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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-15 Daily Xml
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Auditor General's Report

Auditor-General's Report

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:32): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable the report of the Auditor-General for the year ended 2015-16 to be referred to a committee of the whole and for ministers to be examined on matters contained in the report for a period of one hour's duration.

Motion carried.

In committee.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I thank the minister for agreeing to start with SA Water. My first question is in relation to the Adelaide Desalination Plant operating contract, and I am referring to Part B: Agency audit reports, page 428, under Adelaide Desalination Plant operation and management contract, which states that the annual cost of this contract in 2015-16 was $21 million. Further, on page 432, under Expenses, the last dot point there refers to a reduction from $24 million in the previous year to $21 million. Can the minister advise whether that is actually a fixed cost annually or does it fluctuate and what are the parameters on which it would fluctuate?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: As the honourable member said, the expenditure for the ADPOM and power supply contracts reduced from $24 million in 2014-15 to $21 million in 2015-16. This was primarily due to reduced water production. So, it follows from that then that it will fluctuate, determinant on the production of water at the time.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Is the nature of the contract a per volume contract? It is not a fixed contract annually and it is likely to fluctuate year on year depending on production?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that the contract is in two parts: part of it is fixed and that fixed cost component really covers the cost of staff, assets and maintenance, and the plant being available 24/7. The variable part of the contract basically deals with those parts that you would expect would vary in terms of volume: so electricity costs, for example, and the cost of chemicals that are used in the water filtration.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Similarly, on page 433—this is in relation to SA Water generally—there is a dot point there that electricity costs increased in 2014 due to the ADP commencing operations, but decreased in 2015-16 with a reduction in the use of the ADP. Further over the page, the second dot point refers to renewable energy and says that in 2015-16 expenditure for operational power, including relevant used renewable energy certificates, was $17 million, and in the previous financial year it was $22 million. Can the minister advise how much the energy expenditure was overall for that particular financial year in question and the previous financial year? We have the information in here in relation to renewable energy certificates, but not in relation to electricity costs overall.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I advise the chamber that I need to take that question on notice and bring back a response.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On page 428, under Automation Panel review, there is a sentence that says, 'SA Water uses various remote access and automation technology to manage its network.' Can the minister provide information about what remote access technology SA Water uses? Does that include its use for leak detection?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that there is a continual monitoring department in Victoria Square, in the SA Water building—centrally monitored. At the pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants, we monitor continuously the pressure in certain systems and the levels of water or wastewater. The chemical consumption at the time and the electricity consumption are also monitored at the pumping stations or the wastewater treatment plants.

If there is a sudden drop of pressure, for example, we might then consider that there has been some sort of breakdown—possibly a leak—and we would have to send people out physically to confirm that. There is that level of monitoring at a central level but that is of the pumping stations and the wastewater treatment plants. It is not extended throughout the pipe network, of course.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On page 436, there are references to increases in assets in 2016. There was some $330 million in acquisition of various assets and capital expenditure on a range of items. Does the government anticipate that there will be any impact on the regulated asset base into the future because of this increase?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: This is an area for the Treasurer, of course. My understanding is that the regulated asset base is set once, so it is not impacted after that point. The regulated asset base is set at a particular point in time and adjustments are made based on that regulated asset base. We do not adjust that operation through Treasury on the basis of increases or decreases in our operating assets base.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: My last question for SA Water is in relation to page 441, and some discussion about pricing orders and ESCOSA. There is an assumption of 190 gigalitres per year of consumption. Can the minister explain what would happen if that assumption were higher or lower? What impact would that have on water pricing?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that it is impossible to give an answer to this hypothetical. Of course, ESCOSA's calculations would be completely different, but at any point if the assumed consumption was less or more we would have to go back and reconsider all the business operations concurrently with that changed assumption and re-evaluate what we put to ESCOSA.

