States Grants (Dwellings for Aged Pensioners) Act 1969
RepealedCTH
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
Jurisdiction
Commonwealth
Act Number
87 of 1969
Collection
act
Plain English Summary
3/10 complexity
States Grants (Dwellings for Aged Pensioners) Act 1969
This Act sets up a Commonwealth funding scheme to help Australian States build self-contained homes for elderly pensioners. Here's what it does in plain terms:
Who does it affect?
The six Australian States, who receive the money and must build the dwellings
Eligible aged pensioners, specifically:
People receiving an age pension (the regular government payment for older Australians) who meet certain means or residency conditions under the Social Services Act 1947–1969; and
Veterans receiving a service pension (a payment for ex-military personnel) who meet equivalent conditions under the Repatriation Act 1920–1969
What does it do?
The Commonwealth grants money to the States to fund the construction (or purchase, alteration, or extension) of self-contained dwellings — homes that have their own living, sleeping, cooking, bathing and toilet facilities and are not shared with another dwelling — for eligible elderly pensioners
The Minister can approve building schemes submitted by the States, which can cover buying land, building or renovating structures, connecting utilities, and fitting out the premises (but not furniture)
Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
Each State gets a capped allocation from a total pool of $25 million over five years (1 July 1969 to 30 June 1974), with the per-State amounts set out in the Schedule (e.g. NSW gets up to $10.75 million, Tasmania up to $650,000)
There are also annual spending caps to smooth out the payments over time (e.g. no more than $5 million total before 30 June 1970, $10 million before 30 June 1971, and so on)
The Minister can adjust a State's allocation up or down by publishing a notice in the Gazette (the official government publication), but only with the State's consent if their share is being reduced, and the total can never exceed $25 million
What strings are attached?
States that receive money must:
Spend it on the approved building scheme it was granted for
Report on progress whenever the Minister asks — including expected start dates if construction hasn't begun yet
Submit annual financial statements (certified by the State's Auditor-General) and information about all self-contained dwellings being provided for aged people, not just those funded under this Act
Repay the money if they fail to meet any of these conditions, or if they were paid more than they were entitled to
Why does it matter?
This Act reflects a mid-20th century Commonwealth approach to social housing — using tied grants (money given to States with conditions attached) to address a specific social need. It recognises that elderly pensioners, particularly those living alone, needed purpose-built housing that gave them independence (their own kitchen, bathroom, etc.) rather than shared or institutional accommodation. The Minister must also report to Parliament each year on what was built and how the money was spent, providing public accountability.