{"id":"st-vincents-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969","name":"St. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969","slug":"st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":173489,"registerId":"vic-st-vincents-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"St. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969","content":"Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documentsi\nVersion No. 001\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees)\nAct 1969\nAct No. 7815/1969\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 21 February 2001\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title 2\n2. Definition 2\n3. Power to Treasurer to execute guarantees 2\n4. Total principal sums guaranteed not to exceed $5 750 000 3\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 4\n1. General Information 4\n2. Table of Amendments 5\n3. Explanatory Details 6\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents1\nVersion No. 001\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees)\nAct 1969\nAct No. 7815/1969\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 21 February 2001\nAn Act to authorize the Treasurer of Victoria to guarantee the\nRepayment of certain Moneys proposed to be borrowed by the\nTrustees of the Sisters of Charity of Australia and for other\npurposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS the Trustees of the Sisters of Charity\nof Australia are desirous of building a private\nhospital on the site formerly occupied by\nMt. St. Evin's Hospital:\nAND WHEREAS the Government of Victoria is\ndesirous of assisting the said Trustees in carrying\nout their plan for the erection of such a hospital:\nAND WHEREAS to meet the estimated cost of the\nsaid hospital it will be necessary for the Trustees to\nborrow certain moneys:\nAND WHEREAS the said Trustees will be able to\nborrow the money required to defray the cost of\nestablishing the hospital if the repayment of the\nmoneys is guaranteed by the Government of\nVictoria:\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient to make provision\nas hereafter enacted:\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7815/1969\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969\n2\nBE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen's Most\nExcellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the\nLegislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria\nin this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of\nthe same as follows (that is to say):\n1. Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the St. Vincent's\nPrivate Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969.\n2. Definition\nIn this Act unless the contrary intention appears\n\"Trustees\" means the body corporate\nincorporated in the State of New South Wales\nunder the Roman Catholic Church Communities'\nLands Act 1942–1948 of that State under the style\nor name of the Trustees of the Sisters of Charity\nof Australia.\n3. Power to Treasurer to execute guarantees\n(1) The Treasurer of Victoria may execute in favour\nof any person a guarantee guaranteeing the\nrepayment of any loan to be made by that person\nto the Trustees.\n(2) A guarantee by the Treasurer pursuant to sub-\nsection (1)—\n(a) shall be in such form and subject to such\nterms and conditions as he thinks fit; and\n(b) may extend to any interest charges and\nexpenses chargeable by the person making\nthe loan and the expenses of enforcing or\nobtaining or endeavouring to enforce or\nobtain repayment of the loan guaranteed and\nsuch interest charges and expenses.\ns. 1\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7815/1969\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969\n3\n4. Total principal sums guaranteed not to exceed\n$5 750 000\n(1) The Treasurer shall not execute any guarantee\nunder this Act where such guarantee would\ninvolve him in a liability in respect of the\nprincipal sum of any loan which when added to\nthe total liabilities in respect of other principal\nsums guaranteed pursuant to the powers conferred\nby section 3 would in the aggregate exceed the\namount of $5 750 000.\n(2) Such sums as may from time to time become due\nand payable by the Treasurer under any guarantee\nauthorized by this Act shall be paid out of the\nLoan Fund (which is hereby to the necessary\nextent appropriated accordingly).\n═══════════════\ns. 4\nS. 4(1)\namended by\nNo. 8352 s. 2.\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7815/1969\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969\n4\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe St. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969 was assented to\non 13 May 1969 and came into operation on 13 May 1969.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7815/1969\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969\n5\n2. Table of Amendments\nThis Version incorporates amendments made to the St. Vincent's Private\nHospital (Guarantees) Act 1969 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1972, No. 8352/1972\nAssent Date: 12.12.72\nCommencement Date: 12.12.72\nCurrent State: All of Act in operation\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7815/1969\nSt. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1969\n6\n3. Explanatory Details\nNo entries at date of publication.