There is no easy answer to give to that. ESCOSA would change its calculation, but that is not the real answer: the real answer is how you build your business case and how you vary that. Essentially, you base it on your historical average consumption, taking into account variations for dry years versus wet years. That is the best you can do.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I refer to the first page of the DEWNR section, page 113. The number of FTEs is roughly 1,610. We may well have asked something similar in estimates, but can the minister provide the number of staff who are based regionally as opposed to in the CBD office and, separately, how many are NRM staff as opposed to DEWNR staff?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that there are approximately 900 in the CBD and 800 in regional SA. I cannot provide figures now on how many would be NRM, so I will have to bring that back.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Page 118, and water licence and levy revenue. The audit identified matters in relation to the WILMA clearing account (not being of the Flintstone variety). Can the minister provide more details about what those transactions relate to and what the value is?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I am advised that the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources raised approximately 14,300 invoices for water levies, penalty charges and meter rentals for the 2015-16 financial year. The total invoice value was approximately $14.9 million.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: There are a couple of items—and, again, we may well have put these questions in estimates as well—which relate to water purchases and sales. There is one in the substantive report (which is Part B) on page 121, under Income, 'a $7 million increase in other income reflecting a $7.9 million increase in water sales due to a one-off sale of water entitlements in 2015-16'. Further, in Volume 2 of the Appendix, page 147, there is an item which is Environmental water purchase. I think these are separate items: this is, in 2016, $807,000. Can the minister provide more detail on those particular items?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: In January 2014, a process was put in place for South Australia to meet water transfer milestone obligations under the National Partnership Agreement on the South Australian River Murray Sustainability Program. A process was also put in place by the Department of Primary Industries and Resources to negotiate contingency arrangements with the Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources for the acquisition and transfer of water access entitlements of up to 6.03 gigalitres of long-term average annual yield water.

These water access entitlements enable the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to meet water transfer milestone commitments in 2013-14 and to thereby receive milestone payments from the commonwealth of $11.2 million. Additional expenditure authority of $8.42 million was provided to DEWNR in 2013-14 by the Department of Treasury and Finance to fund the purchase of 4.03 gigalitres of long-term average annual yield water from the market.

I entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries that outlined the transfer and return of water between our agencies in 2014-15. When the MOU was signed, it was intended that DEWNR would enter the water market and sell the water access entitlements within the 2014-15 year. Proceeds from the sale, expected to be in the order of $8 million, were to be returned to the Department of Treasury. As at 30 June 2015, DEWNR was not able to sell water to raise sufficient funds to return to DTF.

