The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Public Service Amendment (Supporting a Regional Workforce) Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) Canberra was established to be the Commonwealth seat of Government, administration and policy support;
(b) more than 60 per cent of the Australian Public Service is located outside of Canberra, serving the needs of communities around Australia; and
(c) the proposed relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority from Canberra to Armidale demonstrates the adverse impact of the Government's ad hoc decentralisation decisions on the Canberra community and economy and effective and efficient government; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) commit to a cost-benefit analysis of its proposed decentralisation strategy and make the outcome of that analysis available to the public;
(b) agree that:
(i) decisions regarding decentralisation should only be made subject to an open and transparent public consultation process and take into account the outcome of a cost benefit analysis; and
(ii) any decentralisation of Government agencies is based on a demonstrated net benefit to the nation and does not come at the expense of the Canberra community and economy and effective and efficient government; and
(c) protect the Sir Robert Menzies vision of Canberra as the Commonwealth seat of Government, administration and policy support and a 'worthy capital' that Australians can admire and respect.
I cannot honestly say that I liked Canberra very much; it was to me a place of exile; but I soon began to realize that the decision had been taken, that Canberra was and would continue to be the capital of the nation, and that it was therefore imperative to make it a worthy capital; something that the Australian people would come to admire and respect; something that would be a focal point for national pride and sentiment. Once I had converted myself to this faith, I became an apostle …
The seat of Government of the Commonwealth shall be determined by the Parliament, and shall be within territory … granted to or acquired by the Commonwealth … and shall be in the State of New South Wales and be distant not less than one hundred miles from Sydney.
I really want to stress that we are not talking about forced redundancies. We are talking about not replacing everyone who leaves; that's all.
That this House:
(1) recognises the widespread devastation in Lismore caused by flooding associated with Cyclone Debbie;
(2) acknowledges the hard work of the state emergency services, rural fire services, police, fire brigades and Australian Defence Force and other emergency services in responding to the recent flooding and damage caused by Cyclone Debbie in numerous communities in Northern NSW and Queensland; and
(3) congratulates the Australian Government, in conjunction with the NSW and Queensland governments, on their swift response to this event.
Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay) Bill 2017
… reinforce the notion that penalty rate pay is central to the livelihoods of significant portions of the Australian workforce, and is vitally important to local economies around the country.
Wage growth remained at record lows …
… the lowest on Bureau of Statistics figures that go back to the late 1990s, and probably the slowest rate of pay rises since the last recession.
In South Australia the study estimates that:
… A partial abolition of penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors would result in:
Workers in Rural South Australia losing between $34.7 million p.a. and $66.2 million p.a. …
Biosecurity Amendment (Ballast Water and Other Measures) Bill 2017
Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017
Disability Services Amendment (Linking Upper Age Limits for Disability Employment Services to Pension Age) Bill 2017
Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017
Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017
Personal Property Securities Amendment (PPS Leases) Bill 2017
Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Polar Code) Bill 2017
Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan No. 2) Bill 2017
Social Security Legislation Amendment (Youth Jobs Path: Prepare, Trial, Hire) Bill 2016
Messages from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the bills.
That the House take note of the report.
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
… the Government has received advice from the Solicitor-General, Mr Justin Gleeson SC, that, in his opinion, there is a good prospect that a majority of the High Court would reject a constitutional challenge to the core aspects of the draft Bill.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2017-2018
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Fund the liabilities—
If you rob capital or earnings from the Future Fund, taxpayers will have to make up the difference. You are passing our bills, our obligations, from our generation to the next. This will limit their future.
First is the glaring fact that all good tax systems tend to go bad. Unless restrained by the people in some effective way, governments are unable to live with a good working, moderate tax system …
Second, the most challenging problem of our age is whether or not civilization can extricate itself from its own tax self-destructiveness. If we don't address that problem, I believe our children in the next century will …
The destructiveness is not just economic, it endangers more important matters of the human spirit—
Third, the one common denominator of all good tax systems (before they went bad) has been moderation. This principle was riven to us by the ancients as the ideal of the good life and of good government … Aristotle arranged a long list of moral qualities in triads. Virtue was a middle ground between extremes, called vices.
