Notes to the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997

Note 1

The Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 154, 1997 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

The Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 was amended by the Parliamentary Service (Consequential and Transitional) Determination 2000/1 (No. 1 of 2000). The amendment is incorporated in this compilation.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997	154, 1997	24 Oct 1997	1 Jan 1998 (see Gazette 1997, No. GN49)
Financial Management Legislation Amendment Act 1999	20, 1999	19 Apr 1999	Ss. 5-9 and Schedule 1 (items 1-33): 1 July 1999 (a)	Ss. 5-9
Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999	146, 1999	11 Nov 1999	Schedule 1 (item 481): 5 Dec 1999 (see Gazette 1999, No. S584) (b)	--
Financial Management and Accountability Amendment Act 2000	80, 2000	30 June 2000	30 June 2000	--
Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000	137, 2000	24 Nov 2000	Ss. 1-3 and Schedule 1 (items 1, 4, 6, 7, 9-11, 32): Royal Assent Remainder: 24 May 2001	Sch. 2 (items 418, 419)
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2005	8, 2005	22 Feb 2005	S. 4, Schedule 1 (items 139-144, 496) and Schedule 2 (items 113-118, 174): Royal Assent	S. 4, Sch. 1 (item 496) and Sch. 2 (item 174)
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2006	30, 2006	6 Apr 2006	Schedule 2: 1 July 2006 Schedule 3 (item 10): 24 Mar 2005 Remainder: 7 Apr 2006	--
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2007	166, 2007	25 Sept 2007	Schedule 1 (items 1-8, 10, 13-16, 19, 21): 1 Jan 2008 (see F2007L04788) Remainder: Royal Assent	Sch. 1 (items 13(2), 14-18)
Commonwealth Securities and Investment Legislation Amendment Act 2008	78, 2008	12 July 2008	Schedule 1 (items 6-9, 15): 13 July 2008	Sch. 1 (item 15)
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2008	90, 2008	20 Sept 2008	Schedule 1 (items 15-61, 68-74): 20 Mar 2009	Sch. 1 (items 68-74)
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2010	148, 2010	17 Dec 2010	Schedule 8: 1 Mar 2011	--
Statute Law Revision Act 2011	5, 2011	22 Mar 2011	Schedule 6 (items 125-128): 19 Apr 2011	--
Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011	46, 2011	27 June 2011	Schedule 2 (items 604, 605) and Schedule 3 (items 10, 11): 27 Dec 2011	Sch. 2 (item 605) and Sch. 3 (items 10, 11)
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2011	89, 2011	4 Aug 2011	Schedule 2: 1 Sept 2011 (see F2011L01793)	--
Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2012	25, 2012	4 Apr 2012	Schedule 4: 5 Apr 2012	Sch. 4 (items 14, 15)

(a)     The Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 was amended by Schedule 1 (items 1-33) only of the Financial Management Legislation Amendment Act 1999, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   If this Act receives the Royal Assent before 1 May 1999, then this Act commences on 1 July 1999.

(b)     The Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 was amended by Schedule 1 (item 481) only of the Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999, subsections 2(1) and (2) of which provide as follows:

                 (1)   In this Act, commencing time means the time when the Public Service Act 1999 commences.

