Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1
On 13 February 2020, the Senate referred the following items to the
Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (the committee):
- Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the
year ending on 30 June 2020 [Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2019-2020];
- Particulars of certain proposed additional expenditure in respect
of the year ending on 30 June 2020 [Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2019-2020]; and
- Final budget outcome 2018-19—Report by the Treasurer (Mr Frydenberg)
and the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann).[1]
1.2
The Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (PAES) for 2019-20 for the
portfolios allocated to the committee were tabled in the Senate on 13 February 2020.[2]
1.3
A reporting date of Tuesday, 24 March 2020 was set for the committee's
report on its consideration of the 2019-20 Additional Estimates.[3]
Allocation of portfolios
1.4
As a result of the Administrative Arrangements Order (AAOs) made on
5 December 2019, the following changes came into effect on 1 February
2020:
- the Department of Communications and the Arts was abolished, and
its functions transferred to the renamed Department of Infrastructure,
Transport, Regional Development and Communications;
- the Department of the Environment and Energy was renamed the
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and its energy functions
transferred to the renamed Department of Industry, Science, Energy and
Resources; and
- the Department of Agriculture was abolished, and its functions
transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.[4]
Following these changes, the committee has responsibility
for examining the expenditure and outcomes of the:
- 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.[5]
Hearings
1.5
The committee's examination of the environment outcomes of Agriculture,
Water and the Environment portfolio; and the emissions and energy outcomes of
the Industry, Science, Energy and Resources portfolio, took place on 2 March
2020.
1.6
The committee's examination of the communications and the arts outcomes
of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
portfolio, took place on 3 March 2020.
1.7
The committee took evidence from Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister
for Trade, Tourism and Investment representing the Minister for the Environment
and the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction; and Senator the Hon Linda
Reynolds, Minister for Defence representing the Minister for Communications, Cyber
Safety and the Arts, together with officers from the relevant departments and
agencies. The committee thanks the Ministers, departmental secretaries and the
officers who appeared before it.
1.8
The following programs and agencies were not required to attend:
Agriculture, Water and the
Environment portfolio
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment;
Program 1.3: Commonwealth
Environmental Water
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder;
- Office of the Supervising Scientist;
Industry, Science, Energy and
Resources portfolio
- National Wind Farm Commissioner;
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;
- Bundanon Trust;
- Classification Review Board;
- National Film and Sound Archive;
- National Gallery of Australia;
- National Museum of Australia; and
- National Portrait Gallery of Australia.
1.9
On 27 February 2020, the Senate passed a resolution which required representatives
of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to come to the
2019-20 additional estimates prepared to answer questions with respect to the Environment
Restoration Fund and the Communities Environment Program.[6]
1.10
The committee notes that at the hearing on 2 March 2020, departmental
officials tabled a list of commitments made under the Environment Restoration
Fund (see Appendix 1) and answered questions in relation to the Communities Environment
Program.[7]
Questions on notice and Hansard transcript
1.11
In accordance with standing order 26(9)(a), the committee agreed to set
Friday, 17 April 2020, as the date for the return of written answers or
additional information for the hearings held on 2 and 3 March 2020.
1.12
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 webpage. Links to the transcripts of these
public hearings and to answers and additional information are available at: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/ec.
Supplementary Budget Estimates 2019-20
1.13
The committee examined answers to questions on notice from the
Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings held on the 21 and 22 October 2019 and
the additional hearing held with the former Department of the Environment and
Energy on 12 November 2019.
Timeliness of answers to questions
on notice
1.14
The committee set Friday, 29 November 2019, as the date for the return
of answers to questions on notice arising from the hearings on 21 and 22
October 2019. The committee also set Tuesday, 14 January 2020, as the date for
the return of answers to questions on notice from the additional hearing with
the former Department of the Environment and Energy on 12 November 2019.
1.15
The committee received answers to 201 of the 209[8] questions taken on notice for the Environment and Energy portfolio by the due
date of 29 November 2019. The Communications and the Arts portfolio
provided 150 of the 179[9] answers to questions on notice by the due date of 29 November 2019. The
remaining 29 answers to questions on notice were provided between December 2019
and January 2020.
1.16
Of the 55 questions taken on notice from the committee's additional
hearing with the former Department of the Environment and Energy on 12 November
2019, 28 answers were provided by the due date of 14 January 2020. The remaining
27 answers were provided on 15 January 2020.
Record of proceedings
1.17
This report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during
the hearings. However, it does provide a brief list of some of the key issues
that were canvassed by the committee for each portfolio.
Note on references and additional information
1.18
References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard.
Page numbers may vary between the proof and official Hansard transcript.
1.19
Copies of the Hansard transcripts, documents tabled at the
hearings (see Appendix 1), and additional information received after the
hearings are tabled in the Senate and available on the committee's website.
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