… in 2019-20, for one year only, the budget tells us that number will drop to 0.9 per cent, before bouncing back to 2.1 per cent.
That curious dip, for one year only, is enough to push down the projected 2019-20 deficit from $10.5 billion to $2.5 billion and to turn what would have been a deficit in 2020-21 into a surplus.
We must choose to tackle cost of living pressures for Australians and their families.
Startups and entrepreneurs, once seen as the heart of the `Ideas Boom' and the government's economic agenda, were not mentioned in the Treasurer's speech at all.
These are, in the political and economic sense, the middle class. They are for the most part unorganised and unself-conscious. They are envied by those whose benefits are largely obtained by taxing them.
Individual enterprise must drive us forward. …
But what really happens to us will depend on how many people we have who are of the great and sober and dynamic middle-class - the strivers, the planners, the ambitious ones. We shall destroy them at our peril.
our greatest political disease - the disease of thinking that the community is divided into the relatively rich and the relatively idle, and the laborious poor, and that every social and political controversy can be resolved into the question: What side are you on?
Now, the last thing that I would want to do is to commence or take part in a false war of this kind. In a country like Australia the class war must always be a false war.
A Labor budget would stand up for middle-class and working-class families, instead of taking their money in raised taxes and giving it to millionaires …
Bob Hawke and Paul Keating changed Australia from industrial museum to a modern, outward looking, competitive economy.
Access to low-cost reliable energy is a source of competitive advantage for Australia. This low cost is driven by ready access to relatively inexpensive sources of energy, especially coal.
Australia enjoys some of the lowest stationary energy prices in the developed world. These prices have been an important factor in Australia’s national prosperity, underpinning energy-intensive industry and providing cheap reliable energy to businesses and households.
The demand for thermal coal exports around the world is in rapid decline … Indeed, the demand for thermal coal exports from Australia is actually in decline …
The value of Australia's thermal coal exports is expected to grow by 28 per cent in 2016-17 and total $19 billion.
The outlook for growth in Australia's thermal coal exports is positive over the medium term. Significant gains in export values are expected in the short term … Moderate increases in thermal coal export volumes are expected to offset … resulting in strong export earnings. Australia's thermal coal export volumes are forecast to increase …
Many of these matters involve deliberate tax evasion, often using overseas tax havens or complex corporate structures to avoid detection and recovery.
… to have two separate organisations in the same station makes no sense [because] CFA and MFB work on different radio frequencies, they're different organisations, different training.
… gives peace of mind to people with disability that funding for the scheme is secure…
Paying for the NDIS through the Medicare levy will put funding for the NDIS beyond doubt.
It seems to us that people do understand that it's a fair way to do it …
… needs to look in the face, people whose lives are second class, and say, 'I regard me getting into power is more important than your life.'
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2017-2018
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2017-2018
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2017-2018
Well it’s not a question of good or bad. I mean, they were measures that we thought, which we believed had merit.
I support introducing co-payments for general practitioner pathology and diagnostic imaging services in the Medicare Benefits Schedule. I support the reforms to higher education. I support the changes to family payment reform.
We know there are some GPs that are changing their billing practices and that commences today, on July 1. The reality is that there are a lot of GPs who decided they could probably take the hit for a couple of years but they are saying enough’s enough.
The Medicare Guarantee Fund—
is nothing more than a rebadging exercise: it changes the badge on a policy in the hope people might think it is a new policy.
In 2017, a new focus on preventive health will give people the right tools and information to live active and healthy lives.
The Bundaberg SDA was established in response to a growing demand for land for port-related and industrial activities around the Port of Bundaberg. The Bundaberg SDA could help facilitate economic growth and employment opportunities in the Bundaberg and Wide Bay Burnett regions.
As Minister Nash outlined in Senate question time today, the 'Better Start to Life' investment in the 2014-15 budget will commence from July 2015. It will include:
… … …
The Australian Government has committed $40 million under the Better Start to Life approach to progressively expand the ANFPP from three sites to 13, by 30 June 2018.