\nEndnotes","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"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"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act as published notes an amendment to section 4(1) (St. Vincent's Private Hospital (Guarantees) Act 1972, No. 8352). The current text includes an aggregate principal cap of $5,750,000 and appropriation from the Loan Fund; the source document records the amendment but does not reproduce the original pre‑1972 wording, so the precise nature of the change to scope cannot be determined from this text alone."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, single-purpose statute focused on loan guarantees for one project.","Only three operative sections (short text and limited number of rules).","Clear definition of the beneficiary entity ('Trustees') referencing NSW corporate status (s 2).","Treasurer given broad discretion to set form and terms of guarantees (s 3(2)(a)) introduces administrative judgment.","Guarantees may include interest and enforcement costs, widening contingent exposure (s 3(2)(b)).","Aggregate principal cap and specified funding source create explicit fiscal constraint and payment mechanism (s 4(1)–(2)).","Amendment history recorded (s 4(1) amended in 1972) but the original text is not reproduced here, limiting historical comparison."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act lets the Victorian Treasurer guarantee loans to the Trustees of the Sisters of Charity of Australia so they can build St Vincent’s Private Hospital. The Treasurer decides the form and terms of any guarantee and may cover interest and enforcement costs (s 3). Aggregate principal exposure is capped at $5,750,000 and any payments the Treasurer makes under a guarantee are to be met from the Loan Fund (s 4). The measure shifts credit risk from the Trustees to the State and affects lenders, the Trustees, and the State’s public finances."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: facilitating the construction of St. Vincent's Private Hospital through government loan guarantees. The only amendment (1972) added the monetary cap in section 4(1), which was a natural budgetary safeguard rather than an expansion of scope. The Act has not grown beyond its initial intent of backing a specific hospital construction project."},"complexity_factors":["Only 4 operative sections (extremely short statute)","Single defined term ('Trustees') in interpretation section","No cross-references to other Acts except incidental reference to NSW Roman Catholic Church Communities' Lands Act 1942-1948 in the definition","Simple arithmetic cap in section 4(1) ($5.75 million aggregate limit)","No conditional logic, exceptions, or nested provisions","Straightforward appropriation mechanism in section 4(2) directing payments to Loan Fund"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis Act gives the Victorian Treasurer the power to act as a guarantor (essentially a financial backstop) for loans taken out by the Trustees of the Sisters of Charity of Australia. The purpose was to help them build St. Vincent's Private Hospital on the site of the old Mt. St. Evin's Hospital in Melbourne.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **The Trustees of the Sisters of Charity** – a religious body corporate based in NSW that wanted to build the hospital but needed to borrow money to do so\n- **The Victorian Treasurer** – who can sign guarantees making the Victorian Government liable if the Trustees default on their loans\n- **Lenders** – banks or other institutions willing to loan money to the Trustees, but only because the government guarantee makes the loan less risky\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nWithout this law, the Trustees likely couldn't have secured the financing needed to build the hospital. The government guarantee made the loan attractive to lenders by ensuring that if the hospital project failed or the Trustees couldn't repay, the Victorian Government would step in and pay the debt.\n\n**Key limits:**\n- The government will only guarantee up to **$5.75 million** in total principal (this cap was added by a 1972 amendment)\n- Any money the government has to pay out comes from the **Loan Fund** (a government borrowing account)\n- The Treasurer has flexibility on the exact terms of each guarantee"},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available information, the Act appears to remain as originally intended — a narrow, single-purpose guarantee instrument for one specific private hospital. There is no indication the scope has broadened or shifted from its original purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely narrow and specific subject matter — applies to a single institution only","Very limited legislative content is visible in the provided text, restricting full analysis","Historical legislation (1969) may interact with modern hospital governance and financing laws in ways that are not immediately obvious","The concept of a government guarantee involves some financial and legal nuance, but the Act itself appears straightforward in purpose"],"plain_english_summary":"The Act authorises the Victorian Government to stand as financial guarantor for debts or obligations of St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Melbourne, a measure originally used to support privately run (religious) hospitals. It affects the hospital and its lenders and leaves Victorian taxpayers ultimately backing any guarantee; it remains technically in force, so it can still matter for current financing or restructuring."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969","history":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969/history","analysis":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/st-vincent-s-private-hospital-guarantees-act-1969/documents"}}