During 2015-16, DEWNR negotiated with PIRSA for the transfer of water entitlements sufficient to meet the revenue measure. In May 2016, DEWNR sold 3,200 megalitres of South Australian environmental water to the commonwealth for the purpose of bridging the gap to the Sustainable Diversion Limit target. Proceeds from the sale were returned in full to the Department of Treasury and Finance in June 2016. So, in essence, we were acting as a broker for PIRSA.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Yes, I think this was touched on in estimates. Is that South Australian water with the commonwealth environmental water holder now or which agency?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advise is yes.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In relation to the lease arrangements for DEWNR, there are a couple of items. There is one on the opening page, page 113, that states that a $22.1 million lease incentive was recognised for DEWNR's new CBD accommodation. Further, on page 122, under Liabilities, there is an increase to liabilities, which refers to a $22.5 million increase in other liabilities due mainly to the recognition of a lease incentive, etc., due to the office accommodation. Can the minister explain what this lease arrangement consists of and perhaps what those matters in here mean?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources has relocated to 81-95 Waymouth Street, Adelaide. There are approximately 897 DEWNR staff and 17 staff in the Office of Green Industries SA who have relocated to the site. As a result, DEWNR has recognised a $22.1 million lease incentive, which represents the aggregate cost of the incentives provided and is amortised over the lease term of 12 years on a straight-line basis. I am also advised that approximately $3.8 million has been provided rent free, to be amortised over the 12-year period of the lease contract. Over the 12-year lease term, cost savings in the order of $30 million are also expected to be made from reductions in lease costs, space savings, cleaning costs and power expenses over the 12-year lease.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: On page 120, there is reference to contractor expenses. Can the minister advise what projects contractors were used for and how many contractors' positions were turned into permanent staff and in what section?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: We do not have that level of detail for the honourable member, so we will have to bring that back.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Page 110 of Part B, under Income, states, 'There has been a decreasing trend in the solid waste tonnage that has been offset by an increase in solid waste levy rates.' Can the minister advise what the government attributes the decreasing trend in solid waste tonnage to?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: There are two aspects to this: one is it is an indication, I suppose, that the waste levy is doing its work in making sure that waste is no longer dumped at landfill if there is an economic value in that waste, so it is being recovered. Additionally, there is, I think, a decline in building construction waste over that period as well.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I thank the Minister for Correctional Services for taking these questions I will ask on behalf of the shadow minister in another place. I refer to Part A: Executive summary, page 23, prisoner beds and prisoner numbers. On the first line on page 23 it says that, by 30 June 2016, there were 2,954 prisoners. However, there was only a total of 2,861 prisoner beds, a shortfall of some 93 beds. My question is: where were these additional 93 prisoners housed, given the shortfall in prison beds?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I thank the Leader of the Opposition in this place. There are a number of facilities throughout the state that have the capacity to accommodate what are termed surge beds. Those surge beds exist at a number of facilities across the state and when there are more prisoners in the custody of the department of corrections that exceeds the number of approved beds, then there is capacity for surge bed arrangements for those numbers.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Given that we were 93 prisoners over the number of beds, what is the projected increase in both prisoner beds and prisoner numbers over the next 12 months and, for that matter, over the next three or four years?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: As at 30 June this year, I am advised that the number of approved beds sits at 2,861, which I think is consistent with the number the leader has. Of course, over the course of the next few years we are adding capacity with a range of additional public works and additional beds coming online. As at 30 June 2017, that number increases to 3,131 and then, beyond that, at 30 June 2018, again I am advised that that number goes to 3,243.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: But does the agency or the department have a prediction? Sadly, we do. I know you often talk about having record numbers of police and driving down crime but, nonetheless, I expect there will be some growth in the number of prisoners. What is factored in for the growth in the number of prisoners that we will have in our system over that period of time? The minister said that we will have 3,243 prison beds in about three or four years' time, but what is the likely number of prisoners?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: It is not an exact science to be able to predict how many people in the future will commit crime, but the department does undertake a substantial effort to try to reasonably make projections around those forecasts. I am advised that the department's forecast does provide for a daily average prisoner number that is less than the number of approved beds on that date of 30 June 2018.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Earlier in my questioning I asked the minister where the 93 extra prisoners were held. I think I was asking my colleague the Hon. Michelle Lensink to check with the Hon. John Darley at that time whether he had any questions. I did not hear all of the answer, but my recollection of what you said was that those prisoners are housed in various parts of the state. Can you outline where those areas are, including in my own country town of Bordertown. I am sure there are no prisoners housed in the police station or the cells there, so I am sure that there are facilities that you deem to be good enough to hold people in an overflow. Can you tell us where they are?