Introduction
1.1
On 11 May 2021, the Senate referred the following items to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on
30 June 2022;
Particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022; and
Particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2022.
1.2
A reporting date of 13 July 2021 was set for the committee’s report to the Senate on its consideration of the 2021-22 budget estimates.
Portfolio coverage
1.3
In accordance with a resolution of the Senate on 31 August 2016, as amended on 12 February 2018 and 13 February 2020, the committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Agriculture, Water and the Environment portfolio, excluding Agriculture and Water;
Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio, excluding Industry, Science, and Resources; and
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio, excluding Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.
1.4
A list of the agencies, independent statutory bodies and office-holders for which the committee has oversight is available at Appendix 1.
Portfolio Budget Statements 2021-22
1.5
The Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) 2021-22 for the Agriculture, Water and the Environment Portfolio; the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio; and the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio were tabled in the Senate on 11 May 2021.
Hearings
1.6
On 2 December 2020, the Senate resolved that budget estimates hearings for the committee would occur from 24 to 27 May 2021. The committee subsequently agreed to hold a spillover hearing on 7 June.
On 24 May, the committee examined the environmental outcomes and agencies of the Agriculture, Water and the Environment portfolio.
On 25 May, the committee examined the emissions and energy outcomes and agencies of the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio.
On 26 May, the committee examined the communications and arts outcomes and agencies of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio, continuing its examination of portfolio agencies on 27 May.
Finally, on 7 June, the committee held a spillover hearing to continue its examination of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation which also appeared on 26 May.
1.7
The committee heard evidence from the following ministers:
Senator the Hon Jane Hume, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy and Minister for Women's Economic Security representing the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts;
Senator the Hon Jonathon Duniam, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries and Assistant Minister for Industry Development representing the Minister for the Environment; and
Senator the Hon Zed Seselja, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, representing the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction.
1.8
Evidence was also provided by the following departmental secretaries who were accompanied by officers of the portfolio departments and agencies:
Mr Andrew Metcalfe, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment;
Mr David Fredericks, Secretary, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; and
Mr Simon Atkinson, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
1.9
The following portfolio agencies were not required to appear:
Agriculture, Water and the Environment portfolio
Office of the Supervising Scientist
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio
Australia Business Arts Foundation Ltd. (Creative Partnerships Australia)
Australian Film, Television and Radio School
Australian National Maritime Museum
Classification Review Board
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
National Library of Australia
National Museum of Australia
National Portrait Gallery of Australia
1.10
The Auditor-General is an independent statutory officer with responsibility for auditing Commonwealth entities and reporting to the Australian Parliament. As an officer of the Parliament, the Auditor-General also considers audit requests from members and senators, as well as from parliamentary committees. Committees are able to call the Auditor-General and representatives of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) to appear at estimates hearings to provide comment and insight into matters relevant to Auditor-General reports. As such, the committee called representatives of the ANAO to appear at budget estimates on 24 May during the examination of environmental outcomes and agencies and on 26 May during the examination of communications outcomes and agencies.
1.11
The committee extends its appreciation to the ministers and officers of the departments and agencies who assisted the committee in conducting its
2021-22 budget estimates hearings.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.12
In accordance with standing order 26(9)(a), the committee set 9 July 2021 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information. For the spillover hearing held on 7 June, the committee set the date for the return of written answers as 16 July.
1.13
Written answers and information provided to the committee in response to questions on notice arising from the hearings are tabled in the Senate and posted on the committee's website. Links to the transcripts of these public hearings and to answers, tabled documents and additional information are available at: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/ec.
Additional estimates 2020-21: timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.14
The committee's 2020-21 additional estimates examined the environment outcomes of Agriculture, Water and the Environment portfolio and the emissions and energy outcomes of the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio on 22 March 2021, and the communications and arts outcomes of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio were examined on 23 and 26 March. On 3 May, a spillover hearing was held to continue the examination of the energy outcomes of the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio.
1.15
For the hearings held 22, 23 and 26 March, answers to questions on notice were due to be returned by 7 May 2021. Extensions were granted for some questions on notice until 14 May. For the spillover hearing held on 3 May, answers to questions on notice were due to be returned by 15 June.
1.16
For the Agriculture, Water and the Environment portfolio, the committee received answers to 149 of the 150 questions taken on notice by the due date of 7 May. The remaining answer was received on 10 May. Of the questions on notice with extensions, 37 of 39 were received by the due date of 14 May. The remaining 2 answers were received on 28 May.
1.17
For the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio, the committee received answers to 10 of the 77 questions taken on notice by the due date of
7 May. The remaining answers were received progressively after this date, with the last of the answers received on 24 May in a batch of 45 answers. Of the questions on notice with extensions, 1 of 33 was received by the due date of 14 May. The remaining answers were received progressively after this date, with the last of the answers received on 24 May in a batch of 27 answers. From the spillover hearing, 2 of the 14 answers were received by the due date of 15 June, 11 answers were received on 16 June, and the final answer was received on 17 June.
1.18
For the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio, the committee received answers to 101 of the 162 questions taken on notice by the due date of 7 May. The majority of the remaining answers were received progressively after this date with 1 question remaining unanswered at the time of tabling this report. Of the questions on notice with extensions, 66 of 102 were received by the due date of 14 May. The remaining answers were received progressively after this date with the last of these answers received on 5 July.
1.19
On 13 May, the Senate noted the number of overdue unanswered questions on notice from additional estimates 2020-21. Of the 181 questions listed for the broader Agriculture, Water and Environment portfolio, none were from environment. Of the 103 questions listed for the broader Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio, 94 were from energy. Finally, of the 266 questions listed for the broader Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio, 63 were from communications and arts.
1.20
Pursuant to Procedural Order 21, ministers are required to table statements in response to the order by no later than 10 days before each subsequent estimates hearing and include the following information:
(a)
the number of questions taken on notice at the previous round of estimates hearings;
(b)
the number of answers provided to the committee by the date set by the committee for answers; and
(c)
of those questions on notice not provided to the committee by the due date, the dates on which the answer was provided to the approving minister’s office.
1.21
Statements pursuant to Procedural Order 21 relating to the unanswered questions on notice from additional estimates were received on 14 May from the Agriculture, Water and Environment; and Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolios; and 25 May from the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio. The committee notes that the statement provided by the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio was not provided within the timeframe required by Procedural Order 21 and reminds the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reductions to provide future statements ‘not later than 10 days before’ the commencement of the next estimates round. Additionally, the committee notes that the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications portfolio’s statement did not include the dates on which answers were provided to the approving minister’s office as required by Procedural Order 21. The committee reminds the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development of this requirement for any questions on notice not provided to the committee by the due date to be included in statements pursuant to Procedural Order 21.
Record of proceedings
1.22
This report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during the hearings. However, it does provide a summary of some of the key issues that were canvassed by the committee for each portfolio.
Notes on references and additional information
1.23
References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard. Page numbers may vary between the proof and official Hansard transcript.