                 (2)   Subject to this section, this Act commences at the commencing time.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Reader's Guide..................	am. No. 20, 1999
Part 2
Heading to Part 2..............	rs. No. 148, 2010
S. 5......................................	am. Nos. 20 and 146, 1999; Determination No. 1 of 2000; No. 78, 2008; No. 148, 2010; No. 5, 2011; No. 25, 2012
S. 6......................................	rs. No. 90, 2008
Note to s. 6.........................	rs. No. 20, 1999; No. 90, 2008
S. 7......................................	rep. No. 90, 2008
Part 3
Ss. 10, 11............................	am. No. 90, 2008
Heading to s. 12................	rs. No. 90, 2008
S. 12....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
Note to s. 12(2)..................	rep. No. 25, 2012
Ss. 13, 14............................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 16....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
Part 4
Heading to Part 4..............	rs. No. 20, 1999
Division 1
Div. 1 of Part 4...................	rs. No. 20, 1999
Ss. 17, 18............................	rep. No. 20, 1999
S. 19....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
Division 1A
Div. 1A of Part 4.................	ad. No. 20, 1999
S. 20....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
	am. No. 8, 2005; No. 89, 2011
Note to s. 20(1)..................	ad. No. 166, 2007
Note to s. 20(4)..................	ad. No. 8, 2005
S. 21....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
	am. No. 8, 2005
Note to s. 21(1)..................	rep. No. 8, 2005
Notes 1, 2 to s. 21(1).........	ad. No. 8, 2005
Note 3 to s. 21(1)...............	ad. No. 166, 2007
S. 22....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
	am. No. 25, 2012
Ss. 23-25............................	rep. No. 20, 1999
Division 2
S. 26....................................	am. No. 20, 1999; No. 90, 2008; No. 25, 2012
Note to s. 26.......................	rep. No. 25, 2012
S. 27....................................	am. No. 20, 1999; No. 90, 2008; No. 25, 2012
Division 3
Heading to s. 28................	rs. No. 166, 2007
S. 28....................................	am. No. 20, 1999; No. 166, 2007
S. 29....................................	rep. No. 20, 1999
S. 30....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999; No. 166, 2007
S. 30A.................................	ad. No. 80, 2000
	am. No. 166, 2007
Heading to s. 31................	rs. No. 148, 2010
S. 31....................................	am. No. 20, 1999
	rs. No. 166, 2007
Subhead. to s. 32(5)..........	am. No. 5, 2011
S. 32....................................	rs. No. 166, 2007
	am. No. 5, 2011
Division 3A
Div. 3A of Part 4.................	ad. No. 166, 2007
Subhead. to s. 32A(4)........	rs. No. 25, 2012
S. 32A.................................	ad. No. 166, 2007
Division 4
S. 33....................................	am. No. 30, 2006; No. 90, 2008
Note to s. 33(1)..................	ad. No. 90, 2008
Note to s. 33(3)..................	ad. No. 30, 2006
	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 34....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
Note to s. 34(1)..................	ad. No. 90, 2008
S. 35....................................	am. No. 20, 1999
	rep. No. 90, 2008
	ad. No. 25, 2012
S. 36....................................	am. No. 5, 2011
Part 5
Heading to Part 5..............	rs. No. 148, 2010
S. 39....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
	am. Nos. 78 and 90, 2008
Note to s. 39(6)..................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 39A.................................	ad. No. 148, 2010
Part 6
Ss. 40, 41............................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 43....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
Part 6A
Part 6A................................	ad. No. 148, 2010
S. 43A.................................	ad. No. 148, 2010
Part 7
Heading to s. 44................	am. No. 90, 2008; No. 148, 2010
	rs. No. 25, 2012
S. 44....................................	am. No. 90, 2008; No. 148, 2010
Note to s. 44(1)..................	ad. No. 90, 2008
S. 44A.................................	ad. No. 90, 2008
S. 46....................................	rs. No. 90, 2008
	am. No. 89, 2011
Heading to s. 50................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 50....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 51....................................	rs. No. 90, 2008
S. 52....................................	am. No. 89, 2011
S. 53....................................	am. No. 20, 1999; No. 8, 2005; No. 166, 2007
Part 8
S. 54....................................	rs. No. 20, 1999
Part 9
Heading to s. 58................	am. No. 30, 2006
S. 58....................................	am. No. 30, 2006; No. 46, 2011
S. 59....................................	am. No. 8, 2005
	rep. No. 90, 2008
S. 60....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 61....................................	rep. No. 137, 2000
S. 62....................................	am. No. 148, 2010; No. 25, 2012
S. 62A.................................	ad. No. 20, 1999
	rs. No. 78, 2008
	am. No. 148, 2010
S. 63....................................	am. No. 90, 2008
S. 64....................................	am. No. 90, 2008; No. 89, 2011
S. 65....................................	am. No. 90, 2008; No. 25, 2012
Appendix A........................	rep. No. 20, 1999

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Financial Management Legislation Amendment Act 1999 (No. 20, 1999)

5  Conversion of RMF components and CAF components

             (1)  This section applies to each old component that:

                     (a)  was in existence immediately before the commencing time; or

                     (b)  is established by a provision of an Act that comes into operation after the commencing time.

However, this section does not apply to the Loan Consolidation and Investment Reserve.

Note:          Schedule 1 repeals the Loan Consolidation and Investment Reserve Act 1955.

             (2)  The conversion time for the old component is:

                     (a)  the commencing time, if the component was in existence immediately before the commencing time; or

                     (b)  otherwise, the time when the component is established.

             (3)  At the conversion time:

                     (a)  a new account is established in respect of the old component; and

                     (b)  any balance of the old component is to be credited to the new account.

             (4)  The new account is a Special Account for the purposes of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997.

             (5)  The name of the new account is:

                     (a)  if the name of the old component ends with "Reserve"--a name that is the same as the name of the old component, but ends with "Account" instead of "Reserve"; or

                     (b)  if the name of the old component ends with "Fund"--a name that is the same as the name of the old component, but ends with "Account" instead of "Fund"; or

                     (c)  if the name of the old component ends with "Account"--a name that is the same as the name of the old component; or

                     (d)  in any other case--the name determined in writing by the Finance Minister for the purposes of this subsection.

