Estimates Committee A - Answers to Questions Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia Estimates Committee A - Answers to Questions published Estimates Replies State Government Concessions STATE GOVERNMENT CONCESSIONS The Hon. I.F. EVANS House of Assembly Davenport STATE GOVERNMENT CONCESSIONS In reply to the Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (26 June 2013). The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Minister for State Development Minister for the Public Sector Minister for the Arts STATE GOVERNMENT CONCESSIONS The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts): I have been advised of the following: The Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) and the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) do not forecast concessions recipient numbers to estimate concession expenditure across the forward estimates. Estimated actual and emerging spending is escalated by an appropriate indexation factor (generally growth in the relevant population and any price changes). Adjustments are also made for any policy changes where appropriate. The table below provides a breakdown of the total budget for concessions across the forward estimates. To provide this breakdown, some assumptions, including previous years' actual results and information on estimated water usage by eligible concession recipients, have been used to determine the split between the water, sewerage and council rate concessions as they are recorded together in a single expenditure line. In addition, some concessions do not result in an actual expenditure but are delivered via lower than otherwise charges payable (i.e. revenue foregone by the government). Concessions—2013-14 Budget 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 $m $m $m $m Energy concession (a) 33 34 34 35 Water concession 39 39 40 41 Council rate concession 29 29 29 29 Sewerage concession 13 13 13 13 Emergency Services Levy concession 7 8 8 8 Public transport concession 63 64 66 68 Save the River Murray Levy concession 6 6 6 7 Stamp duty on CTP insurance concession 13 14 14 14 Other concessions (b) 28 27 28 29 Total (c) 231 234 238 243 (a) Includes the medical heating and cooling concession. (b) Includes motor vehicle registration and drivers licence concessions and other concessional assistance such as the spectacles scheme. (c) Totals may not add due to rounding. The table below outlines estimated recipient numbers for all concessions across the forward estimates. These estimates are implied based on budgeted expenditure (and revenue forgone) and expected concession levels: Estimated concession recipients by concession type (a) 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 000s 000s 000s 000s Energy concession 205 207 209 211 Water concession 192 194 196 198 Council rate concession 173 175 177 179 Sewerage concession 122 124 125 126 Emergency Services Levy concession 163 165 166 168 Public transport concession 602 608 614 620 Save the River Murray Levy concession 152 153 154 156 Stamp duty on CTP insurance concession 223 226 228 230 (a) Motor vehicle registration and drivers licence concession recipients cannot be derived accurately as fees vary depending on circumstances i.e. the number of engine cylinders for motor vehicle registrations and number of years for drivers licence renewals.