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am happy to shed some light on the major sites, such as Cadell Training Centre, Mount Gambier Prison, Port Augusta Prison, Port Lincoln Prison, Yatala Labour Prison, the City Watch House and also Holden Hill.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: So, you actually have temporary accommodation, shall I say, in all those facilities? Obviously, Cadell, Mount Gambier Prison and Yatala are all what I would determine as fit for purpose buildings and facilities for housing prisoners, but you have some elasticity and some temporary accommodation there and also at Holden Hill. Is that right?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Yes, that is my advice; that is correct.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Just quickly, while I am on Holden Hill, obviously the larger prisons have catering facilities, etc., for meals for prisoners. I know I have visited some prisons where they have kitchenettes, where they prepare their own meals. In places like Holden Hill, how is the food provided? Is it prepared on site or is it takeaway food? It has been reported that McDonald's and some of the other types of food are occasionally served. Is that accurate, or how is that food provided?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I just wanted to double-check this because I thought this was the case, but I can confirm that my advice is that there are catering facilities within the prison system, and clearly, as you articulated, including places like Yatala, which is predominantly self catered. In fact, it is quite a good exercise as a way of upskilling prisoners who are often engaging in acquiring skills related to being a chef and the like. Take Holden Hill, for instance, in the question that you asked, that is catered for from Yatala Labour Prison. It is literally transported to Holden Hill for the provision of those prisoners.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: So, the prisoners at Holden Hill are never served McDonald's or KFC or takeaway food when they stay there?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: What I can say is that the people who are at Holden Hill are principally catered for from Yatala Labour Prison.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: But I do want to know whether we provide takeaway food for these people or whether it is food that is always provided from Yatala and there is never takeaway food served at Holden Hill.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: What I am advised is that there is certainly no systematic or regular or scheduled provision of food at, for instance, Holden Hill prison. I am not in a position to confirm right now whether or not there may have been an issue on one particular day. Clearly, the provision of food for people in the state's custody is a pretty important priority, to make sure that people have access to a form of food, but again the practice is for food to be supplied from Yatala Labour Prison and that is essentially what takes place.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: One final question on this issue if I may: with the increased number in beds, does the minister have at his fingertips, or his adviser, the actual budgeted cost or the likely cost of the increase in accommodation over the period that he described earlier in his answer?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am advised that the total cost for that bill that I referred to was $127 million.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: My next question refers to Part B: Agency audit reports, page 72, and the reference is correctional services. The Auditor-General has highlighted that total prisoner numbers have increased by 42 per cent since 2012. You may have already answered this, minister, but just again, what is the expected increase in the total prisoner numbers to be achieved over the forward estimates? I know you said it was not an exact science but what are you expecting?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am not familiar with this particular part specifically referred to in the Auditor-General's Report but I am advised that the daily prisoner population projection in 2017-18 is 3,141.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: How many prisoners have been sentenced to court-ordered home detention and are now under DCS supervision since the laws came into place on 1 August 2016? My understanding is that it is still page 72 of Part B: Agency audit reports.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Just for my indulgence, I was wondering if the Hon. Mr Ridgway would specifically refer to whereabouts in the Auditor-General's Report it refers to sentenced home detention, where he is drawing that question from.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I am reading some questions prepared for us by other members of the team. It says that it refers to Agency audit reports, page 72, correctional services. I guess it is in relation to the Auditor-General's highlight that the total number of prisoner numbers has increased by 42 per cent since 2012. A follow-on question from that is: how many prisoners have been sentenced to court-ordered home detention and are under supervision of DCS since the laws came into place on 1 August 2016? So, it is a related question to the number of prisoners in detention.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am advised that as at 6 November 2016 there were 35 offenders who have commenced sentenced home detention.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: So, you say there were 35. Do you expect the numbers in home detention to increase over the next four years, and what level of home detention—if it is 35 now, where would you see the rest going?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: These are not questions that can relate in any way to the Auditor-General's Report. The honourable member is asking the minister to speculate about the future, but the purpose of the Auditor-General's examination is to consider the report of the Auditor-General and ask questions specifically related to that, not to ask ministers to speculate on future behaviour.