I am a 26-year-old currently residing in Botany with my family.
You are probably thinking I am a bit too old to still be living at home but the reality is, as much as I would love to move out, I simply can't afford it.
Upon completing my degree in 2014 I hoped that I would have enough money to purchase a unit or townhouse close to my family, work for a few years and save up enough so that when I returned to part-time work to complete my second degree I would be able to cover my mortgage and other expenses with no issue.
This had been my dream … since I was 8 or 9. Sadly, when the time came I did the maths and there was no way that would be possible. I quickly learnt I would not even be able to survive, not even on a full-time salary.
I visited the new development at Pagewood last weekend in my futile search for something for my daughter.
1 bedroom apartments start at $750,000 … There is no way our kids can get in to this market and get a roof over their heads
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Buchholz ) took the chair at 10:30.
We would love to think that Toowoomba has built a reputation of being a creative city and will continue to embrace that long beyond our time with the festival …
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) pursuant to a decision of the 2016-17 federal budget, the Department of Social Services is currently undertaking a redesign of the Strengthening Communities grants program, to be known as the Strong and Resilient Communities grants program from 1 January 2018;
(b) the Strengthening Communities grants program currently provides around $18 million per year to projects which address disadvantage and build opportunity in communities around Australia;
(c) under the current grants program, there is a specific funding stream for volunteer management programs, which in 2017 will fund volunteer support services in local communities to a total of around $7.4 million;
(d) the Department of Social Services has proposed that this volunteer management stream of grants funding will be abolished from 1 January 2018, meaning volunteer support services will be forced to compete with other worthwhile community services and removing any guarantee that they will be funded at all;
(e) this is the latest reduction in funding allocated to volunteer management since the decision was made to transfer responsibility for volunteering from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Department of Social Services in 2014, a move which volunteering peak bodies and representatives opposed; and
(f) the national peak body for volunteering, Volunteering Australia, states that this move will 'rip the heart out of local volunteer support services', which play an important role in Australian communities by leading volunteers in a wide variety of organisations and services, from the human services and the arts to environmental, animal welfare and sporting groups;
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) approximately 5.8 million Australians, or 31 per cent of the population, volunteer, with Dr Lisel O'Dwyer of Flinders University estimating their annual contribution to Australia as $290 billion;
(b) volunteering plays an important role in delivering the priorities of the Government, with volunteers contributing many thousands of hours per year to the aged care workforce, the disability services, schools and hospitals, art galleries, libraries and sporting clubs—bolstering economic participation, mitigating isolation and loneliness and increasing social inclusion and participation;
(c) while volunteering is defined as 'time willingly given, for the common good and without financial gain', it does not happen free, and requires the investment of resources in volunteer support services in order to maintain a professional, responsive and efficient volunteer workforce; and
(d) the withdrawal of funding to volunteer management services will threaten the viability of the thousands of volunteering organisations and will have a huge impact on the community; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) congratulate community-based volunteer support services for the work that they do to support strong, healthy and resilient Australian communities through an effective and professional volunteer workforce, and
(b) recognise the importance of funding volunteer management services and Volunteering Australia's campaign to retain funding for volunteer management as part of the federal budget.
… while volunteering is defined as 'time willingly given, for the common good and without financial gain', it does not happen free, and requires the investment of resources in volunteer support services in order to maintain a professional, responsive and efficient volunteer workforce …
Public enterprises have much more to do with stuffing featherbeds for their management and staff than they do with their public interest.
… will rip the heart out of local volunteer support services.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
That this House:
(1) congratulates the Australian Government for its sensible and pragmatic approach to ensuring energy security and affordability in Australia;
(2) acknowledges that balancing our energy supply through the use of clean-fired coal, renewable energy sources and liquefied gas will be key to the Australian Government's approach;
(3) notes that:
(a) Queensland is home to a number of coal-fired stations and is advancing a number of renewable energy projects, placing it in a prime position to become an energy hub; and
(b) the coal industry directly employs over 44,000 people and pays over $5.7 billion in wages and salaries; and
(4) condemns the Federal Opposition and Queensland Government for their reckless and unrealistic renewable energy targets of 50 per cent, which only serve to threaten energy security and jobs, as well as drastically escalate the cost of electricity for individuals, businesses and industry as a whole.
