Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership payments) Determination No. 117 (March 2017).
This determination is the Federal Financial Relations (National Partnership payments) Determination No. 117 (March 2017).
Commencement
2. This determination commences on the day on which this determination is made.
Definitions
3. The following definitions are used throughout this determination:
Act means the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009.
COAG Reform Fund means the COAG Reform Fund established by section 5 of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008.
Intergovernmental Agreement means the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations that took effect on 1 January 2009. The Intergovernmental Agreement provides an overarching framework for financial transfers between the Commonwealth and the States and related collaboration on policy development and service delivery.
State includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
Exemption from section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003
4. Subsection 16(5) of the Act provides that this determination is a legislative instrument, but section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 does not apply to this determination.
PArt 2 — Purpose
Provision of financial assistance
5. This determination is made, in accordance with section 16 of the Act, for the purpose of providing grants of financial assistance to a State to:
(a) support the delivery by the State of specified outputs or projects;
(b) facilitate reforms by the State; or
(c) reward the State for nationally significant reforms.
Terms and conditions
6. Subsection 16(2) of the Act requires that an amount determined under subsection 16(1) must be credited to the COAG Reform Fund. The COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 established the COAG Reform Fund and specifies that it is a Special Account for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
7. Subsection 7(2) of the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008 requires that the terms and conditions on which financial assistance is granted through the COAG Reform Fund are to be set out in a written agreement between the Commonwealth and the State.
8. ‘Schedule D — Payment Arrangements’ to the Intergovernmental Agreement provides that the Commonwealth will make National Partnership payments to the States to support the delivery of specified outputs or projects, to facilitate reforms or to reward those jurisdictions that deliver on nationally significant reforms.
9. National Partnerships will clearly set out the payment profile in respect of each State.
10. Where the achievement of pre‑determined milestones or performance benchmarks is required before a payment is made to a State:
(a) in the case of payments to reward nationally significant reforms, the relevant Commonwealth Minister or delegate will make a determination as to whether the incentive payment will be paid following receipt of an independent assessment as to whether a pre-determined performance benchmark has been achieved; and
(b) in the case of payments to facilitate reform and to support the delivery of specified outputs or projects, the relevant Commonwealth Minister or delegate will make a determination, based upon expenditure and performance reporting arrangements set out in the National Partnership, as to whether the facilitation or project payment will be paid.
11. Where the achievement of a performance benchmark is not required before a payment is made to a State, payments will be scheduled in accordance with the payment profile set out in the National Partnership.
Part 3 — National Partnership Payments
Determination
12. In accordance with subsection 16(1) of the Act, the amounts specified in Table 1 are to be paid to the States specified in that table for the purpose of making a grant of financial assistance to:
(a) support the delivery by the States of specified outputs or projects;
(b) facilitate reforms by the States; or
(c) reward the States for nationally significant reforms.
Table 1: National Partnership payments for payment on 7 March 2017
13. These amounts will be credited to the COAG Reform Fund before being paid to the States on 7 March 2017.
14. Schedule 1 to this determination provides further information on these payments.
Debit limits
15. Subsection 16(3) of the Act provides that the total amount credited to the COAG Reform Fund for the purpose of making National Partnership payments in the financial year starting on 1 July 2016 must not exceed $25,000,000,000.00.
16. The amounts specified in Table 2 are the total amounts determined in the 2016-17 financial year in respect of National Partnership payments under section 16 of the Act, including this determination.
Table 2: Total cumulative payments of National Partnership payments in 2016-17
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17. The total amount determined for National Partnership payments to date in the 2016-17 financial year does not exceed the debit limit.