Audit Amendment Act 1979 (Cth)

Audit Amendment Act 1979

No. 8 of 1979

An Act to amend the Audit Act 1901.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

Short title, &c. 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Audit Amendment Act 1979. (2) The Audit Act 1901 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

Commencement 2. (1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent. (2) Sections 18, 19, 28, 39 and 51 and sub-sections 24(2), (3) and (4) shall come into operation on such date as is, or such respective dates as are, fixed by Proclamation. (3) Sub-section 36(2) and sections 37 and 57 shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation. (4) Sub-section 4(1) shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 1978. (5) The amendment of section 36a of the Principal Act specified in the Schedule shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 July 1978.

Interpretation 3. Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) by inserting after the definition of "accounting officer" the following definition: "'Auditor-General's Office' means the branch of the Australian Public Service under the direct control of the Auditor-General;"; (b) by omitting the definitions of "Department" and "public moneys" and substituting the following definitions: "'Department' means— (a) a Department of State; or (b) a Department of the Parliament, and includes a prescribed authority; 'enactment' means— (a) an Act; (b) an Ordinance of the Australian Capital Territory; or (c) an instrument (including rules, regulations or bylaws) made under an Act or under such an Ordinance; 'information storage device' means— (a) a computer; (b) papers or other materials on which there are marks, symbols, perforations or other indicators having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them; (c) a disc, tape or other device on which information may be stored; or (d) a device, whether electronic or otherwise, capable of storing information; 'officer' means— (a) a person who is employed by the Commonwealth; (b) a person who— (i) constitutes, or is acting as a person constituting, a prescribed authority;