Foreign Affairs and Trade

Asia-Pacific Illicit Drug Initiative — establishment of advisory committee

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-

The Government will provide up to $1.6 million over four years to establish an expert advisory committee on regional drug issues and to maintain and update data on drug-related issues within the Asia-Pacific.

The committee will provide specialist advice to the Government on regional drug issues and is expected to include representatives from the Department of Health and Ageing, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AusAID and the Australian National Council on Drugs.

The cost of this measure is being fully met from within AusAID's existing resourcing.

Australia-India relations — Sir Donald Bradman touring exhibition

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	0.7	-	-	-

The Government will provide $1.0 million over two years (including $0.3 million in 2005-06) to support a touring exhibition of Sir Donald Bradman memorabilia to India. Repositories, including the State Library of South Australia and the Bradman Museum in Bowral, have agreed to lend material for the exhibition. The exhibition will be supported by the Australia-India Council and the corporate sector.

The cost of this measure will be partially funded by $0.3 million from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Further information can be found in the address by the Prime Minister in New Delhi on 6 March 2006.

Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development —supplementary administration costs

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	9.1	-	-	-

The Government will provide $9.1 million in 2006-07 to cover the administration costs for the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development. This continues the funding for the administrative support provided in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Funding for the administration costs is in addition to the $1 billion being provided by the Government to help with Indonesia's recovery, reconstruction and development following the December 2004 tsunami, and the March 2005 Nias earthquake.

Australian passports — enhancing security and integrity

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	2.3	4.0	4.2	4.1

The Government will provide $14.6 million over four years to enhance the integrity and security of the passport issuing process. The funding will provide for more rigorous vetting and scrutiny of passport applications, improved training of passport staff, and increased capacity to manage Australia's international obligations relating to the exchange of lost and stolen passport information and the illegal use of invalid Australian travel documents.

Australian Scholarships — establishment

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-
Department of Education, Science and Training	-	-	-	-
Total	-	-	-	-

The Government will provide $442.5 million over five years (including $110.6 million in 2010-11) to establish an Australian Scholarships programme for the Asia-Pacific region. The programme will help: build people-to-people links; promote reform and improved education and governance; build capacity in developing countries; enhance mutual understanding, knowledge and innovation; and address regional skills needs.

The programme will be based on the Australian Development Scholarships programme managed by AusAID and the Endeavour Programme managed by the Department of Education, Science and Training.

Provision for this funding is included in the forward estimates and will bring total programme funding to $1.4 billion over five years for more than 19,000 scholarships.

Further information can be found in the press release of 26 April 2006 issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Education, Science and Training.

Avian influenza — maintaining the delivery of Australian Government services overseas

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	-	-	-	-

The Government provided $1.8 million in 2005-06 to enable the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide antiviral medication, protective equipment and associated medical support for staff at certain overseas posts. This funding will help ensure the maintenance of services at these posts in the event of an avian influenza pandemic.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — budget sustainability

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	12.1	11.5	11.9	12.4

The Government will provide an additional $48.0 million over four years to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to enable it to continue its current level of activities in four priority areas: the implementation and servicing of free trade agreements; advocating Australia's trade and economic interests in the World Trade Organisation; delivery of responsive consular services; and cooperative involvement in the South Pacific.

The additional funding is being provided in response to workload increases in recent years, reflecting the Government's expanded foreign policy and trade agenda.

Export Market Development Grants Scheme — continuation

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Trade Commission	-	-	-	-

The Government will provide $752.0 million over five years from 2007-08 to enable the continuation of the Export Market Development Grants Scheme. The scheme encourages small and medium-sized enterprises to export by reimbursing a proportion of the costs of their export promotion activities.

This measure includes funding of $150.4 million per annum from 2007-08. Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.

In response to a review completed in 2005, the Government has also announced a number of changes to the operation of the scheme. Information on the changes can be found in the press release of 24 January 2006 issued by the Minister for Trade.

Hurricanes Ivan and Emily — donation

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-

The Government has provided an additional $0.5 million in 2005-06 to assist victims of Hurricanes Ivan and Emily in Grenada. The donation was provided to the United Nations International Children's Fund to enable it to assist Grenada's youth. The donation was in addition to Australia's initial response of $0.6 million in August 2005.

The cost of this measure was met fully from within AusAID's existing resourcing.

India — enhancing Australia's commercial engagement

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Trade Commission	2.1	-	-	-
Related capital ($m)
Australian Trade Commission	0.5	-	-	-

The Government will provide $6.5 million over three years from 2006-07 to enhance commercial engagement with, and export opportunities in, India. The initiative will enable additional trade representatives to be located in New Delhi and the establishment of a new trade office in Chennai, and will also facilitate Australian attendance at business and trade shows.

This amount includes $0.5 million in capital funding, which will provide for the purchase of equipment and office fit-out.

