Conservation Council

86 The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().7 September 2002). Can the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water advise—will the contract between the Department for Environment and Water and the Conservation Council SA be made public?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Climate, Environment and Water has advised:

In accordance with Premier and Cabinet Circular 27 relating to disclosure of government contracts, the requirement to disclose does not arise.

Circular 27 defines the circumstances under which a public authority is required to disclose a contract between itself and another party. 'Eligible' contracts include those involving the expenditure of public funds of $500,000 or more and less than $4,000,000 and 'significant' contracts are those involving the expenditure of $4,000,000 or more. As the contract between the Department for Environment and Water and the Conservation Council involves expenditure of $250,000 it is neither 'eligible' nor 'significant'.