The ACTING CHAIR (Hon. A.L. McLachlan): Can you tie this to the Auditor-General's Report?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It is just that we do have the minister who is happy to answer just then that we have 35 people, I think it was, in home detention. Surely, his advisor will have some indication of what the likely increase will be? However, if the minister is—

The ACTING CHAIR (Hon. A.L. McLachlan): Well, if the minister—

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Yes, I am happy—we only have 19 minutes left and there are plenty of other questions, so if minister Hunter is going to jump in and insist that—

The ACTING CHAIR (Hon. A.L. McLachlan): Minister, do you want to answer that question or do you want to—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: I want to get my 20 minutes of—

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: No, you won't get 20. I can move on if the acting chair would like me to move on with some other questions.

The ACTING CHAIR (Hon. A.L. McLachlan): The acting chair would really like you to move on.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This is to Part B: Agency audit reports, page 69, correctional services. Has the Mount Gambier Prison contract been extended for another five years?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Again, Mr Chair, thanks for your indulgence, but I want to confirm my recollection. I am advised that the current contract with G4S for the Mount Gambier Prison was due to expire on 30 November 2016. A 12-month contract extension has been arranged in order to facilitate an appropriate procurement process. I am advised that that is underway, and the procurement process is expected to be complete by late 2017.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Thank you for that answer, minister. Does the government expect G4S to meet their KPIs and receive their withholding fee?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Again, this is a question that is in no way related to the Auditor-General's Report.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: You can ask those questions in question time. You really need to look at the Auditor-General's Report and ask questions based on the report, not invite the minister on some sort of walk down a path or another line of questioning.

The ACTING CHAIR (Hon. A.L. McLachlan): I take your point. Do you wish to respond to the point of order?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Given the Auditor-General, in his report, noted discrepancies between some KPIs and G4S reports, how does the government know whether G4S will meet their KPIs?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The process for discrepancies noted during compliance reviews are to be followed up, adequately explained, managed and to be reported to the strategic contracts manager, has been documented and implemented. Supporting documentation will be retained by the strategic contracts manager, when applicable, and presented in contract management meetings. All staff undertaking compliance reviews have been notified of the new process.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Given the Auditor-General noted some discrepancies between KPIs and G4S reports, is there a withholding fee likely to be charged if they fail to address those discrepancies?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am advised that G4S are currently meeting their KPIs, and of course their KPIs are being regularly monitored during those contract management meetings, but they are indeed on track with their KPIs. At this stage there does not appear to be any sort of likelihood that will take place.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: My final correctional services question relates to Part B: Agency audit reports, page 73, correctional services. Can the minister advise why workers compensation claims have increased by $2.5 million?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am advised that the number of claims has not dramatically increased, as that figure may suggest, but rather an actuarial re-evaluation was undertaken and that resulted in an additional increase, consistent with the differential that the Leader of the Opposition refers to.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Referring to Part B: Agency audit reports, page 352, SAPOL purchase cards, the Auditor-General noted that several restricted items were purchased using police purchase cards. What were the restricted items purchased using these credit cards and what was the total value of these items that the Auditor-General noted?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am happy to take that question on notice.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Did I just hear correctly that you will take that question on notice?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Yes.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: If you are not able to answer it, I might ask a couple of other components to that question. The first question I asked was: what were the restricted items purchased and what was their total value? This question is—if you are not able to answer the first, you may take it on notice—in how many instances did this occur? Thirdly, has SAPOL implemented any sanctions and, if so, have any SAPOL employees received sanctions?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I am advised that SAPOL responded positively to the observations and noted that the ANZ Expense Manager system-generated emails will be sent to account holders, supervisors and managers in order to reinforce their responsibilities. I am also advised that SAPOL will also implement sanctions for noncompliance with the general order on the purchase of restricted items.

Internal workflow emails have been sent and all new applicants for purchase cards will only be approved once the employee has completed the online training course, Government Purchasing: Card Using and Improving. All SAPOL purchase cardholders are required to agree and acknowledge their responsibilities when using purchase cards and then process transactions through the ANZ Expense Manager.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Minister, I accept that you require more time to bring back an answer, but when do you expect you will have that information available?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: As reasonably as we can.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I do have a couple of other police questions but, in fairness, given that we only have nine minutes left, I think we should dispense with your adviser. I have two or three questions for the Department of State Development, for the Hon. Mr Hunter representing minister Maher. I refer to Part B: Agency audit reports, Department of State Development, page 447. The Auditor-General stated:

We found that a number of grant reporting requirements were not promptly monitored to ensure the grantee complied with the terms and conditions of the grant. We identified similar issues for several grant programs reviewed.

