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Commonwealth act
This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.
This is a government appropriation act (a law that formally authorises the government to spend public money). Specifically, it unlocks funds for capital works and infrastructure projects — things like new buildings, construction, and major physical assets — rather than everyday running costs like wages or stationery.
The money is divided across three categories:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Supply (Works and Services) Act (No. 1) 1949-50.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
This Act reflects Australia in a critical post-World War II moment — investing heavily in infrastructure, expanding immigration processing capacity, rebuilding defence assets, and rolling out communications networks. It is a temporary, time-limited spending law: once 30 June 1950 passes, the authority to spend lapses entirely. This kind of act is a routine but constitutionally essential step — under the Australian Constitution, the government cannot spend public money without parliamentary approval, so acts like this are the legal mechanism that makes spending lawful.