{"id":"western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972","name":"Western Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972","slug":"western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":174526,"registerId":"vic-western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Western Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972","content":"Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documentsi\nVersion No. 001\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\nAct No. 8290/1972\nVersion as at 24 February 2003\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title 2\n2. Definition 2\n3. Provisions concerning rates to be levied on land by Hastings\nShire Council 2\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 5\n1. General Information 5\n2. Table of Amendments 6\n3. Explanatory Details 7\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents1\nVersion No. 001\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\nAct No. 8290/1972\nVersion as at 24 February 2003\nAn Act to make Provision with respect to the Rates to be Levied\nby the President Councillors and Ratepayers of the Shire of\nHastings on certain Land in the said Shire and for other\npurposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS by an agreement made on the 19th day\nof December, 1969 between the Honourable Sir\nHenry Edward Bolte in his capacity as Premier of\nthe State of Victoria and John Lysaght (Australia)\nLimited certain provision was made with respect to\nthe establishment of a fully integrated steel works\nby the company at Western Port:\nAND WHEREAS the agreement was ratified by\nthe Western Port (Steel Works) Act 1970:\nAND WHEREAS the establishment of an\nintegrated steel works is a matter of importance to\nthe State of Victoria:\nAND WHEREAS the Government appointed an\nindependent committee to investigate a proposal by\nJohn Lysaght (Australia) Limited that an\nagreement should be made with respect to the\namount of the municipal rates to be paid on the\nland upon which the proposed steel works are to be\nbuilt:\nAND WHEREAS the committee made its report\non the 22nd December, 1970:\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient that provision as\nto such rates be made by Parliament in the light of\nthe report:\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\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 Western Port (Steel\nWorks Rating) Act 1972.\n2. Definition\n(1) In this Act \"the land\" means the land described\nin the First and Second Schedules to the\nagreement set out in the Schedule to the Western\nPort (Steel Works) Act 1970.\n(2) Unless inconsistent with the context or subject-\nmatter words and expressions used in this Act\nhave the meaning respectively assigned to them in\nthe Local Government Act 1958.\n3. Provisions concerning rates to be levied on land by\nHastings Shire Council\n(1) The provisions of this section shall have effect in\nrelation to any rates levied in respect of the land\nby the Council of the Shire of Hastings.\n(2) The provisions of the Local Government Act\n1958 and the Valuation of Land Act 1960 shall\napply in relation to the valuation of the land for\nrating purposes but in estimating the net annual\nvalue of the land any improvements being plant\nmachinery or equipment (other than cranes\nattached to or in buildings) whether affixed to the\nland or not shall be disregarded.\n(3) The rates shall be made and levied in accordance\nwith the provisions of the Local Government Act\n1958 but—\ns. 1\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\n3\n(a) where the rates in any year are made and\nlevied solely on the net annual value of\nrateable property in the municipal district––\nif the amount of the rates which but for\nthis paragraph would be payable in\nrespect of the land in any year is less\nthan the amount for that year as set out\nin the following table the amount\npayable will be the amount in the table;\nTABLE\nYear ending on the\n30th September\nAmount\n$\n1973 190,000\n1974 255,000\n1975 320,000\n1976 385,000\n1977 450,000\n1978 515,000\n1979 580,000\n1980 645,000\n1981 710,000\n1982 775,000\n1983 and each\nyear thereafter\n840,000;\n(b) where the rates in any year are made and\nlevied partly on the net annual value and\npartly on the unimproved capital value or site\nvalue of the rateable property in the\nmunicipal district—\nif the rates which would but for this\nparagraph be payable in respect of the\nland in any year are less than an amount\nwhich bears the same proportion to the\namount shown opposite that year in the\ns. 3\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\n4\ntable in paragraph (a) as the total\namount of rates levied by the Council\nin that year on the net annual value of\nrateable property in the municipal\ndistrict bears to the total amount of\nrates levied by the Council in that year\nin respect of the said rateable\nproperty—\nthe amount payable will be the amount\nwhich bears that same proportion.\n(4) If, for any reason which appears to the Minister to\nbe beyond the control of the Company—\n(a) a cold strip steel mill is not ready for\noperation on the land before the 1st day of\nJanuary, 1975;\n(b) a hot strip steel mill is not ready for\noperation on the land before the 1st day of\nJanuary, 1980; or\n(c) a full integrated steel works plant is not\nready for operation before the 1st day of\nJanuary, 1985—\nand no agreement has been made pursuant to\nsection 811BA of the Local Government Act\n1958 between the said Council and the Company\nwith respect to the land, the Minister shall appoint\na committee consisting of a barrister and solicitor\nof the Supreme Court of Victoria nominated by\nthe President of the Law Institute of Victoria (who\nshall be chairman), a person nominated by the\nCouncil, and a person nominated by the Company\nto make recommendations as to what (if any)\namendments should be made to this section.\n(5) The Council may cause a supplementary valuation\nof the land to be made at any time.\n═══════════════\ns. 3\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\n5\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe Western Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972 was assented to on\n13 May 1972 and came into operation on 13 May 1972.