AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORT

In reply to Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (11 November 2008).

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management): In response to the question from Mr Williams, I wish to clarify some initial matters prior to providing the details in respect of individual projects.

This question relates to both the Minister for the River Murray's portfolio and my portfolio responsibilities.

The member has referred to 'cash reserves' and referenced this as page 1495 however the amounts that the member has referred to relate to Note 31 of the Department's financial statements dealing with 'Restrictions on Contributions', which appears on page 1522 of the Auditor-General's Report.

The amount of $60.4 million refers to contributions that had been recognised as revenues in the Income Statement and are yet to be expended in the specified by the contributors.

The Restrictions on Contributions of $60.4 million pertain to the following commitments, which are due to be spent over time. These figures, in turn, were derived from the annual Cash Alignment reconciliation, which was provided to the Department of Treasury and Finance for the balance date at 30 June 2008:

The estimated date for completion of the projects will vary depending on the nature of the funds held.

The Save the River Murray Fund balance is substantially committed for 2008-09 in terms of the Living Murray initiative environmental water recovery as is the Living Murray Fund, where the targets of 35 GL and $65 million in expenditure are to be et by 30 June 2009. Similarly, the River Murray Environmental Flows Fund is anticipated to be expended, or alternatively fully committed by 30 June 2009.

Other programs will be ongoing for a number of years yet and the corresponding cash meets these program commitments.