❓ Hon. Kate Doust questions the Minister for Commerce regarding the Tenants Advice Service (TAS) withdrawal from contractual arrangements, funding allocations, and alternative service provisions. The Minister clarifies funding details, TAS's reasons for withdrawal, and interim measures.
AnsweredQoN 909Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
TENANTS
ADVICE SERVICE
909. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for Commerce:
I refer to question without notice 892, asked yesterday in
relation to the Tenants Advice Service.
(1) What funding had been allocated for TAS for the 2012–13
financial year?
(2) If this
funding was a reduction on funding granted for the 2011–12 financial
year, was this a factor in TAS ''withdrawing from its contractual
arrangements'', as the minister advised the house yesterday?
(3) Were any other reasons given by
TAS for withdrawing from its contractual arrangements?
(4) Will the
minister table any written advice to him from the Department of Commerce on the
TAS service withdrawal; and, if not, why not?
(5) What
alternative arrangements will the government put in place to provide the
service no longer available from TAS, and when will these arrangements be in
place?
ADVICE SERVICE
909. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for Commerce:
I refer to question without notice 892, asked yesterday in
relation to the Tenants Advice Service.
(1) What funding had been allocated for TAS for the 2012–13
financial year?
(2) If this
funding was a reduction on funding granted for the 2011–12 financial
year, was this a factor in TAS ''withdrawing from its contractual
arrangements'', as the minister advised the house yesterday?
(3) Were any other reasons given by
TAS for withdrawing from its contractual arrangements?
(4) Will the
minister table any written advice to him from the Department of Commerce on the
TAS service withdrawal; and, if not, why not?
(5) What
alternative arrangements will the government put in place to provide the
service no longer available from TAS, and when will these arrangements be in
place?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
(1) TAS placed
a bid to provide tenancy advice and education services as the central resource
unit of the tenancy network at a price of $852 041 for the 2012–13
financial year. This amount of funding was allocated to TAS for the 2012–13
financial year. To date, funding in the amount of $370 855 has been paid to TAS
for the 2012–13 financial year.
(2) The
funding allocated to TAS for the 2011–12 financial year was $736 049.
The 2012–13 allocation represented a 15.7 per cent increase over the
previous year.
(3) In a
letter to the Director General of the Department of Commerce dated 6 November
2012, TAS voluntarily requested to surrender its contractual arrangements
because it was unable to deliver the scope of work tendered for under the
contract.
(4) I received
verbal advice from the director general about the emerging problems on Monday,
5 November 2012, and my staff received further emailed information about the
situation from the department on 6 and 7 November 2012. The request to withdraw
from the contractual arrangements was initiated by TAS.
(5) The
Department of Commerce is currently examining options for putting alternative
arrangements in place to provide the services of the central resource unit, and
discussing those options with the Department of Finance. In the meantime,
tenants seeking assistance can contact the Consumer Protection helpline, which
is available for all tenancy-related inquiries on 1300 30 40 54, or the 15 other
local tenancy advice centres around Western Australia.
question.
(1) TAS placed
a bid to provide tenancy advice and education services as the central resource
unit of the tenancy network at a price of $852 041 for the 2012–13
financial year. This amount of funding was allocated to TAS for the 2012–13
financial year. To date, funding in the amount of $370 855 has been paid to TAS
for the 2012–13 financial year.
(2) The
funding allocated to TAS for the 2011–12 financial year was $736 049.
The 2012–13 allocation represented a 15.7 per cent increase over the
previous year.
(3) In a
letter to the Director General of the Department of Commerce dated 6 November
2012, TAS voluntarily requested to surrender its contractual arrangements
because it was unable to deliver the scope of work tendered for under the
contract.
(4) I received
verbal advice from the director general about the emerging problems on Monday,
5 November 2012, and my staff received further emailed information about the
situation from the department on 6 and 7 November 2012. The request to withdraw
from the contractual arrangements was initiated by TAS.
(5) The
Department of Commerce is currently examining options for putting alternative
arrangements in place to provide the services of the central resource unit, and
discussing those options with the Department of Finance. In the meantime,
tenants seeking assistance can contact the Consumer Protection helpline, which
is available for all tenancy-related inquiries on 1300 30 40 54, or the 15 other
local tenancy advice centres around Western Australia.
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