Budget Features
Skills for Sustainable Growth
Skills for recovery $299.5 million
These are strategies that will equip Australia to respond swiftly and decisively to the emerging skill shortages in the economy, including a major training fund to be established in partnership with industry, an extension to the successful Apprentice Kickstart program and a more flexible competency-based apprenticeship system. It will mean more apprenticeships in industries where they are most needed.
Foundation skills package $119.2 million
The Government is determined to tackle the language, literacy and numeracy deficits that have been identified as affecting the future employment and earning prospects of more than 4.5 million working-age Australians. The Government's four-year additional investment combined with existing support will assist 140,000 Australians to build skills that will enable them to complete further training, secure employment and progress to higher skilled jobs. More Australians will become ready for work and learning.
A training system for the future $242.5 million
Renewing and lifting the quality of vocational education will better serve the needs of industry and students. We will offer support to deliver better access to higher level skills and entrench a broad entitlement to training for young Australians and for others to up-skill or re-skill and to strengthen their foundation skills. We will offer an incentive to the vocational education sector to boost the quality of training and be transparent about teaching and learning outcomes.
In summary, our investment is expected to deliver:
- up to 39,000 additional training places, co-funded with industry, in resources and related sectors facing high skills demands during the recovery
- greater incentives to benefit 22,500 immediate apprenticeship commencements and more timely completion of apprenticeships
- a guaranteed entitlement to a training place for all Australians under the age of 25, and in the future a broad entitlement for foundation skills training, and for older Australians to up-skill or re-skill
- a strong incentive to boost the quality and performance of the nation's leading training providers and improve the transparency of the training sector
- enhancements to language, literacy and numeracy services so that 140,000 Australians over four years will receive high-quality teaching and assistance from Commonwealth programs.
The new measures announced in the Skills for Sustainable Growth strategy build on the recommendations of Skills Australia's recent comprehensive report Australian Workforce Futures: A National Workforce Development Strategy.1 The issues raised by Skills Australia are fundamental to supporting economic recovery and sustainable growth. The report provides a cohesive strategy for addressing them.
Australian Workforce Futures provides a sound basis for the Government to develop an extensive package of measures targeted to those areas of need identified by Skills Australia. In particular, the report highlights the need to lift the language, literacy and numeracy skills of our current and future workforce, develop a national training entitlement for all young Australians and provide a stronger policy approach lifting the supply and use of skills.
The Skills and Infrastructure Budget package will ensure a fairer, smarter and more prosperous future for Australia and provide increased opportunities for Australians to benefit from, and contribute to, the country's economic recovery.
Building Strong Foundations and Infrastructure
Boosting rail productivity $996.0 million
This is an equity investment into the Government-owned Australian Rail Track Corporation for a package of productivity enhancing projects across Australia. It will provide funding for stronger steel rail, more concrete sleepers, rail bridge and culvert upgrades, new passing loops and associated rail infrastructure works to strengthen the interstate freight rail network and secure its future over the longer term. This is an investment in the future productivity and prosperity of the Australian economy, and brings total spending on the interstate rail network to $3.4 billion over six years and total investment in rail across Australia to almost $9.0 billion.
Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal $70.7 million
The 2010—11 Budget allocates $70.7 million to complete the detailed planning on the Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal Project in Sydney's South West, with the staged redevelopment of the site expected to start in 2013. This work will be undertaken in partnership with the site's current owner, the Department of Defence, and the Department of Finance and Deregulation.
National transport regulation $8.3 million
The Government is committed to boosting national productivity and creating a seamless economy. This budget will provide $8.3 million in 2010—11 towards establishing national regulators for heavy vehicles, rail safety and maritime safety, and for an expanded rail and national maritime safety investigatory function.
Securing the future of Australia's aviation industry $312.4 million
A suite of new initiatives will ensure a continuation of our excellent aviation safety and security record and increase investment in aviation skills and planning. The new funding fulfils the commitments given and expands upon the measures outlined in the nation's first ever Aviation White Paper which was published in December 2009.
In its totality, the White Paper delivers a comprehensive, long-term plan for an industry which supports more than half a million jobs, delivers essential services to remote communities and contributes nearly $6.3 billion to the national economy.
State Infrastructure Fund $5.6 billion
As part of its tax plan for the future, the Government has announced that it will establish a new infrastructure fund for the states and territories.
The fund will commence in 2012—13 with an initial contribution of $700.0 million and will be worth more than $5.6 billion over the decade. This will make infrastructure spending a permanent feature of Commonwealth and state budgets, and support state investment in the nation-building infrastructure necessary to support improved living standards.
1 Skills Australia is an independent statutory body providing advice to the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations on Australia's current, emerging and future workforce skills and development needs.
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