Chapter 1Introduction
1.1On 4 February 2025, the Senate referred the following documents to the Environment and Communications Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2025; and
Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2025.
1.2A reporting date of 25 March 2025 was set for the committee’s report to the Senate on its consideration of the 2024-25 additional estimates.
Portfolio Coverage
1.3In accordance with a resolution of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (Communications and the Arts functions only).
1.4A list of the agencies, independent statutory bodies and officeholders for which the committee has oversight is available at Appendix 1.
Hearings
1.5On 28 November 2024, the Senate resolved that the committee’s additional estimates hearings would be held from 24 to 25 February 2025, with a cross portfolio estimates hearing on Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters on 28February 2025.
1.6One 24 February 2025, the committee examined the outcomes and agencies of the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio.
1.7On 25 February 2025, the committee examined the Communications and the Arts outcomes and agencies of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio.
1.8On 28 February 2025, the committee held a hearing on cross portfolio Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters.
1.9The committee heard evidence from the following ministers:
Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade, representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for the Arts
Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for Cities and Emergency Management, representing the Minister for Communications and the Minister for Environment and Water.
1.10Evidence was also provided by the following departmental secretaries who were accompanied by officers of the portfolio departments and agencies:
Mr David Fredericks, Secretary, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and
Mr Jim Betts, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
1.11The following agencies were not required to appear:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Director of National Parks;
Office of the Supervising Scientist;
Offshore Infrastructure Registrar;
Offshore Infrastructure Regulator; and
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio
Australian Film, Television and Radio School;
Australian National Maritime Museum;
Bundanon Trust;
Classification Review Board;
Museum of Australian Democracy;
National Archives of Australia;
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia;
National Library of Australia;
National Museum of Australia;
National Portrait Gallery of Australia;
Screen Australia; and
Special Broadcasting Service Corporation.
1.12The following outcomes and agencies were requested by the committee, but were subsequently released from the program:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Australian Institute of Marine Science;
Clean Energy Regulator;
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; and
Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in relation to Outcome 6: Participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression; and
National Gallery of Australia.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.13In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee set 24 March 2025 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information.
1.14Written answers and information provided to the committee in response to questions on notice are tabled in the Senate and posted on the committee’s website. Links to the transcripts of the public hearings and to answers, tabled documents and additional information are available from the committee’s website.
Supplementary Budget Estimates 2024-25: timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.15The committee’s 2024-25 Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings examined the outcomes and agencies of the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio on 4 November 2024, the Communications and Arts outcomes and agencies of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio on 5 November 2024 and cross portfolio Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters on 8 November 2024. An additional hearing to examine the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was held on 21November 2024 under the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio.
1.16Answers to questions on notice were set for the following dates:
Hearings held on 4, 5 and 8 November 2024: 19 December 2024; and
Hearing held on 21 November 2024: 9 January 2025.
1.17The committee received answers to 250 of the 372 questions taken on notice for the 4 and 8 November hearings for the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio by the due date of 19 December 2024. The remaining answers were received by 8 January 2025.
1.18The committee received answers to 143 of the 194 questions taken on notice for the 5 November 2024 hearing for the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio by the due date of 19December 2024. The remaining answers were received by 6 February 2025.
1.19The committee received answers to all of the 14 questions taken on notice for the 21 November 2024 hearing for the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio by the due date of 9 January 2025.
Records of proceedings
1.20This report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during the hearings. However, it does provide a list of some of the key issues that were canvassed by the committee for each portfolio.
Note on references and additional information
1.21References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard. Page numbers may vary between the proof and official Hansard transcript.
