Commonwealth Numbered Acts

HOUSING ASSISTANCE ACT 1996 No. 24 of 1996 - SECT 9

(1) The Minister must not authorise a payment to a State of financial
assistance in respect of an assistance year unless the Minister and the State
Minister have agreed, in accordance with the inter-government housing
agreement made between the Commonwealth and the State, as to the amount of
State housing expenditure in respect of the year.

(2) If the Minister, after consulting a State Minister, believes that the
State will not spend, in respect of a particular assistance year from its own
financial resources, the total amount agreed under subsection (1) to be so
spent by the State, the Minister may reduce the amount that would otherwise be
payable to the State under section 7 in respect of that assistance year by the
amount of the shortfall.

(3) If, under subsection (2), the Minister reduces the amount that would
otherwise be payable to a State, the Minister may authorise the payment of an
amount or amounts to another State or other States for the purposes of
providing housing assistance, provided that the amount, or the total of the
amounts, does not exceed the amount of the reduction.

(4) An authorisation under subsection (3) of the payment of an amount to a
State is to set out the way in which the amount is to be spent.

(5) Payments under subsection (3) are to be made on any terms and conditions
that the Minister determines to be appropriate.