UNIVERSITY VICE-CHANCELLORS

In reply to Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (10 November 2010).

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education): The 'guidelines' referred to in the Auditor-General's report are the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Financial Statement Guidelines for Australian Higher Education providers for the 2009 Reporting Period. These guidelines prescribe the form of the financial statements approved by the Australian Government Minister under section 19-10(2) of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA), section 108 of the Higher Education Funding Act 1988 (HEFA) and section 58 of the Australian Research Council Act 2001 (ARCA) and are available through DEEWR.

These guidelines do not prescribe how a Vice-Chancellor's remuneration is to be determined.

The remuneration of University Vice-Chancellors and senior staff is the responsibility of individual University Councils. In determining the remuneration of a Vice Chancellor, benchmarking against the general market as well as the University sector is considered in conjunction with organisational factors including the size of the university as determined by its revenue, staff and student numbers, number of campuses, research profile etc.