An Act to reduce the debts of the councils of certain municipalities in respect of works of water supply or sewerage; to vest certain waterworks in the Minister for Public Works, and to authorise him to carry on such works or to sell same; and for purposes connected therewith.
1 Name of Act
This Act may be cited as the Country Towns Water and Sewerage (Reduction of Debts) Act 1922.
2 Reduction of debt and alteration of terms of payment
(1) The debt to the Colonial Treasurer of the councils of the respective municipalities named in the first column of the Schedule in respect of the works constructed by the Minister for Public Works, which are specified in the second column, is reduced to the sum stated in the third column of the Schedule. Such sum shall, as from the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, be the amount of the debt chargeable upon the revenues of the said councils respectively in respect of such part of the said works as have been completed upon the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-two.(2) The period for the liquidation of the said debts shall be the period stated in the fourth column of the Schedule, and the annual sums payable by the said councils respectively in liquidation of the said debts shall be the sums stated in the fifth column of the Schedule.(3) The Governor may by proclamation in the Gazette, in any case where he may consider the circumstances so warrant, reduce the amount of any debt set out in the third column of the Schedule, and in such event the amount stated in the proclamation shall, as from the date of the publication of such proclamation, be the amount of such debt for the purposes of this Act. Similarly, the period for liquidation as stated in the fourth column of the Schedule may be increased, and the annual sums payable, as stated in the fifth column of the Schedule, may be reduced.
3 Liability extinguished
The liability of each of the said councils to the Colonial Treasurer due owing on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-two, in respect of the works referred to in the Schedule, other than as stated in the last preceding section, is hereby extinguished.
4 Hillgrove water supply
(1) The works of water supply for the town of Hillgrove, and all land, buildings, plant, and material of any kind whatsoever acquired or provided for the purposes of and in connection with those works, is hereby vested in the Minister for Public Works. The council of the municipality of Hillgrove is hereby divested of any property in such works.(2) The said Minister may conduct any water supply service at Hillgrove, or may authorise the council of the area in which the town is situated to conduct such a service as his agent for such time as he may direct, and in any such case the Minister shall for the purpose of and incidental to conducting such supply have all the powers of a council under Part 14 of the Local Government Act 1919.(3) The Minister may at any time discontinue the conduct of the water supply service, and, as from the date of the passing of this Act, shall have full power and authority at any time to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any such land, buildings, plant, or material. The proceeds of any sales shall be paid into the Treasury to the credit of the vote to which the cost of material was charged.
Schedule
Municipality | Works | Debt | Period for liquidation, from 1 January 1923 | Annual sums payable |
£ | years | £ | ||
Bourke | Water supply | 6,319 | 20 | 465 |
Hillgrove | Water supply | Nil | … | Nil |
Moama | Water supply | 1,658 | 20 | 122 |
Wilcannia | Water supply | 606 | 20 | 44 |
Hay | Sewerage | 16,189 | 84 | 600 |