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PAPUA NEW GUINEA (MEMBERS OF THE FORCES BENEFITS) ACT 1957 - NOTES

Act No. 89 of 1957 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 27 October 2000
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 78 of 1987

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General's Department, Canberra

 

 

 

Contents

1 Short title [see Note 1]

2 Commencement [see Note 1]

3 Interpretation

4 Benefits etc. of members of the Forces

5 Pensions or compensation for incapacity or death

6 Other benefits etc.

7 Prior grants of benefits

8 Pension inalienable

8A Appropriation for pensions etc.

9 Regulations

Notes 

  This Act may be cited as the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957.

  This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.

  In this Act, unless the contrary int ention appears:

member of the Forces means a male indigenous inhabitant of Papua New Guinea or of an island in the Pacific Ocean (other than an island forming part of the territory of a State) who served during the war in the Defence Force at a rate of pay less than the minimum rate of pay that was prescribed as payable to a male member of the Australian Military Forces and whose service has been terminated by discharge or death.

the Defence Force has the same meaning as in the Defence Act 1903-1941.

the war means the war which commenced on the third day of September, One thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine, and includes any other war in which His late Majesty became engaged after that date and before the third day of September, One thousand nine hun dred and forty-five.

  The benefits, advantages and assistance for which a member of the Forces and his dependants are, or shall be deemed at any time to have bee n, eligible under the law of the Commonwealth by reason of, and after the completion of, the service of the member in the Defence Force during the war are those which are provided:

 (a) by and under this Act; and

 (b) by and under the War Gratuity Act 1945-1947;

and no others.

 (1) Where the incapacity or death of a member of the Forces:

 (a) has resulted from any occurrence that happened during the perio d of his service in the Defence Force during the war; or

 (b) has arisen out of or is attributable to that service;

the Commonwealth is, subject to such conditions as are prescribed, liable to pay or grant to the member of the Forces and, subject to the regulations, to his dependants pension or compensation at such rates or of such amounts as are provided for in the reg ulations.

 (2) Where:

 (a) a member of the Forces is suffering from an incapacity or has died;

 (b) the origin of the cause of the incapacity or death existed before the commencement of his service in the Defence Force during the war; and

 (c) the incapaci ty was contributed to in any material degree, or was aggravated, by the conditions of that service, or the death was contributed to in any material degree by those conditions;

the incapacity or death, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be attributable to that service.

 (3) The Commonwealth is not liable under the preceding provisions of this section if the incapacity or death of the member of the Forces:

 (a) was due to his serious default or wilful act;

 (b) arose from intentionally self -inflicted injuries; or

 (c) arose from, or from an occurrence that happened during the commission of, a serious breach of discipline by the member of the Forces.

  In addition to the benefits for which provision is made by the last preceding section, members of the Forces and their dependants are, subject to such conditions as are prescribed, eligible for such other benefits, advantages and assistance as are prescribed.

  Any pension, compensation or other benefit that has been paid to or provided for a member of the Forces or the dependant of a member of the Forces by the Commonwealth before the commencement of this Ac t shall be deemed to have been validly paid or provided, and the amount or value of that pension, compensation or other benefit may be taken into account for the purposes of this Act.

  Subject to this Act, a pension is absolutely inalienable, whether by way or in consequence of sale, assignment, charge, execution, bankruptcy or otherwise.

  There are payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is appropriated accordingly, pensions, allowances and other pecuniary benefits under the regulations the rate or amount of which, or the maximum rate or amount of which, is fixed:

 (a) by the regulat ions;

 (b) by reference to a rate or amount fixed by the regulations; or

 (c) by reference to a rate or amount fixed by the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

 (1) The Governor -General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act, and, in particular, p rescribing matters for or in relation to:

 (a) the making and determination of claims for pensions, compensation or other benefits under this Act; and

 (b) determination of the persons who shall, for the purposes of any of the provisions of this Act and th e regulations, be deemed to be dependants of members of the Forces.

 (2) The regulations may make provision for different pensions, compensation, benefits, advantages or assistance in respect of different classes of members of the Forces or dependants of m embers of the Forces.