If you look at today's future energy prices, we're still almost 30 per cent higher than the eastern states. Businesses constantly tell us it's affordability that's the No 1 issue followed by reliability. Businesses are looking to how to better manage their staffing levels due to overall costs.
The budget does little more on energy than endorse the government's deal with Senator Nick Xenophon on corporate tax cuts …
Australia enjoys some of the lowest stationary energy prices in the developed world. These prices have been an important factor in Australia's national prosperity, underpinning energy-intensive industry and providing cheap reliable energy to businesses and households.
… for its sensible and pragmatic approach to ensuring energy security and affordability in Australia;
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) Australia's cities require investment and leadership from the Government to deal with a number of pressing challenges, especially urban congestion;
(b) Infrastructure Australia has estimated that urban congestion will cost $53 billion in lost productivity by 2031 if left unaddressed; and
(c) public transport is essential for the realisation of the vision of 30 minute cities;
(2) notes that a number of factors contribute to the worsening of urban congestion, including:
(a) Australia's transition to a knowledge intensive economy, which means employment opportunities continue to cluster in the CBDs of our cities;
(b) high house prices that have seen key workers, single person households and families on very low and middle incomes struggle to find homes close to work, resulting in drive-in drive-out suburbs in nearly all capital cities; and
(c) the rapid growth of Australia's cities, which will see the four largest capitals—Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth—increase their population by 46 per cent and Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin increase their population by nearly 30 per cent by 2031; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) use evidence-based policy to support investment in the infrastructure that is required to reduce urban congestion in Australia's cities; and
(b) use the upcoming budget to provide investment for public transport projects listed by Infrastructure Australia as priorities, some of which have suffered funding cuts under the Coalition Government, including the Metro Trains Melbourne, the Cross River Rail, Western Sydney Rail, the Gawler rail line upgrade, and the AdeLINK tram network.
…the Budget confirms the cut to 'real' budgeted capital funding to its lowest level in more than a decade—using a mix of underspend, re-profiling and narrative to cover this substantial drop in real capital expenditure.
… has a number of outstanding concerns with the Cross River Rail business case and we have advised the Queensland government of these concerns.
We are working with the Queensland government to address these and we hope to be able to finalise our evaluation when they are addressed.
The project aligns with Infrastructure Australia’s strategic priorities to ‘increase productivity’, ‘expand productive capacity’ and ‘build on Australia’s global competitive advantages’ through delivering a more efficient freight network.
For Josh Wilson to call the Perth Freight Link ridiculous could send investments—both Government and private—away from Fremantle.
Why can’t Fremantle residents have faster access to Fiona Stanley Hospital, to the freeway and to the airport? Why can’t people from the South-West have faster access to Fremantle?
Why can’t we reduce pollution by building a highway that eliminates stop-start traffic lights?
… … …
With the anti-development brigade calling the shots, the future of Fremantle doesn’t look very bright.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the easy access of violent sexually explicit material online poses a risk to our children's wellbeing; and
(b) authoritative research has linked regular consumption of pornography by adolescents depicting violence with increased degrees of sexually aggressive behaviour; and
(2) calls on our community to work together to:
(a) increase awareness that exposure to graphic images can influence children's attitude towards sexual behaviour;
(b) encourage open discussions within families; and
(c) utilise the services of the eSafety Commissioner's online iparent website to increase awareness of how families can keep safe online.
That this House:
(1) condemns the shocking findings uncovered by the Victorian Inquiry into the Labour Hire Industry and Insecure Work, including revelations of widespread underpayment, workplace health and safety breaches, maltreatment of workers, and tax avoidance in Victoria;
(2) welcomes the 35 recommendations made by the inquiry in its final report (August 2016);
(3) commends the Victorian Government for:
(a) establishing the inquiry; and
(b) committing to a labour hire licensing scheme in response to the inquiry's final report; and
(4) calls on the Australian Government to:
(a) investigate the operation of the labour hire industry Australia-wide; and
(b) commit to developing a national response to widespread exploitation in the industry based on findings.