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\n6\n2. Table of Amendments\nThere are no amendments made to the Western Port (Steel Works Rating)\nAct 1972 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8290/1972\nWestern Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972\n7\n3. Explanatory Details\nNo entries at date of publication.\nEndnotes","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act continues to apply only to the specific land defined in the schedule to the Western Port (Steel Works) Act 1970 and prescribes valuation and minimum-rate mechanics (s.2(1); s.3). Endnotes record no amendments to the Act, indicating its scope and mechanics remain as enacted (Endnotes)."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-references to other legislation: Local Government Act 1958 and Valuation of Land Act 1960 (s.3(2))","Statutory minimum annual amounts set by a year-by-year table rather than formula (s.3(3)(a))","Alternative proportional calculation where rates are split between net annual value and unimproved/site value (s.3(3)(b))","Referential definition of the land via the schedule to an earlier Act (s.2(1) and Western Port (Steel Works) Act 1970)","Ministerial contingency power to convene a mixed legal/party-nominated committee if construction deadlines are missed (s.3(4))","Valuation rule excluding improvements (plant, machinery, equipment) affects tax base and assessment practice (s.3(2))","Council ability to order supplementary valuations at any time (s.3(5))","Temporal triggers tied to project milestones creating conditional change points (s.3(4))"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act fixes how municipal rates are calculated and levied on a specified parcel of land associated with the Western Port steelworks. It requires valuation under the Local Government Act but directs valuers to ignore plant, machinery and equipment when estimating net annual value (s.3(2)), and it sets statutory minimum annual amounts payable by the landowner for specified years (s.3(3)(a); table). The Minister may appoint a review committee if construction milestones are missed (s.3(4)). Rates are collected by the Shire of Hastings (s.3(1))."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: establishing special rating arrangements for the Western Port steel works. It has not expanded beyond this specific industrial agreement."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 operative sections with straightforward structure","Single defined term ('the land') referencing external agreement","One mathematical formula in section 3(3)(b) requiring proportion calculation","Nested conditional logic in section 3(4) with three alternative trigger events and a compound condition","Cross-references to two other Acts (Local Government Act 1958 and Valuation of Land Act 1960)","No amendments or subsequent modifications to track"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short Victorian law from 1972 that sets special rules for how much council rates (property taxes) John Lysaght (Australia) Limited must pay on land at Western Port where they planned to build a major steel works.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Fixes minimum rates**: The Hastings Shire Council must charge the company at least a set minimum amount each year, starting at $190,000 in 1973 and rising to $840,000 from 1983 onwards. If the normal calculation would result in lower rates, the company pays the minimum instead.\n- **Changes how the land is valued**: When calculating rates, the council must ignore the value of plant, machinery and equipment on the site (except cranes attached to buildings). This prevents the rates from ballooning as the steel works was built.\n- **Provides an escape clause**: If construction delays beyond the company's control meant key parts of the steel mill weren't ready by certain deadlines (1975, 1980, or 1985), a special committee could be appointed to recommend changes to the rating arrangements.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **John Lysaght (Australia) Limited**: The steel company gets rate certainty and protection from excessive rates on industrial equipment.\n- **Hastings Shire Council**: The local council gets guaranteed minimum revenue but loses flexibility to charge full rates on the valuable industrial plant.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis was a deal struck between the Victorian Government and a major industrial investor to encourage economic development. The government effectively overrode normal local government rating powers to make the investment attractive, while ensuring the council received 'fair' compensation through fixed minimum payments."},"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"},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on available information, the Act appears to have remained focused on its original narrow purpose: establishing a special rating framework for the Western Port steelworks. There is no evidence of scope expansion beyond this single facility and its local government rating obligations."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow and highly specific subject matter (single industrial facility)","Intersection of property valuation law and local government rating law","Historical industrial context requires background knowledge to understand","Very limited legislative text available for analysis — the document provided contains almost no substantive content, only metadata and version history","Potential interaction with broader Victorian rating and valuation legislation"],"plain_english_summary":"The Western Port (Steel Works Rating) Act 1972 is a Victorian law setting a special framework for valuing and rating the Western Port steelworks for local council rates. It primarily affects the steelworks operator and the local council(s), and matters because industrial valuation rules needed tailoring to ensure fair local taxation and budget outcomes. Though still in force, its practical impact is now limited."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972","history":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972/history","analysis":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/western-port-steel-works-rating-act-1972/documents"}}