EDUCATION AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

In reply to Mr PISONI (Unley) (30 June 2011) (Estimates Committee B).

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development): The Department for Education and Child Development budget includes costs that can be directly attributed to Program 1—Early Years Education and Care (Birth to Preschool) as well as allocations of other indirect costs incurred by corporate and regional offices and other costs allocated across programs.

These costs will vary from year to year, depending on actual program approvals in previous budgets.

The $8.2 million variation is included in the overall variation for Program 1. The overall variation is due to:

Delivery of the National Partnership Agreements on Early Childhood Education and Indigenous Early Childhood Development with the Commonwealth, and Commonwealth funded Aboriginal Children and Family Centres;

Higher employee expenses from the latest enterprise bargaining agreement;

The Commonwealth funded family day care program;

Commencement of the Government's election commitment to establish ten new children's centres; and

Increase in other expenses which is primarily related to the allocation of workers compensation expense budgets.