Dr Nathan Church
New funding for commemorations
As part of its ‘Anzac Centenary Program’, the Australian
Government has announced $35.5 million in funding for the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to provide for further commemoration services.[1]
This is in addition to approximately $140 million already committed by the
Government for DVA to administer the overall program.[2]
The $35.5 million in new funding includes $9.1 million allocated for 2015–16,
with a slight increase the following year before a peak in 2017–18 of almost
$11.5 million.[3]
In total, DVA has $88.7 million in budgeted funding for its
War Graves and Commemorations program (including Anzac Centenary
commemorations) in 2015–16.[4]
Comparisons with other nations’
commemorations
According to Monash University academic Dr Carolyn Holbrook,
the British and French governments are each spending $90 million on commemorating
the centenary of the First World War, while Germany is spending $7 million and
Canada is not spending any new specific money.[5] This broadly correlates
with figures noted in a Financial Times article from July 2014.[6]
Specific projects
Sir John Monash Centre
The Abbott Government’s commitment to establish the Sir John
Monash interpretive centre at Villers-Bretonneux in France is the single most
expensive element of Australia’s ‘Centenary of Anzac’ commemorations, at a cost
of over $100 million. According to the Department of Defence’s ‘Budget
snapshot’, the Government has committed $18 million in 2015–16 and $89 million
across the forward estimates to construct the centre.[7]
However, no specific expenditure for the centre is recorded in the 2015–16
Department of Defence Portfolio Budget Statements, only a statement that ‘the
cost of this measure will be met from within existing resourcing of the
Department of Defence’.[8]
The 2015–16 Defence ‘Budget snapshot’ states that ‘the
Government has previously announced it would provide initial funding of $2.8
million in the Budget to commence the establishment of an Australian
interpretive centre at Villers-Bretonneux’.[9] In fact, this $2.8
million in funding (for what was to ultimately become the Sir John Monash
Centre) was actually announced almost a decade earlier in April 2007 by Prime
Minister John Howard, following an earlier commitment of approximately $300,000
in the 2006–07 DVA budget for a ‘strategic and design study for an interpretive
centre on the Western Front’.[10]
Despite the initial progress of the project announced by
Prime Minister Howard—the full construction of which reportedly had been
projected to cost up to $35 million—the Rudd Government shelved the project in
2009 due to the impact of the ‘current financial environment’, with then
Veterans’ Affairs Minister Alan Griffin noting that other commemorative centres
on the Western Front had cost between $2–3 million.[11]
Accordingly, it was indicated in February 2009 during Senate Estimates that DVA
would probably return more than half the $2.8 million allocated for preliminary
work on the centre, which remained unspent.[12]
However, through the support of Liberal Party leader Tony
Abbott in both Opposition and as Prime Minister, the project has now been
renewed, with anticipated completion by 25 April 2018.[13]
Approximately $6.9 million was allocated in the 2014–15 DVA budget in ‘initial
funding’ for the centre, while the 2015–16 DVA budget includes almost $10.9
million across the forward estimates in expenses related to the centre, notably
in managing the project. An additional $88.6 million in capital costs will be
met by the Department of Defence.[14]
Anzac Centenary Public Fund
Established in June 2013, this fund provides an opportunity
for corporate and public donors to support Anzac Centenary commemoration
projects, as distinct from any federal government funding. These projects
include spending of up to $48 million in redeveloping Anzac Square in Brisbane,
the Hyde Park Memorial in Sydney and the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.[15]
According to its 2015–16 portfolio budget statements, DVA’s administered
Special Account for the fund received an estimated $24 million in 2014–15, of
which all was transferred out of the account in payments.[16]
DVA also anticipates approximately $22.4 million to be allocated in payments
from the fund in 2015–16, with an additional $36.6 million in expected payments
across the forward estimates—making a total of approximately $83 million.[17]
Anzac Day commemorative services at
Gallipoli
The annual Anzac Day commemorative services held at
Gallipoli cost approximately $5.8 million in 2014–15, which included prior
planning work and management of related reviews and research.[18]
This is almost $800,000 below the amount noted in the previous year’s budget.[19]
However, the 2015–16 budget estimate for this event will be slightly higher
than the previous year at $5.9 million, despite the centenary of the Anzac landings
having already occurred.[20] This amount is almost
double the $3.1 million noted in the previous year’s forward estimates.[21]
[1].
Australian Government, ‘100 years of Anzac’
website; Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Key
2015–16 Budget initiatives, p. 2.
[2].
Australian Government, ‘Frequently
Asked Questions’, 100 years of Anzac website.
[3].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: budget related paper no. 1.4B: Defence Portfolio
(Department of Veterans’ Affairs), p. 26.
[4].
Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Key
2015–16 Budget initiatives.
[5].
C Holbrook, ‘ANZAC
spirit, modern warfare and marriage’, Q&A, transcript,
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), 27 April 2015.
[6].
J Smyth, ‘Australia’s
First World War commemorations raise questions’, Financial Times online,
30 July 2014.
[7].
Department of Defence, ‘Budget
2015–16: Defending Australia and its national interests’.
[8].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: budget related paper no. 1.4A: Defence Portfolio,
p. 18.
[9].
Department of Defence, ‘Budget
2015–16’, p. 3.
[10].
J Howard (Prime Minister), Western
Front interpretive centre, media release, 24 April 2007; Australian
Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2006–07: budget related paper no. 1.4B: Department of
Veterans’ Affairs (Defence Portfolio), p. 37.
[11].
Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Official
Committee Hansard, 31 May 2007, p. 164; J Massola, ‘Plans
for $35m war memorial ditched’, Canberra Times, 21 January 2009, p.
1.
[12].
Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Official
Committee Hansard, 25 February 2009, p. 142.
[13].
T Abbott (Leader of the Opposition), Address
to the 2012 RSL national conference, Sydney, media release, 25
September 2012; T Abbott (Prime Minister), Address
to the Anzac Day National Ceremony, Australian War Memorial, Canberra,
media release, 25 April 2014; T Abbott (Prime Minister), Sir
John Monash Centre design unveiled, media release, 26 April 2015.
[14].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2014–15: budget related paper no. 1.4B: Defence Portfolio
(Department of Veterans’ Affairs), pp. 26–7; Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: (DVA), op. cit., pp. 25 27.
[15].
Australian Government, ‘Anzac Centenary Public
Fund’, 100 years of Anzac website.
[16].
Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16 (DVA), op. cit., p. 72.
[17].
Ibid., p. 67.
[18].
Ibid., p. 70.
[19].
Portfolio
budget statements 2014–15 (DVA), op. cit., p. 70.
[20].
Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16 (DVA), op. cit., p. 70.
[21].
Portfolio
budget statements 2014–15 (DVA), op. cit., p. 70.
All online articles accessed May 2015.
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