             (6)  In relation to matters that happen after the commencing time, a reference in any instrument to the old component is to be read as a reference to the new account and, in particular:

                     (a)  a reference to:

                              (i)  transferring or paying an amount from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the old component; or

                             (ii)  debiting an amount from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and crediting the amount to the old component;

                            is to be read as a reference to crediting the amount to the new account; and

                     (b)  a reference to:

                              (i)  transferring or paying an amount to the Consolidated Revenue Fund from the old component; or

                             (ii)  debiting an amount from the old component and crediting the amount to the Consolidated Revenue Fund;

                            is to be read as a reference to debiting the amount from the new account; and

                     (c)  a reference to paying an amount out of the old component is to be read as a reference to paying the amount out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund and debiting the amount from the new account.

             (7)  If the old component was established by the Finance Minister under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, then:

                     (a)  the new account is taken to have been established by a determination under section 20 of that Act (as amended by this Act); and

                     (b)  that determination may be revoked or varied under that section; and

                     (c)  the new account may be abolished under that section.

6  Transitional provisions for the Loan Fund

             (1)  In any instrument, a reference to the Loan Fund is to be read as a reference to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, in relation to matters occurring after the commencing time.

             (2)  Without limiting subsection (1):

                     (a)  after the commencing time, any appropriation that is expressed to be an appropriation of the Loan Fund has effect as an appropriation of the Consolidated Revenue Fund; and

                     (b)  after the commencing time, any provision of an instrument that is expressed to require or permit the payment of an amount from the Loan Fund has effect as if it required or permitted the payment of that amount from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

7  Instruments referring to payments into the Consolidated Revenue Fund

                   In any instrument, a reference to payment of an amount into the Consolidated Revenue Fund is to be read as a reference to payment of the amount to the Commonwealth (unless the amount is already public money).

Note:          Public money is defined in the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997.

8  Quarterly statements sufficient during transitional period

             (1)  Section 54 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 has effect in relation to the transitional period as if references to a month of a financial year were references to a quarter of a financial year.

             (2)  In this section:

transitional period means the period:

                     (a)  starting on the day on which this Act commences; and

                     (b)  ending at the end of the third quarter after the quarter in which this Act commences.

9  Regulations

             (1)  The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters:

                     (a)  required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or

                     (b)  necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.

             (2)  In particular, regulations may be made for matters of a transitional or saving nature arising from the amendments made by this Act.

Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000 (No. 137, 2000)

Schedule 2

418  Transitional--pre-commencement offences

(1)       Despite the amendment or repeal of a provision by this Schedule, that provision continues to apply, after the commencement of this item, in relation to:

                     (a)  an offence committed before the commencement of this item; or

                     (b)  proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed before the commencement of this item; or

                     (c)  any matter connected with, or arising out of, such proceedings;

as if the amendment or repeal had not been made.

(2)       Subitem (1) does not limit the operation of section 8 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.

419  Transitional--pre-commencement notices

If:

                     (a)  a provision in force immediately before the commencement of this item required that a notice set out the effect of one or more other provisions; and

                     (b)  any or all of those other provisions are repealed by this Schedule; and

                     (c)  the first-mentioned provision is amended by this Schedule;

the amendment of the first-mentioned provision by this Schedule does not affect the validity of such a notice that was given before the commencement of this item.

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2005 (No. 8, 2005)

4  Saving of matters in Part 2 of Schedule 1

             (1)  If:

                     (a)  a decision or action is taken or another thing is made, given or done; and

                     (b)  the thing is taken, made, given or done under a provision of a Part 2 Act that had effect immediately before the commencement of this Act;

then the thing has the corresponding effect, for the purposes of the Part 2 Act as amended by this Act, as if it had been taken, made, given or done under the Part 2 Act as so amended.

             (2)  In this section:

Part 2 Act means an Act that is amended by an item in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

Schedule 1

496  Saving provision--Finance Minister's determinations

If a determination under subsection 20(1) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 is in force immediately before the commencement of this item, the determination continues in force as if it were made under subsection 20(1) of that Act as amended by this Act.

Schedule 2

174  Saving provision--provisions that formerly referred to the Treasurer

(1)       Any thing that:

                     (a)  was done by the Treasurer, or by a delegate of the Treasurer, before the commencing time under an affected provision; and

                     (b)  was in effect immediately before the commencing time;

continues to have effect after the commencing time as if it had been done by the Finance Minister under the affected provision.