The cost of this measure will be partially funded by $3.9 million from within the existing resourcing of the Australian Trade Commission.

Further information can be found in the address by the Prime Minister to the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai on 8 March 2006.

Indonesian flood disaster — donation

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-

The Government provided $0.2 million in 2005-06 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to assist victims of floods in East and Central Java in Indonesia. The donation assisted with evacuating the injured, responding to the urgent needs of disaster victims and undertaking aerial assessments of the damage.

The cost of this measure was met fully from within AusAID's existing resourcing.

Further information can be found in the press release of 5 January 2006 issued by AusAID.

Kabul — establishing an Australian diplomatic presence

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	6.5	6.5	-	-
Related capital ($m)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	1.0	..	-	-

The Government will provide $13.9 million over two years to establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul, Afghanistan, which will be co-located with the Royal Netherlands Embassy.

This amount includes $1.0 million in capital funding, which will provide for the purchase of security and communications equipment and office fit-out.

Further information can be found in the transcript of the Prime Minister's joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Canberra on 4 April 2006.

Kenya and Somalia — humanitarian aid

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-

The Government provided $5.0 million in 2005-06 to assist victims of drought in Kenya and Somalia.

Funding of $2.0 million was provided to the World Food Programme for emergency food aid to Kenya and $1.0 million to the World Food Programme in Somalia. A further $1.5 million was provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross for water supplies in Somalia. The remaining $0.5 million assisted the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to provide security and logistics to ensure the aid reached its intended recipients.

The cost of this measure was met fully from within AusAID's existing resourcing.

Further information can be found in the press release of 12 February 2006 issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative — contribution

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	136.2	-	-	-

The Government will provide $136.2 million in 2006-07 to finance Australia's share of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative announced by G8 Finance Ministers in June 2005. The funding will enable payment up-front of Australia's contribution for the ten-year period from 2006-07 to 2015-16.

The Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative extends the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, to enable the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund to provide 100 per cent debt relief to countries that have completed the Initiative. It is designed to provide debt relief to those of the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries that are pursuing sound adjustment and reform programmes.

The multilateral debt relief package is in addition to Australia's bilateral aid to these countries.

Official Development Assistance — preparations for implementation of Aid White Paper

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	7.3	-	-	-

The Government will provide $7.3 million in 2006-07 to facilitate detailed planning for implementation of the Aid White Paper initiatives. This preparatory work will enhance the effectiveness of future aid increases, consistent with the Government's goal of increasing Official Development Assistance to about $4 billion per annum by 2010.

Overseas consular and crisis response — strengthening assistance to Australians

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	6.8	14.5	15.3	16.8
Australian Trade Commission	1.2	1.4	1.4	1.4
Attorney-General's Department	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Total	8.3	16.1	16.9	18.5
Related capital ($m)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	11.0	9.4	-	-

The Government will provide $80.2 million over four years to strengthen its capacity to assist Australians overseas and to respond to crises.

This funding includes $73.8 million for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and $5.5 million for the Australian Trade Commission to enable an expansion in consular case management, contingency planning and crisis response capabilities, and to improve training for consular staff.

The funding for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade includes $20.4 million in capital funding, which will enable the upgrading of its consular crisis infrastructure and information systems and the provision of new equipment for emergency response teams.

An additional $0.9 million will be provided to the Attorney-General's Department to meet the increased workload associated with processing applications for financial assistance under the Special Circumstances (Overseas) Scheme.

The cost of this measure will be partially offset by additional revenue from an increase in fees for passports and other travel documents.

See also the related revenue measure Fees charged for passports and other travel documents – increase in the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.

Philippines landslide disaster — contribution

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Agency for International Development	-	-	-	-

The Government has provided $1.0 million in 2005-06 as part of Australia's response to the devastation caused by the landslide in the Southern Leyte province of the Philippines. The funding has been provided to the Philippines National Red Cross and other key relief agencies to assist with the most immediate tasks of evacuating survivors, setting up shelters and trauma counselling, and meeting the basic needs of food, clothing and related emergency items.

The cost of this measure is being met fully from within AusAID's existing resourcing.

Further information can be found in the press release of 18 February 2006 issued by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Smartraveller — continued funding

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	3.2	3.3	3.3	3.3

The Government will provide $13.1 million over four years to continue and expand the current Smartraveller information campaign. The campaign promotes community awareness of the travel advice service available from the Smartraveller website and the importance of adequately preparing for safe overseas travel.

Tradestart — extension

Expense ($m)

	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Australian Trade Commission	-	-	-	-

The Government will provide $23.3 million over four years to enable the continuation of the Tradestart programme. Tradestart is a national network of export advisers that assists small and medium-sized Australian enterprises to access the export assistance services of the Australian Trade Commission.

Provision for this funding has already been included in the forward estimates.