State Budget: Cuts in Services

Transcription

1 State : Cuts in Services About this Issue The Council was concerned to hear Treasurer Troy Buswell report in his State speech that as a part of the Government s Fiscal Action Plan, the Government would be introducing A coordinated and systematic approach to ongoing program evaluation in the public sector, with targeted savings of $350million over the forward estimates period. 1 This is in addition to what is also described in the papers as program rationalisation and reprioritisation. The Council is seeking four commitments in the approach to achieving these savings: 1. An evidence base Decisions about re-focusing investment or restructuring service areas need to be based on evidence. This includes evidence about both which services are ineffective and how changes will lead to better outcomes, as well as monitoring and evaluation to ensure new services or programs are delivering real community benefit. 2. A collaborative process Rationalisation or reprioritisation must be pursued in collaboration with community service stakeholders through transparent processes. 3. A responsible transition - A timely and planned approach is critical to ensure a smooth transition and prevent vulnerable people from falling through cracks, ensuring new or replacement services or strategies are in place and operational, before others are ceased. 4. Net growth to meet demand Overall we need to continue to see a growth in service delivery to address growing needs. Rationalisation must not reduce the total level of services available in a time of increasing population and service demand. Program Evaluation Savings The papers 2 indicate that a Program Evaluation Unit (PEU) has been established within the Department of Treasury to conduct rolling reviews of existing programs and embedding program reviews (through the introduction of sunset clauses ) for new recurrent programs agreed by Government from January Rolling annual reviews will be overseen by a Steering Committee of Directors General, assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing program spending and identifying options including program cessation or alternative models of service delivery. This initiative is targeted to deliver $50 million per annum in recurrent savings from (and additional net debt savings of $100 million per annum from, for a total savings target of $350 million over the forward estimates period). and Reprioritisation In attempting to identify the way in which these cuts will be impacting on individual Departments, the Council has identified all the and Reprioritisation of Existing Programs line items which appear throughout Paper Two, which is the document that provides the detailed information for each agency.

2 spending cuts items appear in the budgets of 27 Government agencies; Reprioritisation of Existing Programs spending cuts appear in the budgets of only 2 Government agencies (Department for Child Protection & Family Support and Department of Local Government and Communities; but these two Departments also have Program Rationalisation spending changes in their budgets also). WACOSS understand that the distinction is that rationalisation means that spending cuts need to be found within a particular program/area; whereas reprioritisation means that additional outcomes will be sought to be delivered within existing or reduced programs. As the table below shows in some agencies, the spending cuts are across all of the budget years (although not necessarily the same amount each year), whereas for other agencies the cuts are only in one year (ie. Disability Services Commission). The Council has identified just under $335 million worth of and Reprioritisation of Existing Programs cuts in Paper Two. An additional $15.5 million is listed in the Health budget under other savings measures. 3 Finally, while not an actual cut, it is also of concern that anticipated expenditure on election promises has not been fully reflected in the papers in some areas. For example, a major election promise by the Liberal Party was $57.2 million for 155 new school health nurses 4 yet only $38 million has been allocated across the s. 5

3 PART 1 - PARLIAMENT Parliament Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations PART 2 - PREMIER; MINISTER FOR STATE DEVELOPMENT; SCIENCE Premier and Cabinet - 1,000-1,000-1,000-1,000-4,000 Public Sector Commission ,290-1,290-1,290-4,055 Gold Corporation Governor's Establishment Lotteries Commission Salaries and Allowances Tribunal State Development Chemistry Centre (WA) PART 3 - DEPUTY PREMIER; MINISTER FOR HEALTH; TOURISM WA Health - 10,000-13,100-13,100-13,100-49,300 Western Australia Health Promotion Foundation Animal Resources Authority Western Australian Tourism Commission ,140 Rottnest Island Authority PART 4 - MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT; LANDS; MINISTER ASSISTING THE MINISTER FOR STATE DEVELOPMENT Regional Development Royalties for Regions - Regional and State-wide Initiatives Gascoyne Development Commission Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission Great Southern Development Commission Kimberley Development Commission Mid West Development Commission Peel Development Commission Pilbara Development Commission South West Development Commission Wheatbelt Development Commission Lands Western Australian Land Authority Western Australian Land Information Authority PART 5 - MINISTER FOR EDUCATION; ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS; ELECTORAL AFFAIRS Education Education Services School Curriculum and Standards Authority Country High School Hostels Authority Aboriginal Affairs