Our nation has been vastly enriched by faiths of every tradition, each contributing its own unique and special thread to the multicultural fabric of our society.
Carol believed in me at times when I didn't believe in myself and she encouraged me to be whoever and whatever I wanted to be …
That this House:
(1) recognises that the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP):
(a) has been operating since 1948;
(b) aims to promote and support English language skills for new migrants and humanitarian entrants;
(c) is the Government's largest English language program;
(d) provides English language training for new members of the Australian community; and
(e) provides essential life skills for all eligible new migrants and humanitarian entrants;
(2) acknowledges the importance of the AMEP in delivering foundation English language skills to newly arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants to prepare them for work and participation in Australian society; and
(3) notes:
(a) that last year more than 59,000 new migrants and humanitarian entrants benefited from training delivered by the AMEP; and
(b) this Government's ongoing support for the AMEP, in the interests of all Australians.
The class is like a family - The teacher makes the class very enjoyable - I feel relaxed and happy.
Without expert teaching, refugees' and migrants' once-in-a-lifetime English entitlement will be wasted. The best these classes can produce will be stigmatised speakers of 'broken' English on a road to discrimination, unemployment and social isolation.
This downgrading directly contradicts the findings of the Government's most recent review of the AMEP.
"This sign—
says TAFE is home," … "And that is exactly what TAFE means to me and my family."
… … …
"Both my wife and I are learning English here," …
"I want to go on and become a mechanic. TAFE is the best place for me to continue my studies.
"I rent a house close to TAFE. A lot of other students do also.
"I'm scared of the changes. It is bad for all of us."
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the pivotal and vital role that our schools play in preparing our children to be active and contributing citizens;
(2) notes:
(a) that school education is an essential component in providing children with the skills and knowledge they need to reach their full potential, including academic, social and communication skills; and
(b) the important work that schools undertake to ensure that students are prepared for the challenges of further study and working life, especially in new emerging technological and scientific fields;
(3) acknowledges and thanks school leaders, teachers and support staff for their dedication, commitment and professionalism in ensuring not only that every child learns, but is also nurtured and cared for; and
(4) further notes:
(a) that the one factor that makes the biggest difference in a child's learning is the quality of their teachers;
(b) the challenges faced by teachers and support staff in providing individual care and assistance to students who are struggling with various aspects of their school life; and
(c) the need for governments to fully support teachers in this important work.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) Israel is a legitimate democratic state and ally of Australia;
(b) Australia remains committed to Israel's right to exist in peace and security, and continues to support a peaceful two-state resolution for the Israeli-Palestinian issue;
(c) Australia and Israel have a unique relationship supported by a commitment to the rights and liberty of their citizenry, the rule of law and a pluralist society underpinned by mutual respect;
(d) there is a concerning collapse of the traditional support among Australia's political parties for the path to a peaceful agreement between the State of Israel and the Palestinians for a two-state solution; and
(e) the culture within the Australian Labor Party (ALP) regarding foreign policy is deteriorating, aided by high profile party figures who perpetrate enduring myths about the causes of instability in the Middle East; and
(2) calls on the ALP to:
(a) reject the empty symbolism within the politically correct interpretation of issues in the Middle East; and
(b) condemn senior figures within it who have called for Australia, independent of any agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
Labor supports an enduring and just two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the right of Israel to live in peace within secure borders internationally recognised and agreed by the parties, and reflecting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to also live in peace and security within their own state.
The best way the world can honour Mr Rabin is to push ahead with the work that he began. For Australia's part, we will continue to give our full support to the peace process. Our support for Israel's right to exist in security and safety will remain a guiding principle of our policy.
For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once again—and make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.
In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican—visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible—including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
I believe this is used as a line to hide behind; it does not get past that.
