Portfolio Budget Statements 2006-07
Environment and Heritage Portfolio
Budget initiatives and explanations of appropriations specified by outcomes and outputs by agency
Budget Related Paper No. 1.7
ISBN 1 741 77538 8
Agency Budget Statements (continued)
Department of the Environment and Heritage (continued)
Tables in this section
Section 3 - Outcomes (continued)
3.3 Outcomes Resourcing (continued)
Outcome 2 (Antarctica) resourcing
Table 3.1 shows how the 2006-07 Budget appropriations translate to total resourcing for Outcome 2, including administered expenses, revenue from Government (appropriation), revenue from other sources (departmental) and the total price of outputs.
| Estimated actual 2005-06 $'000 |
Budget estimate 2006-07 $'000 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Administered appropriations | |||
| Mawson's Hut Foundation - expedition | 320 | - | |
| Total administered appropriations | 320 | - | |
| Departmental appropriations | |||
| Output Group 2.1 - Antarctic Policy | 32,253 | 34,019 | |
| Output Group 2.2 - Antarctic Science | 67,115 | 67,917 | |
| Total revenue from government (appropriations) | 99,368 | 101,936 | |
| Contributing to price of departmental outputs | 99.0% | 97.7% | |
| Other resources available to be used | |||
| Output 2.1 - Antarctic Policy | 339 | 791 | |
| Output 2.2 - Antarctic Science | 654 | 1,529 | |
| Total revenue from other sources | 993 | 2,320 | |
| Total resources | |||
| (Total revenue from government and from other sources) | 100,681 | 104,256 | |
| Total estimated resourcing for Outcome 2 | |||
| (Total price of outputs and administered appropriations) (a) | 95,876 | 102,061 | |
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | ||
| Average staffing level (number) | 380 | 380 | |
| (a) Total price of outputs excludes equity injections of $4,805 for 2005-06 and $2,195 for 2006-07. | |||
Measures affecting Outcome 2
There are no new measures affecting Outcome 2 in the 2006-07 Budget.
Australia-Antarctica Airlink - equity injection
Outcome 2 received an equity injection of $4.805 million in 2005-06 in relation to the Australia-Antarctic Airlink measure approved in the 2005-06 Budget. An additional equity injection of $2.195 million will be received in 2006-07 in relation to this measure.
Contributions to achievement of Outcome 2
Australia’s Antarctic policy interests have been endorsed by successive governments and are based on the region’s strategic, scientific environmental and potential economic importance for Australia. They are to:
- take advantage of the special opportunities Antarctica offers for scientific research;
- preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory, including our sovereign rights over adjacent offshore areas;
- protect the Antarctic environment, having regard to its special qualities and effects on our region;
- maintain Antarctic’s freedom from strategic and/or political confrontation;
- be informed about and able to influence developments in a region geographically proximate to Australia; and
- derive any reasonable economic benefits from living and non-living resources of the Antarctic (excluding deriving benefits from mining and oil drilling).
The Australian Government has established four goals to guide Australia’s Antarctic programme. These are to:
- maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia’s influence in the system;
- protect the Antarctic environment;
- understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system; and
- undertake work of practical, economic or national significance.
Departmental outputs
The Antarctic Outcome (Outcome 2) comprises 2 outputs, Antarctic Policy (Output 2.1) and Antarctic Science (Output 2.2).
Antarctic Policy
Governments have consistently taken the view that the Antarctic Treaty system is the best way of advancing Australia’s Antarctic policy interests. The Australian Antarctic Division, within DEH, as the leader of Australia’s Antarctic programme plays a key role in influencing the outcomes of the Antarctic Treaty system through actively participating in its international forums, particularly the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Committee for Environmental Protection.
Key elements of the international agenda are the protection of the Antarctic environment, combating illegal fishing, particularly near Heard Island and in the CCAMLR area, establishing the framework for ecosystem based management of CCAMLR fisheries, the conservation of albatrosses and petrels through reducing the impact of long line fishing and management of Antarctic tourism. The Antarctic Policy Output also supports the government’s objectives for a global ban on commercial whaling through participation in the International Whaling Commission and other international forums.
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) administers the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.
Antarctic Science
A core component of advancing Australia’s Antarctic interests is the conduct of scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. This research contributes to Australia’s knowledge of global climate through the study of ice, oceans and atmosphere and by contributing to world climate research, including studies relating to meteorology; Southern Ocean ecosystems; adaptations to environmental change; and the impact of human activities in Antarctica. The Australian Antarctic Division undertakes research and supports other institutions to undertake scientific research of practical, economic and national significance. The AAD provides data and support for Australian and international clients and conducts research in physical, biological and human sciences.
Performance information for Outcome 2
Performance information for administered items, individual outputs and output groups relating to DEH are summarised in Table 3.2.
| (A) Effectiveness – overall achievement of the outcome | ||
|---|---|---|
| Antarctic policy | ||
| Antarctic Treaty System | The degree to which Australia’s policy interests are advanced through international forums, particularly: (i) the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings; (ii) the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources; and (iii) the Committee for Environmental Protection | |
| Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing | The extent of Australia’s influence within the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources on measures to combat illegal fishing for toothfish | |
| International seabird conservation | The extent of Australia’s influence in changing fishery practices, including reduction in the number of albatrosses caught by fishing gear | |
| International whaling | The degree to which Australia’s policy interests are advanced, including through the International Whaling Commission | |
| Protecting the Antarctic Environment | Trend in the number of introduced plants, invertebrates and diseases to Antarctica and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Number of environmental incidents unresolved after 6 months Number and extent of oil spills and remediation action taken Number of environmental impact assessments: (i) completed by the Department; (ii) submitted by third parties and assessed by the Department; and (iii) audited under Australia’s Antarctic Environmental Management System as a percentage of total completed |
|
| Antarctic science | ||
| Support for Antarctic science | Successful completion of the elements of the Antarctic Science Strategy 2004-05 – 2008-09 Number of peer-reviewed scientific papers produced by scientists participating in the Antarctic science programme Number of scientists active in Antarctic and the Southern Ocean science |
|
| Australia-Antarctic Airlink | Test flights undertaken in the 2006-07 year First operational flights commencing in 2007-08 |
|
| (B) Performance indicators for administered items including third party outputs | ||
| There are no administered items for this outcome. | ||
| (C) Performance indicators for individual outputs | ||
| Both outputs (see Table 1.1 and Figure 4) |
Quality | Policy advisor role |
| The Minister is satisfied with the timeliness and accuracy of briefs and draft ministerial correspondence provided by the DEH | ||
| Provider role 1 | ||
| Percentage of payments that are consistent with the terms and conditions of funding (Target: 100%) Percentage of participants in the Australian Antarctic programme whose participation is consistent with the terms and conditions of logistic support (Target: 100%) |
||
| Price | Refer to Table 3.1 for 2006-07 Budget Estimates | |
| 1 Applies to the administration of grants programmes funded entirely from the appropriation for the output. | ||
Changes to Performance Indicators
There are no major changes to the performance indicators in 2006-07 with the exception of the addition of several new indicators for the Australia-Antarctic Airlink Programme.
Evaluations for Outcome 2
There are no public reviews planned for Outcome 2 in 2006-07.
Budget statements
Before you download
Some documents are available as PDF files. You will need a PDF reader to view PDF files.
List of PDF readers
If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window