Treasury and Finance Department

303 The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (25 July 2018). Did the Treasurer instruct the Department of Treasury and Finance to cease funding or providing Job Accelerator Grants after 19 March 2018?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier): I have been advised:

The Treasurer has not instructed the Department of Treasury and Finance to cease funding or providing the Job Accelerator Grants for eligible jobs. The Job Accelerator Grant is being applied and administered in accordance with the guidelines as announced by the former government.

The Job Accelerator Grant (the grant) is available to a business that creates one or more new positions between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2018 which results in a net increase to the total employment level of the business. There are two grant amounts available:

1. an amount of up to $10,000 ($5,000 each year for two years) for each new full-time equivalent position created by a business liable for payroll tax in South Australia with total annual Australian wages of up to $5 million. The grant is pro-rated for a business that hires a part-time or casual employee; and

2. an amount of up to $4,000 ($2,000 each year for two years) for each new job created by a business not liable for payroll tax, including those with total annual Australian wages below $600,000. A new employee must work an average of at least 22 hours per week for a business to be eligible for this grant.

If the relevant position was created for an apprentice or trainee, the payment for the position would increase by $5,000 ($2,500 each year for two years). The increased grant amount applies to all businesses eligible for the abovementioned base grants.

A business has up to 90 days to register for a grant following the creation of an eligible position.

The last date for creating eligible positions was 30 June 2018 and it is expected that applications will continue to be received up until the end of September 2018.

The grant is paid to a business following the first and second employment anniversaries of an eligible position that is maintained over this period.

If a position is only maintained between 12 months and two years, a business is not required to repay the grant that they received for the first anniversary of employment.

The government will continue to pay grants on the first and second anniversaries of employment for eligible maintained positions.