Given the minister is responsible for the administration of a number of grant programs, can he outline the grant review process that he undertook?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that there is a new grant management system in place that has been implemented by DSD. In the transition process from the old system to the current and new system, those grant programs the Leader of the Opposition referred to were missed. They are being addressed now and being resolved as we speak.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: What has changed from the old system to the new system so that these individuals are not missed?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that previously there was a dispersed model of grant program management across the two agencies that have been brought into DSD. Now there is a centrally based program to manage grants.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Was there a follow up with those who had not complied with the terms of conditions of the grant? If so, what was that process?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that two grants were identified, one for an amount of $5 million and one for $300,000—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Was that $5 million, minister?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Yes, $5 million and one for $300,000—where the grantee did not provide reports by the required dates and there was no evidence of prompt follow-up by the responsible officer. I am advised that the grant for $5 million related to the state's contribution to Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme—as I understand it, a joint commonwealth and state government program. The report was in relation to a progress update. The commonwealth has now provided that report, I understand. I do not have any information about the $300,000 grant, so I undertake to take that question on notice and bring back a reply for you.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: My next question relates to Part B: Agency audit reports, Department of State Development, page 453. Industry and innovation grants include payments for the Our Jobs Plan program, totalling some $12 million, of which $5 million was the first payment of the program that the minister mentioned—the next generation manufacturing works project. Can the minister outline all the grant programs that fit under the minister's portfolio within the Our Jobs Plan? I am sure the minister's adviser can provide him with a nice list.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that, in the Our Jobs Plan, the 2015-16 expenditure was $29.4 million, including $11.7 million relating to Our Jobs planning. That is broken down into the following programs: Next Generation Manufacturing and Investment Programme; Cluster and Entrepreneurships; Automotive Supply Diversification; Business Transformation Voucher; Defence Teaming Centre; Automotive Workers in Transition; expand existing manufacturing works initiatives; the Polaris Centre; and the Southern Suburbs One-Stop Shop.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Now that he has listed those programs, can the minister outline the actual moneys that were allocated to them?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: In terms of the programs and the amount of money that was allocated for 2015-16, I am advised that the amounts are:

Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme, $5 million;

Cluster and Entrepreneurships, $2.45 million;

Automotive Supply Diversification, $1.633 million;

Business Transformation Voucher, $1.57 million;

Defence Teaming Centre, $0.5 million;

Automotive Workers in Transition, $210,000;

expand existing manufacturing works initiatives, $147,000;

Polaris Centre, $100,000; and

Southern Suburbs One-Stop Shop, $50,000.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Have all those funds been spent, or have they just been allocated to the programs and are yet to be spent? Is there any carryover in those funds?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice is that these are the actual amounts that have been spent in those programs.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: How are these programs monitored?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: My advice, essentially, is that the grants programs are all incredibly different. Each program has different characteristics, as you would expect; they are different programs between aerospace versus creative arts versus manufacturing. Some of them—as in the first one I mentioned, the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme, and the $5 million of supplementary grants programs—are grant amounts from the federal government.

There are feedback processes into the department which I mentioned earlier, the centralised reporting period. In terms of the specific programs and how they report back, I do not have that information with me. If the honourable member wants me to take that on notice and bring back a response I can do so. The honourable member indicates yes, so I will do so.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: This is one you may want to take on notice. How many staff within the Department of State Development are involved in the administration of the Our Jobs Plan grants?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I would be very happy to take that on notice.

The CHAIR: The committee has considered the Auditor-General's Report.

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