{"id":"C1971A00114","name":"States Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries) Act 1971","slug":"states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"114 of 1971","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":2341,"registerId":"C1971A00114","compilationNumber":"0","startDate":"1971-12-09","status":"InForce","reasons":[],"registeredAt":"2013-01-23T21:11:58.463Z"},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"States Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries) Act 1971","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\nStates Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries)\n\nNo. 114 of 1971\n\nAn Act to grant Financial Assistance to the States for Libraries at Secondary Schools and for the acquisition of Library Material and Equipment for use in such Libraries.\n\n[Assented to 9 December 1971]\n\nBE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—\n\nShort title.\n\n1. This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Secondary Schools Libraries) Act 1971.\n\nCommencement.\n\n2. This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.\n\n\nDefinitions.\n\n3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—\n\n“building” includes a part of a building;\n\n“library” means a building for the accommodation and use of books and other library material;\n\n“library material” includes books, periodicals, newspapers, films, sound recordings, musical scores, maps, plans, pictures, photographs and prints;\n\n“secondary school” means a school or similar institution, whether conducted by a State or not, at which some or all of the students who attend the school are taught at a secondary level of education;\n\n“the period to which this Act applies” means the period commencing on the first day of January, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-two, and ending on the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.\n\nGrants for libraries and for library material and equipment.\n\n4.—(1.) The Minister may authorize the payment to a State, under this Act, during the period to which this Act applies, by way of financial assistance, of such amounts as, subject to this section, he determines.\n\n(2.) The Minister shall not authorize payments to a State under the last preceding sub-section that—\n\n(a) exceed, in the aggregate, the amount specified in the sixth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;\n\n(b) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-two—exceed, in the aggregate, one-third of that amount; or\n\n(c) in the case of payments authorized on or before the thirty-first day of December, One thousand nine hundred and seventy-three—exceed, in the aggregate, two-thirds of that amount.\n\n(3.) Payment of an amount to a State under this Act is subject to the condition that the amount will be applied by the State, as approved by the Minister, for purposes in connexion with libraries at secondary schools and for the acquisition of library material and equipment for use in such libraries.\n\n(4.) The Minister shall not grant an approval under the last preceding sub-section for the application of an amount by a State in respect of a secondary school where—\n\n(a) in the case of a secondary school conducted by the State—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of secondary schools conducted by the State would exceed the amount specified in the second column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State;\n\n(b) in the case of a secondary school not conducted by the State, being a Roman Catholic secondary school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of\n\n\nsecondary schools in the State not conducted by the State, being Roman Catholic secondary schools, would exceed the amount specified in the third column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State; or\n\n(c) in the case of a secondary school not conducted by the State, not being a Roman Catholic secondary school—if the approval were granted, the total of the amounts approved in respect of secondary schools in the State not conducted by the State, not being Roman Catholic secondary schools, would exceed the amount specified in the fourth column of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the name of the State.\n\nRegulations may vary amounts.\n\n5. At any time during the period to which this Act applies, provision may be made by the regulations that this Act shall have effect as if the amounts specified in the third or fourth column, or both of those columns, and the amounts specified in the fifth and sixth columns, of the Schedule to this Act opposite to the names of any States were varied in accordance with the regulations, but not so as to vary the total of the amounts specified in the fifth column, or the total of the amounts specified in the sixth column, of that Schedule.\n\nAnnual statement by Minister.\n\n6. The Minister shall cause a statement to be laid before each House of the Parliament as soon as practicable after the end of each year during the period to which this Act applies describing the arrangements in accordance with which payments under this Act have been authorized in that year and stating, in respect of each State—\n\n(a) in relation to secondary schools conducted by the State—\n\n(i) the total amount paid to the State under this Act in that year; and\n\n(ii) the names of the secondary schools in respect of which the State has, during that year, applied amounts paid to the State under this Act; and\n\n(b) in relation to other secondary schools—\n\n(i) the total amount paid to the State under this Act in that year; and\n\n(ii) the names of the secondary schools in respect of which approvals for the application of moneys included in that amount have been given, and the amount approved for expenditure in respect of each such school.\n\nAppropriation.\n\n7. Payments under this Act shall be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly.\n\nRegulations.\n\n8. The Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of section 5 of this Act, including regulations repealing or amending regulations previously made under this section.\n\n\nTHE SCHEDULE Section 4.\n\nLimit of Grants\n\n| First Column | Second Column | Third Column | Fourth Column | Fifth Column | Sixth Column |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Name of State | Maximum grants payable in respect of secondary schools conducted by a State | Maximum grants payable in respect of secondary schools not conducted by a State being Roman Catholic secondary schools | Maximum grants payable in respect of secondary schools not conducted by a State other than Roman Catholic secondary schools | Totals of maximum grants payable in respect of secondary schools not conducted by a State | Totals of maximum grants payable in respect of all secondary schools |\n|  | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |\n| New South Wales....... | 8,209,992 | 2,121,718 | 565,438 | 2,687,156 | 10,897,148 |\n| Victoria............. | 6,947,586 | 1,594,710 | 749,684 | 2,344,394 | 9,291,980 |\n| Queensland........... | 2,656,719 | 976,281 | 382,151 | 1,358,432 | 4,015,151 |\n| South Australia........ | 2,288,697 | 257,979 | 144,405 | 402,384 | 2,691,081 |\n| Western Australia...... | 1,616,826 | 297,928 | 133,163 | 431,091 | 2,047,917 |\n| Tasmania............ | 856,518 | 145,385 | 54,820 | 200,205 | 1,056,723 |\n| Totals............ | .. | 5,394,001 | 2,029,661 | .. | .. |\n| Totals.......... | 22,576,338 | .. | .. | 7,423,662 | 30,000,000 |\n\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument is a narrowly focused, time‑limited grant program whose text confines Commonwealth action to making specified payments to States for secondary‑school libraries during 1972–1974. The Act’s provisions (definitions, Schedule limits, phasing rules, approval and reporting requirements) are consistent with that original, narrowly circumscribed purpose. There is no textual evidence in the provided version that the Act’s scope was expanded beyond that original objective."},"complexity_factors":["Short, self‑contained Act (8 sections plus Schedule) but multi‑part Schedule with monetary columns","5 defined terms in the interpretation section (building; library; library material; secondary school; period to which this Act applies) (s 3)","Phased caps on authorisations (one‑third by 31 Dec 1972; two‑thirds by 31 Dec 1973) (s 4(2)(b)–(c))","Categorical limits in Schedule by State and school type (State‑run; non‑State Roman Catholic; other non‑State) (s 4(4) and Schedule)","Ministerial discretion to authorise payments and to approve application of funds, conditioned by Schedule limits (s 4)","Regulation power that permits intra‑Schedule reallocations subject to aggregate constraints (s 5)","Annual reporting requirement with itemised school‑level entries (s 6)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (mechanically)**\n\n- It authorises the Commonwealth (the federal government) to pay specified sums to each State as financial assistance for building and equipping libraries at secondary schools, and for buying library material and equipment for those libraries (see s 4 and the Schedule).\n- Payments may be made only during a fixed period: from 1 January 1972 to 31 December 1974 (defined at s 3).\n- The Minister (federal education/finance minister) decides how much to pay to each State within the maximums listed in the Schedule (s 4(1)–(2) and the Schedule).\n- The Commonwealth’s payments must be applied by the State for purposes approved by the Minister, specifically for libraries at secondary schools and acquisition of library material and equipment (condition in s 4(3)).\n- The Schedule divides each State’s maximum into three categories: (a) secondary schools conducted by the State, (b) non‑State Roman Catholic secondary schools, and (c) other non‑State secondary schools. The Schedule sets maximums for each category and totals (see Schedule to s 4 and s 4(4)).\n- The legislation phases the payments: by 31 December 1972 no more than one‑third of each State’s total can have been authorised; by 31 December 1973 no more than two‑thirds can have been authorised (s 4(2)(b)–(c)).\n- Regulations can reallocate the amounts shown in some Schedule columns between categories within a State, but cannot change the totals for “non‑State schools” or “all secondary schools” (s 5).\n- The Minister must lay an annual statement before each House of Parliament while the Act runs, describing how payments were authorised that year and giving, for each State, the totals paid and the names of the schools for which money was applied or approved (s 6).\n- Payments are drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (s 7). The Governor‑General may make regulations needed to implement the variation power in s 5 (s 8).\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- States: they receive money and must apply it for approved library works and materials; they must seek Ministerial approval for how they will spend the funds (s 4(1), (3)).\n- Secondary schools: both State‑run and non‑State schools are the ultimate recipients of the funded works or materials, but approvals are subject to the category limits in the Schedule (s 4(4)).\n- The federal Minister and administrative staff: they exercise discretion to authorise payments and approve specific uses, and must produce annual statements (ss 4, 6).\n- Commonwealth taxpayers: the money is appropriated from consolidated federal funds (s 7).\n\n**Why it matters (practical implications and operation)**\n\n- Budgetary mechanics: the Act creates a time‑limited, earmarked federal transfer to States for secondary‑school libraries. Money flows from the Commonwealth to States, not directly to individual schools; States implement the approved spending (s 4(3)).