Part 2: Payments for Specific Purposes (Continued)
Other national partnership payments
From time to time, the Commonwealth also makes various payments to the States to support other services, including payments in respect of:
- agriculture, forestry and fishing;
- public order and safety;
- fuel and energy; and
- recreation and culture.
Table 2.10: Payments to support other state services
National Partnership to Deliver a Seamless National Economy
The National Partnership to Deliver a Seamless National Economy aims to reduce unnecessary and inconsistent regulation across jurisdictions and to improve processes for regulatory design and review. The Commonwealth has committed to provide funding of up to $550 million over five years from 2008‑09 to facilitate implementation of the agreement and reward the delivery of reform priorities.
Table 2.10.1: Estimated payments to the States for the National Partnership
to Deliver a Seamless National Economy
National Partnership on the National Disaster Resilience Program
The Government is providing ongoing funding to the States to strengthen community resilience to natural disasters. Under the program, the Commonwealth is providing matched funding for activities addressing agreed priority areas including: disaster mitigation works which minimise the risks to communities; increased risks resulting from the effects of climate change; supporting the work of volunteers in emergency management; assisting local government to meet its emergency management responsibilities; and building partnerships with business, non‑government organisations and community groups to improve their ability to assist their communities during and following an emergency.
The National Partnership replaced a number of programs, combining funds to allow the flexibility to address different priorities across the States, as well as projects of national importance.
Table 2.10.2: Estimated payments to the States for the National Partnership
on the National Disaster Resilience Program
Legal aid
The Commonwealth will provide $190.8 million in 2010‑11 to fund legal aid commissions in each State so they can provide legal assistance to disadvantaged persons in accordance with Commonwealth policy priorities.
The Commonwealth provides legal aid funding to enable disadvantaged Australians to access services which assist them to resolve their legal problems. Legal aid is not provided for every type of legal problem. Commonwealth priorities include family law matters, particularly matters involving children, or where there is a risk of violence. Legal aid services include legal education, early intervention advice, mediation and legal representation services.
Table 2.10.3: Estimated payments to the States for Legal aid(a)
- Subject to negotiations with the States in relation to the National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services.
Standard Business Reporting Program
The Commonwealth will provide $5.9 million in 2010‑11 to the States for residual development activities, and to operate and maintain the Standard Business Reporting Program. This program is a multi‑agency initiative that will simplify business‑to‑government reporting by:
- removing unnecessary or duplicated information from government forms;
- using accounting or record‑keeping software to automatically pre‑fill government forms; and
- introducing a single secure way to interact online with participating agencies.
Government agencies participating in the Standard Business Reporting Program include the Treasury, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, all state government revenue offices and Australian Bureau of Statistics (reporting and definition work only).
Table 2.10.4: Estimated payments to the States for the Standard Business
Reporting Program(a)
- Figures for 2010‑11 and 2011‑12 are indicative distributions only.
National Partnership on Digital Regions Initiative
The Commonwealth will provide $26.8 million to the States in 2010‑11 for the Digital Regions Initiative, subject to the outcomes of the initiative's competitive funding rounds. This initiative will co‑fund innovative digital enablement projects to support improved education, health and emergency services in regional, rural and remote communities.
Table 2.10.5: Estimated payments to the States for the Digital Regions
Initiative(a)
- State funding has been allocated on the basis of the outcomes of the first round of funding and notional estimates for the second round of funding. These figures include payments to local governments.
Film and literature classifications
The Commonwealth makes payments to the States under the Intergovernmental Agreement for a revised Co‑operative Censorship Scheme in Australia. The agreement establishes the National Classification Scheme with the aim of more uniform and simple censorship laws with consequential benefits to the public and industry.
The Commonwealth has met its future payment commitments to the States under this scheme by providing a single payment in 2009‑10 and ceasing future annual payments.
