Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 2:50:23 to 2:56:48
The department provides details on the expenditure for the Net Zero roadmap and action plan, confirming it was a terminating measure with funds fully allocated in prior years.
Topics: Climate change, Emissions reduction, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Bridget McKenzie, Mr. Jim Betts, Senator Glenn Sterle, Speaker 15, Paula Stagg, Rachel Parry, Senator Ross Cadell
>> Uh so we are working with uh CSRO around a uh a green fuel strategy. So we are currently in negotiations on delivery of
>> So none of the funds have been expended.
>> Not yet Senator.
>> Okay. Um I do thanks to my team watching on at home. My understanding is in the budget the $100.1 million uh of of the government's energy sovereignty, fuel security and resilience program was actually not allocated to Arena. It was to allocated to the department. Sorry, Miss Parry.
the 1.1 [clears throat] billion cleaner fuels program is is allocated to Arena is the delivery agency for that program.
>> I've got budget paper number two and if it's a $100.1 million was allocated to infrastructure get my team. Can you send me the page number please? Um all right transport and infrastructure just stay at the table if you know the answer to that. Sorry, somebody does. Somebody's come >> Page 35, budget paper two.
that up right now. I don't, it doesn't
sound like it's related. Sorry, Bren
Brennon Buckley, assistant secretary. It
doesn't sound like it's related to the cleaner fuels program, but I'll just
>> Thanks, mate. Appreciate it. What I was wanting was the fuel security and resilience, the energy sovereignty piece. Um, I've just got some questions on the net zero road map and action plan. Um, have all the $7.8 million commitment from the 2324 budget being expended on delivering the net zero road map and action plan.
>> Uh, Senator, I might need to refer to my colleagues uh in uh the corporate division that had oversight of that at the time.
>> Well, that's why we're doing this in
corporate. My understanding is that was a terminating measure which is now terminated with the release of the action plan in September
>> right
>> 2024.
>> So how much were of the 7.8 was actually expended and how much remained back into consolidated revenue.
>> We'll get that information for you.
>> Is anyone in corporate here?
>> We will find rather than waste your time. Why don't we just find out the information?
>> I've got lots of these. We're going to go down keep the list and >> let's keep the list. Um in terms of the IIP headroom, so this isn't a question for IIP. Please stay corporate at the table. Um there is almost 11 billion unallocated headroom within the IIP at the time of the budget attributed to the 203536 year. Has any of that funding been committed since the budget?
>> We will need our infrastructure colleagues at the table for
>> Could the new arrivals are they able to tell me about the $7.8 8 million from the 2324 budget, whether that's been expended, if how much was left over in the net zero road map and action plan.
>> Is that because the people who need have could have the answer are not here yet?
No, it's not. This was supposed to be incorporated.
>> I'm just I'm just asking because I'm just trying to get I I had a question for you. Sorry.
is um we don't necessarily come up with every single line item that the
department spends money on. So, we need to go back into the system. I'm just trying to establish because if the people that if if I know you're saying corporate Senator, but I know you don't want to lose the people cuz when you get to outcome too and you find out it was
corporate very helpful with the previous um official said, "Well, I'll need my friends from corporate to help me answer."
>> Would it assist if you just rattle through your questions and if you haven't got them and if it's in a different outcome, just let us know.
>> Yeah. No one said it's in a different
outcome. No, because I'm seeing a lot of musical chairs and Mr. Betts did hint that um your questions could be in the other outcome. I'm just trying to assist the process. I'll sit I'm sitting at 11:00. I'm not going anywhere. So, I'm not worried about that.
>> So, on the net zero road map, I will get my people to confirm this, but that was a terminating measure y >> for the production of a strategy, a road map document which was completed and published um in 2025 from memory. So my guess is that that money was fully expend extend expended um and certainly um that um measure has been completed. Whether there was a small balance of funds left at the end of that we will
>> Yes. So the information I have and we uh actually I believe tabled this as part of our response to Senator Cadell's request uh which outlined the funding for the net zero assessment roadmap and action plan. Uh and uh the secretary is correct. It was a terminating measure. So no funding uh available this financial year. Uh and um as it was departmental money that money has been uh fully allocated and spent in prior
>> on the actual um matter it was meant to be or did you reallocate
>> that document is in the public domain?
>> No no I appreciate that. My question is did it cost $7.8 million?
>> Well I will confirm that as I'll take that on notice and come back to you with involve delivering of uh the road map and action plan and obviously funding of the staff that were associated with that
>> Right. Um is it the government's intention to retain the high-speed rail authority beyond June 2028?