Such declaration would properly indicate willingness to agree in principle to the recognition of the Provisional Government of Israel, and at the same time willingness to recognize de facto the Arab authorities in actual control of Arab Sections of Palestine.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) according to the UNHCR, the number of displaced people fleeing from war, conflict or persecution is the highest since World War II, and includes around half a million refugees and asylum seekers in South East Asia;
(b) the increase in the number of people seeking asylum in recent years and the decrease in the number of third country resettlement places being offered in 2017 means that refugees face waiting more than a decade before they are able to safely restart their lives;
(c) during the Leaders' Summit on Refugees and Migrants at the United Nations in New York City in 2016, the Canadian Government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Open Society Foundations launched a joint initiative to increase the private sponsorship of refugee resettlement around the world;
(d) since the late 1970s, the Canadian Government has facilitated the resettlement of more than 275,000 refugees through private sponsorship by individuals, community groups and private sector organisations; and
(e) the previous Australian Government initiated a community sponsorship program in Australia in 2012 and the current Australian Government committed to making this program permanent during the Leaders' Summit on Refugees and Migrants; and
(2) calls on Australian governments, businesses and community organisations to explore ways to use private sponsorship to expand the resettlement of refugees in Australia through formal channels.
That this House notes:
(1) the Government's $220 million commitment to fixing mobile phone blackspots in regional Australia;
(2) that rounds 1 and 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Program have led to many positive outcomes for regional and remote Australians through the rollout of 765 towers; and
(3) that when in Government, Labor failed to set aside appropriate funds to help improve mobile phone coverage in regional and remote Australia.
"A re-elected Coalition government will immediately invite mobile network operators … to provide coverage in the identified locations at the earliest opportunity," …
Will the Minister provide a timeframe for the Government's implementation of 18 of the
25 recommendations in the report From conflict to cooperation: Inquiry into the Child Support Program (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, 20 July 2015) that it agreed to in full, part or principle in its response presented on
31 August 2016.
In the 2017-18 Budget, the Government announced its response to three priority recommendations made in the Committee's report.
This Budget measure will address long-standing issues in the child support scheme relating to care disputes (Recommendation 8), amended tax assessments and child support agreements (Recommendation 12) and payee overpayments (Recommendation 22).
The changes relating to care disputes and amended tax assessments will have a start date of 1 January 2018, while changes relating to child support agreements and overpayments will have a start date of 1 July 2018.
In relation to the remaining recommendations that would require amendment of the child support legislation, the Government is considering potential proposals for future implementation.
(1) Will the Government lift the freeze on the indexation of the Financial Assistance Grants in the 2017-18 budget.
(2) What sum was saved by each local government area (LGA) as a result of the freeze on Financial Assistance Grants, and can this be provided as a list by LGA.
(3) What sum of funding was provided to local governments through tied grants programs in each financial year since the freeze, under which Government program was it provided, and can this be provided as a list by LGA.
(4) What were the administrative costs for the Commonwealth of the grants programs identified in response to part (3).
(5) Has modelling been done on the costs for local governments that are required to apply for grant funding, and can this be published.
(6) In respect of the Government doubling payments to local governments under its Roads to Recovery Programme in 2015-16, (a) was this additional funding brought forward from future years of the program, and (b) will the funding in future years be maintained at the higher level.
(1) Indexation will resume on 1 July 2017, as announced in the 2017-18 Budget.
(2) The 2014-15 Budget estimated the pause on indexation under the Financial Assistance Grant program would save $925 million from 2014-15 over the forward years.
Individual council allocations are determined by independent jurisdictional Local Government Grants Commissions in each state and Northern Territory. As the Australian Government does not have access to the complex methodologies used to calculate individual local government allocations it is unable to provide savings figures by local government area as a result of the pause on indexation.
(3) Roads to Recovery payments for 2014-15 to March 2017 provided in Allocation and Payment Summary Report from IMS in Excel format Attachment A. The Department has excluded the Black Spot programme and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme as the Department regards these as payments to the states.
(4) The Department is not able to provide a breakdown of the administrative costs associated with the programmes identified in the response to part (3) as the Department is unable to extract reliable or very verifiable figures.
(5) The Department has not conducted any modelling on the costs to apply for grant funding.
(6) (a) No.