Table 2.10.6: Estimated payments to the States for film and literature
classifications
Improving policing in very remote areas
Improving policing in very remote communities is part of the July 2006 COAG package addressing violence and child abuse in Indigenous communities. The Commonwealth will provide $1.0 million in 2010‑11 to Western Australia for the completion of construction of police stations and related infrastructure including police housing.
Table 2.10.7: Estimated payments to the States for improving policing in
very
remote areas
National Partnership on remote Indigenous public internet access
The Commonwealth will provide $2.3 million to the States in 2010‑11 for remote Indigenous public internet access. This program will provide funding in collaboration with the States for new or expanded public internet access and delivery of computer training in nominated remote Indigenous communities that have limited or no public access internet facilities. Funding will also cover maintenance of facilities installed in 2009‑10 under this program.
Table 2.10.8: Estimated payments to the States for remote Indigenous
public internet access(a)
- State allocations are yet to be finalised. These indicative allocations are based on preliminary estimates provided by the States of potentially eligible remote Indigenous communities.
Restoration of Albert Hall, Canberra
The Commonwealth will provide $0.5 million to the Australian Capital Territory in 2009‑10 for the restoration of the Albert Hall. The Albert Hall is a historic and cultural landmark of Canberra and is listed in the Register of the National Estate on the Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register. The Australian Capital Territory Government is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Albert Hall and is currently refurbishing it under a conservation plan. This grant is to assist the Australian Capital Territory Government in this $2.7 million project.
Table 2.10.9: Estimated payments to the States for the restoration of
Albert Hall, Canberra
World sailing championships
The Commonwealth will provide $2.0 million to Western Australia in 2010‑11 to contribute to the staging of the International Sailing Federation World Championships in Western Australia in December 2011.
Table 2.10.10: Estimated payments to the States for the world sailing
championships
National Partnership on Local Government Reform Fund
The Commonwealth will provide funding to the States for projects which support the implementation of nationally consistent frameworks for local government asset and financial management and/or improve collaboration in the local government sector. The Local Government Reform Fund will encourage collaboration between councils and help improve their capacity to serve local communities.
Table 2.10.11: Estimated payments to States for the Local Government
Reform Fund(a)
- Figures for 2009‑10 and 2010‑11 are indicative distributions only.
Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal
In 2009‑10, the Commonwealth has provided $0.5 million to the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal to help people affected by the 2010 monsoonal floods in Queensland.
Table 2.10.12: Estimated payments to the States for the Queensland
Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal
Sinking Fund on State Debt
The Commonwealth will contribute to the Debt Retirement Reserve Trust Account on behalf of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in accordance with the Financial Agreement Act 1994.
Table 2.10.13 Estimated payments to the States for the Sinking Fund on
State Debt
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011
The Commonwealth will provide funding over two years from 2010‑11 to Western Australia in relation to security for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Perth in 2011.
Table 2.10.14 Estimated payments to the States for the Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting 2011
National Partnership on the pilot of drought reform measures in Western Australia
The Commonwealth, in partnership with Western Australia, is funding a pilot of drought reform measures in part of Western Australia. The pilot will test a package of new measures developed in response to the national review of drought policy, including assistance for farm business planning, on‑farm projects and capacity building and community activities, as well as support for farm households and communities. The program aims to increase the resilience and capacity of farmers, farming families and their communities to better prepare for and self‑manage drought, climatic variability and reduced water availability.
The pilot will be conducted in a region of Western Australia that covers a broad range of farming enterprises and climatic conditions. It will be in place from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. Payments made under one of the measures will continue until 30 June 2014.
Table 2.10.15 Estimated payments to the States for the National
Partnership
on the pilot of drought reform measures in Western Australia
National Partnership on the development of a national emergency warning system
The Commonwealth will provide $15.7 million in 2009‑10 to fund the development of a telephone based national emergency warning system, Emergency Alert. Emergency Alert enables the States to deliver warnings to landline and mobile telephones based on the customer's service address.
Table 2.10.16 Estimated payments to the States for the National Partnership
on the development of a national emergency warning system
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