\n- Distributional mechanics: the Schedule prescribes fixed maximums by State and by school category. That creates predictable, bounded fiscal exposure for the Commonwealth and pre‑allocated shares among State‑run and non‑State (Roman Catholic / other) schools (Schedule and s 4(4)).\n- Administrative discretion and compliance: the Minister authorises payments and approves particular school allocations (s 4). That approval process centralises decision power in the Commonwealth and creates an administrative process States must follow. The annual reporting requirement (s 6) creates public transparency about which schools benefit.\n- Timing and phasing: the one‑third and two‑thirds caps by end of 1972 and 1973 (s 4(2)(b)–(c)) pace the release of funds across the three‑year period and limit front‑loading.\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade‑offs (concrete mechanisms)**\n\n- Who pays: Commonwealth taxpayers fund the program (s 7). The Act does not require State matching; the money is conditional on approved uses but not on State co‑finance (no matching requirement is specified in the text of the Act).\n- Who benefits: benefits are concentrated on the particular schools that receive Ministerial approval under the Schedule caps (s 4(3)–(4); Schedule). That concentration means a small number of schools may receive substantial capital or material assistance relative to the broader school population.\n- Incentives for States and schools: because approvals are limited and discretionary, State governments and school authorities have incentives to prioritise projects most likely to obtain Commonwealth approval. This creates competition for the fixed pots defined in the Schedule (s 4(4); Schedule).\n- Effect on State budgets and private choice: the Act supplies federal funds for library works and materials; States may re‑allocate their own spending in response (substitution effect), but the Act does not compel a specific State spending floor or matching contribution. The instrument therefore changes the composition of funding available for school libraries without directly changing State legal responsibilities.\n- Administrative burden and implementation risk: States must obtain Ministerial approval for expenditure plans and comply with the annual reporting requirement listing schools and amounts (s 4(3)–(4), s 6). Ministerial discretion in approvals concentrates decision power at the Commonwealth level, which can produce variation in outcomes between States depending on how approvals are exercised.\n- Regulatory flexibility and constraint: regulations may reallocate some Schedule figures between non‑State categories or within certain columns, but cannot alter the totals for non‑State schools or all schools combined (s 5). That preserves aggregate fiscal limits while allowing some reallocation across school types.\n\n**Practical summary**\n\n- The Act is a time‑limited federal funding scheme (1972–1974) that authorises capped payments to each State for secondary‑school libraries and materials, with Ministerial approval required for how the money is spent and annual public reporting of recipients (ss 3–7; Schedule)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: providing time-limited financial assistance for secondary school libraries. The scope has not expanded beyond the 1972-1974 period or the specific categories of schools and expenditures originally contemplated."},"complexity_factors":["Only 8 sections plus a Schedule, totaling approximately 1,500 words","Just 5 defined terms in the interpretation section (section 3)","Simple conditional logic: basic caps and timing restrictions in section 4(2)","Single cross-reference (section 8 references section 5 only)","Straightforward tabular data in Schedule with clear arithmetic relationships between columns","No nested exceptions or recursive definitions","Regulation-making power limited to varying amounts in specific columns of the Schedule"],"plain_english_summary":"This law gives federal money to Australian states to build and stock libraries in high schools (secondary schools) between 1972 and 1974.\n\n**What it does:**\n- The Commonwealth government provides grants (financial assistance) to each state for:\n  - Building library facilities at secondary schools\n  - Buying books, films, recordings, maps, and other library materials\n  - Purchasing equipment for these libraries\n\n**Who gets the money:**\nThe money is split between three types of schools:\n- **Government schools** (run by the state)\n- **Roman Catholic schools** (private, religious)\n- **Other private schools** (non-Catholic independent schools)\n\nEach state has strict caps on how much can go to each category. For example, New South Wales can receive up to $10.9 million total, but no more than $2.1 million can go to Catholic schools and no more than $565,000 to other private schools.\n\n**Key rules:**\n- The Minister decides exactly how much each state gets, within the limits set by the Schedule (the table at the end)\n- Payments are staggered: no more than one-third in 1972, two-thirds by end of 1973\n- States must spend the money only on approved library projects\n- The Minister must report to Parliament each year on where the money went\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis was part of a broader 1970s push to improve Australian education infrastructure. It specifically addresses the \"library gap\" in secondary schools by providing dedicated funding for physical library spaces and resources. The three-way split between government, Catholic, and independent schools reflects the political compromise of the era regarding state aid to non-government schools."},"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"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971","history":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971/history","analysis":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/states-grants-secondary-schools-libraries-act-1971/documents"}}