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Commonwealth act
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
What does this law do?
This Act sets aside £275,000 of Commonwealth government money to provide financial relief to farmers and other primary producers (people who grow, raise, or harvest natural produce) who were doing it tough during the Great Depression era. The relief is delivered through subsidies based on fertiliser use — specifically, how much artificial manure (manufactured fertiliser) a producer used during the year ending 30 June 1936.
Who does it affect?
How does the money work?
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Direct links to the current provisions in Primary Producers Relief Act 1935.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
What do producers have to do to get paid?
To qualify, a producer must:
What about fraud?
The Act takes a firm line on dishonesty:
What else does it do?
The Act also makes minor technical amendments to two earlier laws — the Financial Relief Act 1932–1933 and the Financial Relief Act 1934 — mainly to tighten up the application process by requiring applications to be formally "lodged with" the Department Secretary by specific deadlines, rather than simply "made."
Why does it matter?
This Act is a snapshot of Depression-era Commonwealth policy: using fertiliser consumption as a proxy for genuine farming activity, and routing relief through State governments. It reflects the economic hardship facing Australian farmers in the mid-1930s, and the Commonwealth's effort to provide targeted, evidence-based assistance rather than a blanket handout.