ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: Thank you. Order! Member for Fong Lim, you did ask a question and the
minister was endeavouring to answer that question and you cut him off …
Mr TOLLNER: Well, he did answer it, Madam Deputy Chair.
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: We will ask him that …
Mr TOLLNER: Well, he did answer, and he said no they do not have it.
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: Excuse me, member for Fong Lim! Minister, continue.
Mr VATSKALIS: Madam Deputy Chair, my answer was there is no way you can do a model if you do
not know the factors involved in the super tax. If we do not factor the different values the
Commonwealth allocate. We do not know if the Commonwealth will tax minerals at a different rate.
We do not know what will the be the lift off – whether it will be 6% or 12%. How can you actually do
modelling without hearing this vital and important information?
Mr TOLLNER: Okay. I have another question of a similar vein, something that you will have
information on because there was a bill in the federal parliament outlining all of the detail. Can you
table the modelling that your department did in relation to the carbon pollution reduction scheme that
was proposed by the Rudd government?
Mr VATSKALIS: I would love to but, unfortunately, it was not my department that did that model; it
was the Chief Minister’s Department.
Mr TOLLNER: Okay, no worries. One more quick question. Can you outline your future plans for the
extractive industries in the Top End?
Mr VATSKALIS: Our future – actually we are going to have an expansion of the extractive industry
more than any other industry, to be …
Mr TOLLNER: Absolutely, can you table those plans that you have? Bearing in mind, I will
background you, minister …
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes.
Mr TOLLNER: … the 13 Mile Quarry, obviously, as you are aware, has been closed now for two
years, you are running out of reserves. Where are you going to get sand, gravel and the like for future
development of Darwin and Palmerston and all these other great infrastructure programs that your
government crows on endlessly about?
Mr VATSKALIS: Last time I checked, member for Fong Lim, we live in a free economy. These kinds
of decisions are made by the private businesses, not by the government. This is a natural progression
of Darwin growing. When I first came to the Territory, Palmerston was 7000 people …
Mr TOLLNER: So it is private industry that is building Darwin, not government.
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: Member for Fong Lim, cease interjecting, thank you. Standing Order 51.
Mr TOLLNER: No, he has answered the question, Madam Deputy Chair, we can move on.
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: Well let him finish. Member for Fong Lim, can I just remind you of Standing
Order 51, please, and that is about not interrupting people when they are speaking. Thank you.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr VATSKALIS: In addition to that, member for Fong Lim, if you actually bothered to actually have a
look at what we are doing now, there is a tenement system in place where the department allocates
land for different activities, and people are entitled, and they can apply for different tenements for
different purposes.
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: Thank you, so that concludes consideration of Output 1.1.
Output 1.2 – Primary Industry
Madam DEPUTY CHAIR: The committee will now move to Output 1.2, Primary Industry. Are there
any questions?
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Minister, can you please detail a complete breakdown of the budget
estimates for each division of the Department of Primary Industry, for example, Plant Industry; Animal
Industry; Biosecurity; Research and Development; Corporate Services; Administration, etcetera? And
also, and if it is easier to table something, I am happy to accept that, also minister, the same divisional
budget details for 2010-11?
Mr GOBBEY: Rob Gobbey, Executive Director, Primary Industry. I do not have at hand the budget
details for the previous financial year, but for the coming financial year, I can give the breakdown for
the various groups within the Primary Industry.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you, and I will put the other one on notice.
Mr GOBBEY: Thank you. The total budget for the Primary Industry group of the Department of
Resources is $38 473 090, the breakdown being, within my direct budget control, which includes the
regional officers of the department and their operating expenses, that is $3 122 890. There is the
Policy and Services group, which has a budget of $3 365 200. The Plant Industry division, which
includes the plant diagnostic capacity, as well as the Research and Development and the extension
capacity, that has a budget of $7 254 300. The Biosecurity and Product Integrity Division, which
includes the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory, has a budget allocation of $6 116 200; and the Pastoral
Production Division, which includes the research farms associated with that division, has a budget
allocation of $5 921 500. Those figures in total come to $25 780 090.
The balance that brings the total figure to $38 473 090 includes a number of separate items to do with
building depreciation; the Primary Industry group share of the corporate costs; the cost to whole-of-
government payroll services; and the repairs and maintenance of all buildings and infrastructure.
There would be a comparable breakdown to the previous year for the question on notice. Given that
the structural arrangements of the Primary Industry group have changed year on year, there will not
be precise alignment between the divisions because of the structural realignment.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Partly the reason why there is structural realignment by this government
we see regularly. Thank you, Mr Gobbey.
_______________________________
Question on Notice No 7.25
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Partly the reason why there is structural realignment by this government
we see regularly. Thank you, Mr Gobbey.
My Question on Notice for Hansard is: can the minister please provide the complete breakdown of
budget estimates for each division within the department of Primary Industries, for example plant
industry, animal industry, biosecurity, research and development, corporate services, administration
etcetera, for the 2009-10 financial year?
Mr GOBBEY: That information will be prepared. I suggest it be standardised in the format so last
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