❓ Hon. Kate Doust questions the Minister for Training and Workforce Development regarding the closure of business growth centres, specifically the Kalgoorlie centre, after the expiration of economic stimulus funding. The questions focus on the Minister's knowledge of the funding expiration, the amount of funding received, the cost of the Kalgoorlie centre's opening, and the services provided by the centre.
AnsweredQoN 41Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS GROWTH CENTRES
41. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development:
I refer to the closure of the Department of Training and
Workforce Development's business growth centres.
(1) Given, as the minister stated on Tuesday —
the business growth centres are closing due to the expiration of the
economic stimulus package funding on 31 December 2011.
Did the minister know this funding
was expiring when he opened the Kalgoorlie centre in September 2011; and, if
not, when was he informed?
(2) What
amount of economic stimulus funding was allocated to the business growth
centres, and when was it received from the commonwealth?
(3) What was
the cost, including travel by the minister and his office, of the official
opening of the Kalgoorlie centre in September 2011?
(4) Can the
minister outline what programs and services the Kalgoorlie centre has been
providing, and at what level they have been used by the local community?
DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS GROWTH CENTRES
41. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development:
I refer to the closure of the Department of Training and
Workforce Development's business growth centres.
(1) Given, as the minister stated on Tuesday —
the business growth centres are closing due to the expiration of the
economic stimulus package funding on 31 December 2011.
Did the minister know this funding
was expiring when he opened the Kalgoorlie centre in September 2011; and, if
not, when was he informed?
(2) What
amount of economic stimulus funding was allocated to the business growth
centres, and when was it received from the commonwealth?
(3) What was
the cost, including travel by the minister and his office, of the official
opening of the Kalgoorlie centre in September 2011?
(4) Can the
minister outline what programs and services the Kalgoorlie centre has been
providing, and at what level they have been used by the local community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
(1) It was
known that the specific funding for the business growth centre was only
allocated until the end of December 2011; however, as the evaluation report had
not been completed in September 2011, no decision had been made on the future of
the service.
(2) As part of
the economic stimulus package in the 2009–10 state budget, the
government allocated $2.056 million for two years for the operations of the
business growth centre.
(3) Departmental
costs associated with the Kalgoorlie office opening were as follows: flights,
$3 522; accommodation, $498; car hire, $346; catering, $1 323; and photos,
$198. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet advises the actual cost of my
travel to Kalgoorlie for the official opening in September 2011, not including
aircraft operating expenses, was $325. However, it should be noted that the
original intention of my travel to Kalgoorlie was to attend an Aboriginal
training forum hosted by the Subiaco Football Club. The opening of the business
growth centre was arranged around these pre-existing travel arrangements.
(4) The
services that the Kalgoorlie office provides are small business solutions,
Aboriginal mentoring and tourism training programs. In addition, the centre
also offered a Diploma of Marketing and a Diploma of Management. The Kalgoorlie
office has enabled 20 small businesses in the Kalgoorlie–Boulder area
to address their workforce development needs by utilising the services on offer
since its opening.
question.
(1) It was
known that the specific funding for the business growth centre was only
allocated until the end of December 2011; however, as the evaluation report had
not been completed in September 2011, no decision had been made on the future of
the service.
(2) As part of
the economic stimulus package in the 2009–10 state budget, the
government allocated $2.056 million for two years for the operations of the
business growth centre.
(3) Departmental
costs associated with the Kalgoorlie office opening were as follows: flights,
$3 522; accommodation, $498; car hire, $346; catering, $1 323; and photos,
$198. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet advises the actual cost of my
travel to Kalgoorlie for the official opening in September 2011, not including
aircraft operating expenses, was $325. However, it should be noted that the
original intention of my travel to Kalgoorlie was to attend an Aboriginal
training forum hosted by the Subiaco Football Club. The opening of the business
growth centre was arranged around these pre-existing travel arrangements.
(4) The
services that the Kalgoorlie office provides are small business solutions,
Aboriginal mentoring and tourism training programs. In addition, the centre
also offered a Diploma of Marketing and a Diploma of Management. The Kalgoorlie
office has enabled 20 small businesses in the Kalgoorlie–Boulder area
to address their workforce development needs by utilising the services on offer
since its opening.
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