4 Western Australian Electoral Commission PART 6 - TREASURER; MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT; FISHERIES Treasury Economic Regulation Authority Insurance Commission of Western Australia Office of the Auditor General Western Australian Treasury Corporation Transport - 2,970-9,657-12,800-12,876-38,303 Commissioner of Main Roads - 4,000-7,900-36,200-23,900-72,000 Public Transport Authority of Western Australia - 5,000-8,400-11,600-2,600-27,600 Albany Port Authority Broome Port Authority Bunbury Port Authority Dampier Port Authority Esperance Port Authority Fremantle Port Authority Geraldton Port Authority Port Hedland Port Authority Fisheries PART 7 - MINISTER FOR PLANNING; CULTURE AND THE ARTS Planning Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority Western Australian Planning Commission Culture and the Arts PART 8 - MINISTER FOR POLICE; ROAD SAFETY; SMALL BUSINESS; WOMEN S INTERESTS Western Australia Police Small Business Development Corporation PART 9 - MINISTER FOR TRAINING AND WORKFORCE; DEVELOPMENT; WATER; FORESTRY Training and Workforce Development - 5,842-8,104-8,104-8,104-30,154 State Training Providers Water - 1,972-2,047-2,217-2,217-8,453 Water Corporation Bunbury Water Board Busselton Water Board Forest Products Commission PART 10 - MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH; DISABILITY SERVICES; CHILD PROTECTION Mental Health Commission - 2,750-1, ,406 Disability Services Commission - 2,250-2,250 Child Protection and Family Support ,580 Also includes Reprioritisation of Existing Programs - 1,000-1,000

5 PART 11 - ATTORNEY GENERAL; MINISTER FOR COMMERCE Attorney General - 1,382-2,232-2,232-2,232-8,078 Corruption and Crime Commission Commissioner for Equal Opportunity ,500 Law Reform Commission of Western Australia ,334 Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Commissioner for Children and Young People Office of the Information Commissioner Parliamentary Inspector of the Corruption and Crime Commission Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia Commerce ,540-5,540-5,540-16,790 Registrar, Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission WorkCover WA Authority PART 12 - MINISTER FOR MINES AND PETROLEUM; HOUSING Mines and Petroleum Housing Authority Keystart Housing Scheme Trust PART 13 - MINISTER FOR SPORT AND RECREATION; RACING AND GAMING Sport and Recreation ,500 Western Australian Sports Centre Trust Western Australian Institute of Sport Racing, Gaming and Liquor Racing and Wagering Western Australia Western Australian Greyhound Racing Authority Burswood Park Board PART 14 - MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND FOOD Agriculture and Food Rural Business Development Corporation Western Australian Meat Industry Authority Perth Market Authority PART 15 - MINISTER FOR ENERGY; FINANCE; CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL INTERESTS Independent Market Operator Horizon Power Synergy Verve Energy Western Power Networks Western Power Provisions Electricity Sector Provisions Finance

6 PART 16 - MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT; COMMUNITY; SERVICES; SENIORS AND VOLUNTEERING; YOUTH Local Government and Communities - 5,900-5,900-5,900-17,700 Also includes Reprioritisation of Existing Programs ,371 Metropolitan Cemeteries Board PART 17 - MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT; HERITAGE Parks and Wildlife - 1,066-4,455-4,432-4,408-14,361 Environment Regulation ,069-2,565-2,561-8,829 Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Office of the Environmental Protection Authority Swan River Trust - 1,000-1,000 Zoological Parks Authority Heritage Council of Western Australia National Trust of Australia (WA) PART 18 - MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES; CORRECTIVE SERVICES; VETERANS Fire and Emergency Services State Emergency Management Committee Secretariat Corrective Services - 1,500-3,325-3,325-3,325-11,475 Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services TOTAL per year - 45,681-81, ,824-93,221 TOTAL ( forward estimates) - 334, Paper No.1, page Paper No. 3 page Paper No. 2 page For a comprehensive list of election promises (relevant to the community services sector) which were made by the major parties during the 2013 WA State Election, refer to WACOSS s Promise Watch document Paper No. 2 page 130.