[Index] [Search] [Download] [Bill] [Help]
Appropriation (2023-2024) Bill 2023 Introduction Print EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM General This Bill provides appropriation authority for payments from the Consolidated Fund for the ordinary annual services of the Government for the 2023/2024 financial year. The amounts contained in Schedule 1 to the Bill provide for the ongoing operations of Departments, new output initiatives and new asset investment insofar as these are funded by way of annual appropriation. The Schedule also includes payments made on behalf of the State. These payments are not related to the direct provision of outputs by Departments and are generally passed on by Departments for specific purposes. In some cases (where stated), the annual appropriations in Schedule 1 include line items that are specifically referenced in separate legislation, but unlike special appropriations, require annual appropriations by Parliament. In addition to the annual appropriations contained in this Bill, funds are also made available to Departments by way of special appropriation. Special appropriations arise through provisions that are contained in legislation. These appropriations provide for the specific purposes set out in that legislation and they do not lapse annually like the annual Appropriation Act. Details of these can be found in Table A.4 of Budget Paper No. 5: Statement of Finances. Where an item in Schedule 1 provides that section 29 of the Financial Management Act 1994 applies, money received from the provision of services or asset sales by that Department or by specific purpose payment by the Commonwealth or by a municipal council may be credited to that item during the financial year and is deemed to have been appropriated. Estimates of appropriations annotated pursuant to section 29 of the Financial Management Act 1994 may be found in Tables A.5 and A.6 of Budget Paper No. 5: Statement of Finances. 601097 1 BILL LA INTRODUCTION 22/5/2023 Unapplied appropriation under the Appropriation (2022-2023) Act 2022 has been estimated and is included in the Budget Papers. At the end of the 2022/2023 financial year actual unapplied appropriations are finalised, approved carryover amounts determined, and the 2023/2024 appropriations increased accordingly, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Management Act 1994. Advances during 2022/2023 from the Treasurer's Advance and those available under section 35 of the Financial Management Act 1994 are not brought to account in this Bill. They are tabled in the Parliament as part of the Financial Report for the State of Victoria 2022/2023 and formally brought to account in the Appropriation (2024-2025) Bill. Advances relating to 2021/2022, which were published in the Financial Report for the State of Victoria 2021/2022, are brought to account in clause 7 of, and Schedule 2 to, this Bill. To enable comparison of the appropriations between years, Schedule 1 to the Bill contains both the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 appropriated amounts. The Bill reflects a number of changes to Appropriations due to machinery of government changes. To enable comparison of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 amounts, the following Table shows the comparative adjustments that would have been necessary if the machinery of government changes had been in effect for the 2022/2023 financial year. 2022/2023 2022/2023 Original Adjusted Department Estimate Adjustments Budget $'000 $'000 $'000 Courts 641 479 0 641 479 Education and Training 17 128 623 -17 128 623 0 Education 0 15 820 624 15 820 624 Environment, Land, Water and Planning 3 062 800 -3 062 800 0 Energy, Environment and Climate Action 0 3 167 222 3 167 222 Families, Fairness and Housing 7 773 386 0 7 773 386 Health 12 306 987 61 682 12 368 669 2 2022/2023 2022/2023 Original Adjusted Department Estimate Adjustments Budget Jobs, Precincts and Regions 3 059 988 -3 059 988 0 Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions 0 3 752 037 3 752 037 Justice and Community Safety 9 541 474 -58 769 9 482 705 Premier and Cabinet 502 678 -159 253 343 425 Transport 12 688 236 -12 688 236 0 Transport and Planning 0 13 225 716 13 225 716 Treasury and Finance 18 410 009 -364 158 18 045 851 Government Services 0 494 546 494 546 85 115 660 0 85 115 660 The totals in this Table and the Tables in the Bill may not add due to rounding. Clause Notes Clause 1 defines the purpose of the Bill. Clause 2 specifies that the Bill comes into operation on the day it receives the Royal Assent. Clause 3 provides that the Treasurer may issue the stated amount out of the Consolidated Fund in respect of the financial year 2023/2024 as set out in Schedule 1 to the Bill. Subclauses (2) and (3) provide authority for additional appropriation if necessary for increases in salaries and related costs that may be the result of any legislation or determination during the year. Clause 4 provides that the Consolidated Fund is appropriated to the extent necessary for the purposes included in clause 3. Clause 5 provides that the amounts specified for an item in Schedule 1 are to be applied subject to section 30 or 31A of the Financial Management Act 1994 and on the basis that the amounts specified for that item are not exceeded. 3 The clause also states that if depreciation is included in the provision of outputs of a Department in Schedule 1 to the Bill, then the additions to the net asset base of that Department may be increased, subject to the Treasurer's approval, by an amount up to the depreciation amount. Clause 6 provides for the application of amounts in 2023/2024 for arrangements, expenses or obligations that arise in 2023/2024 but do not require payment until a future year. Clause 7 provides appropriation authority for additional funding approved by the Treasurer during 2021/2022 from funds appropriated for Advance to the Treasurer under the Department of Treasury and Finance. Details are contained in Schedule 2. Clause 8 provides that in this Bill, Court Services Victoria established under the Court Services Victoria Act 2014 is referred to as the Department of Courts for appropriation purposes only. Clause 9 provides for the automatic repeal of this Bill on the fourth anniversary of the day on which it receives the Royal Assent in accordance with the recommendation of the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee in its Report on the Statute Law Repeals Bill 2014, February 2015. The repeal does not affect any matter or thing or the previous operation of the Act (see section 14(2) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984). 4