Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 9:18:11 to 9:25:35
Discussion on the timeline for releasing Round 2 guidelines for the Thriving Suburbs Program and the total value of open competitive grants available to local councils.
Topics: Infrastructure, Grants administration
Speakers: Hon James McGrath, Jessica Hall, Lisa Rauter, Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Unknown Speaker, Interjection, Speaker 36
thriving suburbs program please? Sure. >> We're all good. >> Oh, cool. Excellent. Uh, back in May, I asked some questions about the additional funding for the thriving suburbs program and the timetable for the next funding round. >> Can you provide an update on the implementation of round two, please? Uh
so the timing of release for the guidelines for that program is a matter for the minister uh and as soon as the minister agrees uh for those guidelines to be published uh we can open the program after that
>> and you've you've provided the um the guidelines to the minister. >> When when did you do that?
one second. I don't have that date with me. I'll
>> Uh Minister,
>> yes.
>> When will the guidelines be released?
>> I understand they'll be released
>> so in back to the department in May, uh, in your one of your answers, you said you, um, didn't know why that the government had decided to include the funding for the two programs as a single measure and it would be up to the minister to decide the allocation of the funding between the two programs. Do you have any more clarity on on that
now? Uh no we that the split between the two has not yet been announced.
>> And is that part of the decision you're waiting from the minister? Back to the your early answer.
>> Uh I would expect um that the guid once the guidelines are released the guidelines will have the amount for the respective programs in them.
okay. And you're coming back in terms of the draft guidelines. You provided them to the minister's office. You're coming back to me on a on a date when that happened.
>> Yep.
>> Um it was this year though, wasn't it?
>> Oh, yes, it was.
uh when the guidelines come back to the department, how long will it be before applications will be open for round two?
>> I imagine it would be quite quick. We
uh, Dr. Paul Cutting, Assistant Secretary, National Programs Branch. I can tell you that we sent the guidelines to the minister on the 13th of August.
Minister, considering that the um the relevant minister has had excuse the use of fingers here September well couple of months when I know you said shortly uh but we're at the end of October now. Will the guidelines be be approved before the
the uh I understand the guidelines [clears throat] will be released shortly uh with the additional rounds of both the growing regions and thriving suburbs programs expected to open this year.
>> given that the additional funding was announced in May, >> uh I'm having sort of trouble understanding why the guidelines haven't been released because this is New funding for an existing program, not a not a new program. Minister,
>> Senator,
>> sorry.
>> Were you weren't talking to me or to
>> your the question was to you, Minister, but um if you want to answer at the top, I'd like to answer.
Um the timing of guidelines is predicated on a range of issues including when we have other programs out um because um it puts a lot of pressure on local councils for example when they have a number of other funding programs out at the same time um so it's a matter of um making sure that there is a proper sequence for those programs. So they're the sorts of things that the
on the on the 9th of September. >> you know, we're both good for it. Um on the 9th of September, Minister McBain said while defending the um the major and local community infrastructure program that and I quote, "There are range of open competitive grants that are available over $2 billion available in open competitive grants through thriving suburbs, growing regions. Is that an accurate statement?
at the moment, there's $750 million allocated across both growing regions and thriving suburbs for further rounds.
>> So,
>> and there's there's other programs such as stronger communities as well, >> uh, which has $22.5 million committed to it for a
anywhere near $2 billion.
>> That perhaps includes earlier rounds of growing regions and thriving suburbs.
>> There's also things such as the um active um transport fund. There's also the safer local roads program. Um so there is a variety of programs that um go to councils that all added up come to close to $2 billion. Yes.
So just um so at at the 9th of September um I might get get you deputy secretary just to repeat the the number of programs open competitive grant rounds that were actually accepting applications as of that that that day. Oh, sorry. I'd have
to check if they were open [laughter] at that particular time, but there are grant rounds that are available to local councils that cover things like um the active transport fund, the safer local roads. Um there's the thriving suburbs, >> greater regions, there's also the um >> stronger communities. So what we can do is we can take that list and we can let you know um the value of each of those
>> if you could that I'm happy with that.