Commonwealth act

Appropriation (Unemployment Relief Works) Act 1931

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

49 of 1931

Collection

act

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

This law sets aside £250,000 from the government's main bank account (the Consolidated Revenue Fund) to fund public works projects specifically designed to create jobs for unemployed Australians during the Great Depression.

What it does:

The money: Authorises spending £250,000 (equivalent to roughly $25 million today) on employment projects.
The goal: Provide paid work to people who are unemployed by funding infrastructure or construction projects.
How decisions are made: The Governor-General can create regulations to choose which specific projects (like roads, buildings, or other works) receive the funding.

This is essentially a 1930s economic stimulus package—using government spending on public works to combat unemployment during an economic crisis.

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in Appropriation (Unemployment Relief Works) Act 1931.

Appropriation (Unemployment Relief Works) Act 1931

APPROPRIATION (UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF WORKS).

No. 49 of 1931.

An Act to grant and apply out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund a sum of Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds for the purpose of Expenditure on Works to provide Relief to Persons out of Employment.

[Assented to 4th November, 1931.]

Preamble.

Be it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Appropriation (Unemployment Relief Works) Act 1931.

Appropriation-of £250,000 for unemployment relief works.

There shall be payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly, for the purpose of expenditure on prescribed works to provide relief to persons out of employment, the sum of Two hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

Regulations.

The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed, for carrying out or giving effect to this Act, and in particular for prescribing the works on which moneys may be expended in pursuance of this Act.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Appropriation (Unemployment Relief Works) Act 1931