(b) In the 2016 Budget, the Australian Government committed to an extension of the Roads to Recovery programme, with a further $50 million funding per annum from 2019-20 onwards, bringing the annual commitment to $400 million.
Attachments
Attachment A – Roads to Recovery payments for 2014-15 to March 2017
ATTACHMENT A
Roads to Recovery payments for 2014-15 to March 2017
(1) In respect of the Government announcing that his department would begin the review of Australia's climate change policies in February 2017 with the release of a discussion paper, was the discussion paper released in February; if not, when will it be released for public consultation.(2) Has funding been set aside for the review; if so, what sum.(3) Will the review assess the impact of policies on (a) jobs, (b) investment, (c) trade competitiveness, (d) households, and (e) regional Australia; if so, will this involve public consultation.(4) How will the Government ensure close engagement with business and the community in regional Australia.(5) Will public hearings be held; if so, where.(6) Will consultation be done internally or by a consultant.(7) What is the timeline for consultation.(8) How will the outcomes be reported.(9) Will the report be made public.
1. On 24 March 2017 the Department of the Environment and Energy released a discussion paper for public consultation.
2. The review is being conducted by the Department of the Environment and Energy as a part of its normal departmental operations. There is no separate budget allocation.
3. As stated in the terms of reference, the review:
a. will consider the impact of policies on jobs, investment, trade competitiveness, households and regional Australia.
b. will involve close engagement with business and the community, beginning with consultation on a discussion paper. As at Wednesday 17 May 2017, the Department has met with over 200 stakeholders across electricity, the built environment, resources, waste, transport and land and agriculture, and the community sectors.
4. The discussion paper invited submissions from business and the community.
5. The general public was able to contribute to the review by making a submission on the discussion paper.
6. The Department has conducted the consultation with the business and the community sectors regarding the review.
7. The public were invited to make a submission on the discussion paper by 5 May 2017. The Department continues to consult with business and the community regarding the review.
8. How the Government communicates the outcomes of the review has yet to be determined.
9. How the Government communicates the outcomes of the review has yet to be determined.
(1) Will he consider the establishment of a successor program to the National Landcare Programme?(2) Will he ensure that funding for any successor program is no less than that made available under the existing National Landcare Programme.(3) Will he ensure that funding provided for special purposes, such as water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, is not at the expense of other national priorities.(4) Does he support the vital work of the 56 regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) bodies in Australia, and will he ensure these bodies continue to have a central role in the delivery of any future Government investment into Landcare and natural resources management.(5) Does he acknowledge that the comparatively small NRM organisations operating over huge regions in the Australian rangelands have special needs that need to be recognised in program design if they are to remain viable and effective.
(1) Yes, I have considered the next phase of the National Landcare Program. The Australian Government has been investing in natural resource management programs for over
25 years, enabling communities to take practical action towards improving their local environment and achieving sustainable agriculture outcomes.
(2) In the 2017-18 Budget, the Government allocated $1.1 billion from the National Heritage Trust over seven years from 2016-17 to 2022-23 for continuation of the National Landcare Program.
(3) The National Landcare Program will address a range of environmental, sustainable agriculture and Indigenous outcomes.
(4) I recognise the important contribution of regional organisations and local communities in assisting Australia to realise its national environmental priorities and international obligations. The Government has announced ongoing investment in regional delivery.
(5) I recognise the challenges of operating in rural and regional Australia. These challenges are being considered in the design elements of the Program going forward.
(1) What infrastructure projects were fully or partially funded by the department between December 2007 and September 2013.(2) For each project, (a) on what date (i) was the funding approved, (ii) did construction commence, (iii) was the facility commissioned, (b) what sum of Commonwealth funding was provided, (c) what was the total final cost, and (d) from what program was the funding sourced.
(1) See attachment A which provides the name of the program, the total number of projects for that program and the total Commonwealth funding for that program. To include details around the specific projects within each program would involve an unreasonable diversion of department resources.
(2) To attempt to provide this level of detail would involve an unreasonable diversion of departmental resources.
ATTACHMENT A
* Total Commonwealth funding includes a component of administration funding.
Notes: