Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

STUDENT ASSISTANCE ACT 1973 - SECT 5C

                   In administering this Act, the Secretary is to have regard to:

                     (a)  the desirability of achieving the following results:

                              (i)  the ready availability to members of the public of advice and information services relating to benefits under this Act;

                             (ii)  the ready availability of publications containing clear statements about entitlements under this Act and procedural requirements;

                            (iii)  the delivery of services under this Act in a fair, courteous, prompt and cost‑efficient manner;

                            (iv)  a process of monitoring and evaluating delivery of programs with an emphasis on the impact of programs on people who receive benefits under this Act;

                             (v)  the establishment of procedures to ensure that abuses of the schemes for benefits under this Act are minimised; and

                     (b)  the special needs of disadvantaged groups in the community; and

                     (c)  the need to be responsive to Aboriginality and to cultural and linguistic diversity; and

                     (d)  the importance of the systems of review of decisions under this Act; and

                     (e)  the need to apply government policy in accordance with the law and with due regard to relevant decisions of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.

Note:          In administering this Act, the Secretary is also bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and by the provisions of this Act concerning confidentiality--see Division 3 of Part 10.