Chapter 1Introduction
1.1On 9 May 2023, the Senate referred the following documents to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30June2024; and
particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2024.
1.2A reporting date of 27 June 2023 was set for the committee’s report to the Senate on its consideration of the 2023–24 budget estimates.
Portfolio Coverage
1.3In accordance with the resolution of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts portfolio, excluding Communications and the Arts; and
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Hearings
1.4The committee examined witnesses from the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio (excluding Communications and the Arts) on 22 and 23 May 2023, and witnesses and from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio on 24 and 25 May 2023.
1.5The committee heard evidence from the following ministers:
Senator the Hon Carol Brown, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport;
Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm, Assistant Minister for Regional Development; and
Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Minister for Emergency Management.
1.6Evidence was also provided by the following departmental secretaries who were accompanied by officers from the portfolio departments and agencies:
Mr Jim Betts, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; and
Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
1.7The following portfolio agencies were not required to appear:
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio (excluding Communications and the Arts)
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
National Capital Authority
National Faster Rail Agency
National Intermodal Corporation Limited
National Transport Commission
Western Sydney Airport Co Ltd
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Regional Investment Corporation
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
Wine Australia
1.8The committee thanks the ministers, departmental secretaries and officers for their assistance and cooperation during the hearings.
Questions on notice and Hansard Transcript
1.9In accordance with standing order 26(9)(a), the committee set Friday, 14July2023 as the date for the return of written answers or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the initial hearings.
1.10Written answers and information provided to the committee in response to questions on notice arising from the hearings have been tabled in the Senate and published on the committee’s website. Links to the Hansard transcripts of these public hearings, and to answers, tabled documents and additional information are available on the committee’s webpage at: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/rrat.
Record of proceedings
1.11This 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 covered by the committee for each portfolio.
Answers to questions on notice – Budget estimates 2022-23
1.12The committee undertook Budget estimates hearings on 28 October 2022, and 7 to 8 November 2023 for the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio. The committee held additional hearings on 25 November 2022 and 2 December 2022 to hear further evidence from the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio. The committee set Friday, 16 December 2022 as the return date for written questions on notice or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the hearings.
1.13The Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio took 252 questions on notice. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio took 138 questions on notice.
Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.14The Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio submitted 63 responses by the due date. The remaining outstanding response were received over December, January with the final responses received on 10 February 2023.
1.15The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio submitted 138 responses to the committee on time.
Answers to questions on notice – Supplementary Budget estimates 2022-23
1.16The committee undertook Supplementary Budget estimates hearings on 13 and 14 February 2023 for the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio, and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio. The committee set Friday, 31 March 2023 as the return date for written questions on notice or additional information in response to questions placed on notice during the hearings.
1.17The Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio took 280 questions on notice. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio took 240 questions on notice.
Timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.18The Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (excluding Communications and the Arts) portfolio submitted 17 responses by the due date. The committee received 28 responses throughout April and 234 responses in throughout May. As of 27 June 2023, there is still one response outstanding.
1.19The Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio submitted all 240 responses to the committee on time.
Note on references
1.20References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard. Page numbers may vary between the proof and the official Hansard transcript.