Government Senators' Report
Conduct of the inquiry[1]
1.1
The Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in
Achieving Australia's Skills Needs) Amendment Bill 2006 was introduced to the
House of Representatives on 30 March
2006, and it was referred to this committee on 11 May 2006, through the Selection of Bills
Committee. The committee's inquiry was advertised on 12 and 17 May, and one
submission was received. This came from the Department of Education, Science
and Training.
1.2
The Bill seeks to amend the Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia's
Skills Needs) Act 2005, which sought to implement a 2004 election promise
for the establishment of 25 Australian Technical Colleges (ATC's) intended to
offer courses to up to 7,500 year 11 and 12 students in 24 nominated regions
across Australia. College locations are set out in the table below.
|
NSW |
Central Coast (Gosford);
Dubbo; the Hunter; the Illawarra;
Lismore/Ballina; Port Macquarie; Queanbeyan; Western Sydney |
|
NT |
Darwin |
|
QLD |
Gladstone;
Gold Coast; North Brisbane; North
Queensland (Townsville) |
|
SA |
Adelaide
(2 ATCs); Whyalla/Port Augusta |
|
TAS |
Northern Tasmania |
|
VIC
|
Bendigo;
Bairnsdale/Sale; Eastern Melbourne; Geelong;
Sunshine; Warrnambool |
|
WA |
Perth
South; Pilbara |
Purpose of the bill
1.3
This Amending bill seeks to do two things. First, to
reallocate funding from 2008 and 2009 to 2006 and 2007. This is made necessary
by the faster than expected establishment of colleges in several locations, and
the fact that several had to be established from scratch rather than through
incorporation with existing schools. The Department submitted that twenty ATCs
are expected to be in operation by February 2007. The measure to shift funds
between program years has no financial impact because the total amount of funds
is unchanged at $343.6 million. Details of the changes in appropriation for
individual years are contained in the table below.[2]
|
|
2005
$m |
2006
$m |
2007
$m |
2008
$m |
2009
$m |
Total
$m |
|
Current
Appropriations |
15.810 |
47.950 |
84.034 |
101.419 |
94.380 |
343.593 |
Proposed
Appropriations |
15.810 |
110.000 |
110.000 |
55.000 |
52.783 |
343.593 |
1.4
Second, the bill seeks to introduce a regulation-making
power to enable funding changes between program years, without requiring an
amending act of parliament. As usual, regulations made under the power are
subject to disallowance by either House under the provisions of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. Thus,
no dilution of parliamentary accountability will result.
Recommendation
The committee recommends that the bill be passed without amendment.
Senator Judith Troeth
Chairman
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