House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Housing Trust HOUSING TRUST Dr McFETRIDGE House of Assembly Morphett HOUSING TRUST 626 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15 October 2013). In reference to 2013-14 Budget Paper 4, vol. 1, p. 93—What is the explanation for Note (b) to the program summary which states 'that the 2013-14 Budget does not include a reduction of $79 million in the SAHT grant following the partial write-off of SAHT’s debt with the Treasurer'? The Hon. A. PICCOLO House of Assembly Light Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion Minister for Social Housing Minister for Disabilities Minister for Youth Minister for Volunteers HOUSING TRUST The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers): I have been advised: The benefit arising from the write-off of the South Australian Housing Trust's (SAHT) debt, less $50 million for new projects, has been returned to the state government via reductions to the SAHT's land tax reimbursement grant. This will occur over the four-year period 2013-14 to 2016-17, with an annual reduction of $79 million in the grant amount that would otherwise be payable. The SAHT receives its land tax reimbursement grant from the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI), which in turn receives it as an appropriation from the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) before paying it to the SAHT. At the time the 2013-14 Budget Papers were finalised, the reduction in the SAHT's land tax reimbursement grant had not been made in the agency budget numbers, due to the approval of this arrangement late in the budget process. Note (b) essentially advises of this issue, by stating that the published figure still includes a $79 million reduction that, at the time, was yet to occur. The SAHT and DCSI budgets have since been updated by the DTF to include all adjustments arising from the debt relief arrangements.