Railways Standing Committee (also known as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways)

Establishment and Function

The Railways Standing Committee was a joint committee of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. It was originally constituted under the Railways Standing Committee Act 1890 (No.1177). The purpose of the committee was to:

(1) consider and report upon all Railways ... to be executed after the commencement of this Act in all cases where the estimated cost of completing any such work exceeds twenty thousand pounds and whether such works are continuations, completions, repairs, reconstructions, extensions or new works.

(2) In considering and reporting on any such work as aforesaid, the Committee shall have regard -

(a) to the stated purpose thereof;

(b) to the necessity or advisability of carrying it out; and, where such work purports to be of a reproductive or revenue producing character, the Committee shall have regard to the amount of revenue which such work may reasonably be expected to produce; and

(c) to the present and prospective public value of such work;

and generally the Committee shall, in all cases, take such measures and procure such information as may enable them to inform or satisfy the Legislative Assembly as to the expediency of carrying out the works in question.

[S.12 (1)-(3)].

The Committee comprised varying numbers of members appointed by both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. The Committee was also commonly referred to as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways.

Abolition of the Committee

The Railways Standing was abolished by the Public Works Committee Act 1935 (No.4288). This Act established the Public Works Committee which effectively conducted the work of the former Railways Committee.

Location of Records

Records of the Railways Standing Committee are listed below.