Financial Implications ($m)
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 |
| 0.0 | 100.0 | 200.0 | 300.0 |
Explanation
The purpose of the Federation Fund is to finance a number of major projects of national significance. The projects are to be well advanced but not necessarily completed by the Centenary of Federation in 2001 and will be selected on the basis that they will generate jobs in the construction phase and make a significant and ongoing contribution to Australia and the Australian economy. The Federation Fund will be established as a separate Trust Account within the Commonwealth Public Account with total funds of $1 billion. The balance of the fund will be drawn down after 2000-01, with a large part of that expected to be in 2001-02.
The Federation Fund will as appropriate, fully fund projects, augment existing funding or contribute on a matching basis with other governments and the private sector. There will be a reasonable geographic spread of projects around Australia. Projects will be selected by the Commonwealth Government in consultation with State Governments. The Prime Minister will be writing to Premiers and Chief Ministers indicating the broad criteria that will apply for possible projects and seeking their views on possible projects that might be financed from the Federation Fund.
It has already been decided to draw on the Federation Fund from 1998-99 onwards to finance the cost of constructing the National Museum of Australia and the associated building for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. A separate appropriation of $7 million has been made in the Budget so that construction of the Museum can begin promptly on the Acton Peninsula in the Australian Capital Territory.
Financial Implications ($m)
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 |
| 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Explanation
These pilots respond to community concern about the need for young offenders to be reintegrated, as far as possible, into economic and community life. The pilots recognise that young offenders are a disadvantaged group and that their lives are variously characterised by unemployment, low levels of educational attainment, family breakdown, abuse, poor health and alcohol and substance abuse. While juvenile justice is primarily a State responsibility, the Commonwealth assists young offenders through income support, and employment, education and training assistance.
The pilots will involve a cooperative approach to service delivery by the Commonwealth and States.
The pilots will aim to improve the employment, education and training outcomes for young offenders and thereby reduce reliance on income support in the long-term. They will also identify initiatives which could, over time, reduce the over-representation of young indigenous people in the juvenile justice system. Initiatives to be piloted include:
The Commonwealth has set aside $1 million in 1997-98 to facilitate and evaluate the pilots.
Financial Implications ($m)
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 |
| 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Explanation
On 6 December 1996, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women announced that the National Agenda for Women grants programme will cease, and that from 1997-98 non-government women's organisations will be encouraged to apply for mainstream funding through programmes.
This measure replaces the National Agenda for Women grants programme and provides for a new grants programme limited to a number of key national women's organisations that are unlikely to be accommodated within mainstream portfolio programmes. The programme is part of a wider strategy which will reduce fragmentation of assistance and government administration costs while increasing accountability.
Organisations receiving these grants will have a demonstrated capacity to represent issues of concern to membership at the Federal and State Government and community levels.
Financial Implications ($m)
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | ||
| Administrative Services | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Parliament | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Prime Minister and Cabinet | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| TOTAL | 3.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Explanation
The Constitutional Convention will meet in December 1997 in Canberra. It will be attended by 152 delegates, half of whom will be appointed by the Government and half of whom will be directly elected through a non-compulsory postal ballot to be conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission. The Convention will consider:
Financial Implications ($m)
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 |
| 15.0 | 15.2 | 15.5 | 15.8 |
Explanation
The Government has agreed to guarantee funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs over the four years 1997-98 to 2000-01. Existing estimates are to be increased on the basis that new policy proposals over the period will be accommodated within the agreed global allocations, except for any adjustments necessary as a result of transfers of functions or major new policy not anticipated at this time.
The provision of a four-year funding guarantee, together with the increase in the portfolio's allocations, will:
Further Information
In 1996-97, the Government quarantined ATSIC's housing and infrastructure programme, native title claims assistance and the number of CDEP participants from the portfolio's contribution to Budget savings. Given the continuing priority attached to these areas by the Government, ATSIC's global funding arrangements will remain subject to the quarantining provisions implemented last year.
