AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

CEMETERIES ORDINANCE 1961

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

No. 13 of 1961

	This amendment of the Cemeteries Ordinance affects the current provisions of the Ordinance concerning the holding of office by trustees, the exercise of their powers and accounting arrangements of funds received by the trustees.

	At present the funds received by the trustees under the Cemeteries Ordinance comprise a Parliamentary appropriation for the provision and maintenance of the Canberra Cemetery, fees and charges payable in respect of services provided under the Ordinance and donations and contributions received for the maintenance in perpetuity or otherwise of graves, vaults or portions of the cemetery.  The accounting of these funds is presently carried out by the Department of the Interior on behalf of the trustees.  The trustees are subject to the control of the Minister on the expenditure of moneys received by them under the Ordinance.  It is considered desirable that the trustees should be given full financial independence and should assume responsibility for their accounting arrangements.  Consequent upon this a number of amendments have been effected to the Ordinance which will permit the exercise of the trustees’ functions without control by the Minister or Executive Government.

	Clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the amending Ordinance effect necessary alterations to the holding of fees by trustees and the exercise of their powers.

	The new accounting provisions are contained in clause 6.  Under these provisions the trustees will assume responsibility for all amounts received under the Ordinance and the expenditure thereof.  The accounts will be subject to inspection by the Auditor-General and the trustees are required to report to the Minister as soon as practicable after each 30th day of June on their operations during the year ended on that date.