Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-08-29 Daily Xml

Contents

Landscape Administration Fund

293 The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().29 August 2023). Can the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water advise:

1. What is the cause and explanation of the variance attributed to the Landscape Administration Fund's actual inflow, forecast inflow, and budget spend:

(a) for the year 2021-22?

(b) for the year 2022-23?

2. What is the cause and explanation behind the budget forecast being above average for a second year running?

3. How much money was distributed in projects into the regions through the Landscape Priorities Fund for 2022-23?

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:

1. (a) Appropriation cash inflow budget for the Landscape Administration Fund in 2021-22 included provision of $8.610 million for a working capital mechanism. This is available to the landscape boards to allow them to receive funding in advance of receiving levy income in September, should they require it to meet their fixed costs. In 2021-22 no landscape board requested to utilise the working capital mechanism. Accordingly, the appropriation and expenditure budgets were reduced, which accounts for the difference between the original budget vs the actuals and estimated result.

(b) Appropriation cash inflow budget for the Landscape Administration Fund in 2022-23 included provision of $8.825 million for a working capital mechanism. This is available to the landscape boards to allow them to receive funding in advance of receiving levy income in September, should they require it to meet their fixed costs. In 2022-23 no landscape board requested to utilise the working capital mechanism. The appropriation and expenditure budgets were reduced, which accounts for the difference between the original budget vs the actuals and estimated result.

2. The original budget for the Landscape Administration Fund includes provision for a working capital mechanism. If the landscape boards do not require access to this working capital mechanism, there is a reduction to appropriation and expenditure budgets during the year, which impacts the actuals and estimated result.

3. In 2022-23, $3.945 million was distributed from the Landscape Priorities Fund for projects in the regions.