(2)       In this item:

affected provision means a provision that is amended by an item in this Schedule so as to replace references to the Treasurer with references to the Finance Minister.

commencing time means the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

Finance Minister means the Minister who administers the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997.

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2007
(No. 166, 2007)

Schedule 1

13  Saving--agreements for "net appropriations"

(2)       Despite the amendment made by item 8, section 31 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (as in force immediately before the commencement of that item) continues to apply after that commencement in relation to agreements entered into before that commencement.

14  Application--repayments by the Commonwealth

The amendment made by item 4 applies in relation to amounts received by the Commonwealth before or after the commencement of that item.

15  Application--repayments to the Commonwealth

The amendment made by item 6 applies in relation to amounts paid by the Commonwealth before or after the commencement of that item.

16  Application--recoverable GST

The amendment made by item 7 applies in relation to payments that occur after the commencement of that item.

17  Saving--transfer of Agency functions

Despite the amendment made by item 9, section 32 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (as in force immediately before the commencement of that item) continues to apply after that commencement in relation to a change in function that occurred before that commencement.

18  Transitional--directions to delegates

A direction in force under subsection 53(2) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 immediately before the commencement of this item continues in force after that commencement as if it were a direction given under that subsection after that commencement.

Commonwealth Securities and Investment Legislation Amendment Act 2008 (No. 78, 2008)

Schedule 1

15  Application of items 6 to 9

The amendments made by items 6 to 9 of this Schedule apply in relation to public money invested on or after the commencement of those items.

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2008 (No. 90, 2008)

Schedule 1

68  Application--receipt and spending of public money by outsiders

(1)       The amendment made by item 20 applies in relation to agreements or arrangements entered into on or after the commencement of that item.

(2)       Subsection 12(2) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (as inserted by this Act) applies in relation to agreements or arrangements entered into on or after the commencement of this item.

69  Application--drawing rights

The amendments made by items 32 and 33 apply in relation to drawing rights issued on or after the commencement of those items.

70  Saving--payments pending probate etc.

Despite the repeal of section 35 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 made by this Schedule, that section (as in force immediately before the commencement of item 39) continues to apply on and after that commencement in relation to payments that were authorised before that commencement.

71  Transitional--investment of public money

(1)       If the corporation referred to in subsection 39(7) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (as in force immediately before the commencement of item 44) held an investment under section 39 of that Act immediately before the commencement of that item, the investment is taken, on and after the commencement of that item, to be held by the Finance Minister on behalf of the Commonwealth.

(2)       If the corporation referred to in subsection 39(8) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (as in force immediately before the commencement of item 44) held an investment under section 39 of that Act immediately before the commencement of that item, the investment is taken, on and after the commencement of that item, to be held by the Treasurer on behalf of the Commonwealth.

72  Transitional--audit committees

(1)       This item applies to an audit committee established in accordance with section 46 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 before the commencement of this item and in existence immediately before that commencement.

(2)       The audit committee continues in existence on and after that commencement for the purposes of section 46 of that Act, as amended by this Act.

(3)       However, if the audit committee does not comply with section 46 of that Act, as amended by this Act, the Chief Executive concerned must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the committee does so comply.

73  Saving--provision of information

Despite the repeal of subsection 50(2) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 made by this Schedule, that subsection (as in force immediately before the commencement of this item) continues to apply on and after that commencement in relation to a requirement made before that commencement.

74  Application--change of Agency functions

The amendment made by item 54 applies in relation to:

                     (a)  Agencies that cease to exist on or after the commencement of that item; and

                     (b)  functions of an Agency that are transferred on or after the commencement of that item.

Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011 (No. 46, 2011)

Schedule 2

605  Saving of regulations

The amendment made by item 604 does not affect the validity of regulations in force for the purposes of subsection 58(1) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 immediately before the commencement of that item.

Schedule 3

10  Saving--appointments

The amendments made by Schedule 2 do not affect the validity of an appointment that was made under an Act before the commencement of this item and that was in force immediately before that commencement.

11  Transitional regulations

The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters of a transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application provisions) relating to the amendments and repeals made by Schedules 1 and 2.

Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2012
(No. 25, 2012)

Schedule 4

14  Application--item 3

The amendment made by item 3 of this Schedule applies to determinations made on or after the commencement of that item.

15  Transitional--delegations under section 62

(1)       This item applies to a delegation if:

                     (a)  the delegation was made under subsection 62(1) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997; and

                     (b)  the delegation was in force immediately before the commencement of item 12 of this Schedule.

(2)       The delegation has effect, after the commencement of this item, as if it had been made under subsection 62(1) of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 as amended by item 12 of this Schedule.