 (3) In lieu of specifying a rate of pension or an amount of compensation the regulations may, in respect of persons within any prescribed class of members of the Forces or dependants of members of the Forces, authorize the Minister t o determine a rate or amount not exceeding such rate or amount as is specified in the regulations.

 (4) The regulations may make provision for or in relation to:

 (a) the payment of any pension, compensation or monetary benefit under this Act to a per son on behalf of, or as trustee for, the person to whom the pension, compensation or benefit is payable under this Act where a prescribed authority is satisfied that, having regard to the age, infirmity, ill -health or improvidence of the person to whom the pension, compensation or benefit is payable, it is expedient that payment of the pension, compensation or benefit should be so made, or where the person to whom the pension, compensation or benefit is payable consents to payment of the pension, compensati on or benefit being so made; and

 (b) the disbursement or accumulation of pension, compensation or benefit so paid for the benefit of the person to whom it is payable under this Act or for the benefit of persons dependent on that person.

Notes to the Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957

Note 1

The Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957 as shown in this compilations comprises Act No.  89, 1957 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Native Members of the Forces Benefits Act 1957

89, 1957

12 Dec 1957

1 June 1961 (see Gazette 1961, p. 2088)

 

Native Members of the Forces Benefits Act 1965

109, 1965

18 Dec 1965

S. 3: 1 June 1961 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 1961, p. 2088)
Remainder: Royal Assent

S. 4

Statute Law Revision (Decimal Currency) Act 1966

93, 1966

29 Oct 1966

1 Dec 1966

--

Native Members of the Forces Benefits Act 1968

8, 1968

8 May 1968

8 May 1968

--

Native Members of the Forces Benefits Act 1972

138, 1972

2 Nov 1972

2 Nov 1972

--

Repatriation Acts Amendment Act 1974

90, 1974

31 Oct 1974

S. 6: 4 June 1975 (see Gazette 1975, No. S102)
Remainder: Royal Assent

S. 52(2)

Repatriation Acts Amendment Act 1981

160, 1981

30 Oct 1981

Ss. 19, 30-42, 43(2) and 58(1): 1 Nov 1981
Ss. 21 and 92(1): 1 Jan 1982
Ss. 25, 26 and 92 (2)-(4): 1 Feb 1982
Ss. 27 and 58(2): 4 Feb 1982
Ss. 60(2), 61, 62, 75 and 92(5): 12 Nov 1981
Part IX (ss. 90, 91): 1 July 1979
Remainder: Royal Assent

--

as amended by

 

 

 

 

Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986

27, 1986

19 May 1986

22 May 1986 (see Gazette 1986, No. S225)

--

Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment Act 1987

78, 1987

5 June 1987

S. 77: Royal Assent (a)
S. 78: 22 May 1986 (a)

--

(a) The Papua New Guinea (Members of the Forces Benefits) Act 1957 was amended by sections 77 and 78 only of the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment Act 1987 , subsections 2(1) and (2) of which provide as follows:

 (1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

 (2) Sections 4, 5 and 6, subsection 9(2), sec tions 11 and 12, subsection 22(1), sections 23, 30, 31 and 32, subsection 37(1), sectins 41, 42, 43, 44, 46 and 47, subsection 49(1), sections  51 and 53, subsections 54(1), 55(2) and 56(2), sections 57 and 58, subsection 59(1), sections 60, 67 and 70, subsection 72(1) and sections  78 and 80 shall be deemed to have come into operation on 22 May 1986.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed       rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Title....................

am. No. 90, 1974

S. 1....................

am. No. 90, 1974

S. 3....................

am. No. 109, 1965; No. 8, 1968; No. 138, 1972; No. 90, 1974, No.  160, 1981 (as rep. by No. 27, 1986)

S. 3A...................

ad. No. 160, 1981 (as rep. by No. 27, 1986)

S. 4....................

am. No. 90, 1974; No. 160, 1981 (as. rep. by No. 27, 1986)

Ss. 5-7.................

am. No. 90, 1974

S. 8....................

am. No. 78, 1987

S. 8A...................

ad. No. 90, 1974

 

am. No. 160, 1981 (as. rep. by No. 27, 1986); No. 78, 1987

S. 9....................

am. No. 93, 1966; No. 90, 1974

 


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