning funding on delivery of specified projects and outcomes. It concentrates the largest shares in Queensland and Western Australia and funds health (including adult public dental and suicide prevention), infrastructure (roads, bridges, safety upgrades) and water projects, plus a major stadium contribution.\n\nIt matters because the money is tied to designated uses and reporting, not general-purpose grants."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019","history":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019/history","analysis":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/federal-financial-relations-national-partnership-determination-no-156-december-2019/documents"}}