❓ A parliamentary question seeks details on how agencies within the Premier's portfolio achieved the 3% efficiency dividend, including service cuts, alternative service delivery, and new service costs/benefits. The responses vary, with some agencies detailing specific cuts and adjustments, while others claim exemptions or continuous efficiency efforts.
AnsweredQoN 1331Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
For each Department and Agency within the Premier’s portfolios, please provide, -
(a) a description of each of the initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency’s 3 percent efficiency dividend;
(b) a description of how the original services, provided by the initiatives that were cut in (a) above, have been met by other areas of that Agency;
(c) if services have not been provided to their original level, a description of where the Agency is increasing its level of service to create efficiency; and
(d) for each new service provided by the Agency, a description of the monetary and non-monetary, costs and benefits, attributable to the new service?
(a) a description of each of the initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency’s 3 percent efficiency dividend;
(b) a description of how the original services, provided by the initiatives that were cut in (a) above, have been met by other areas of that Agency;
(c) if services have not been provided to their original level, a description of where the Agency is increasing its level of service to create efficiency; and
(d) for each new service provided by the Agency, a description of the monetary and non-monetary, costs and benefits, attributable to the new service?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 November 2009
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Premier
Response time
35 days
Government agencies in the Premier's portfolio advise:
Department of the Premier and Cabinet:
(a-c) Savings to meet Government's 3% efficiency dividend have been achieved by reductions in both staffing and operational expenditure. At this time, the Department has not ceased to provide any services, or reduced the level of services provided to the extent that other areas of the Department were required to provide additional services.
(d) Not applicable.
Public Sector Commissioner:
(a) The Commission's initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency's 3 percent efficiency dividends are as follows:
Managing the recruitment process - assessing the need to fill vacant positions;
Reviewed operational costs arising from the use of mobile phones, indoor plants, fleet and car bays;
Prioritisation of activities and identifying more cost effective delivery of services eg media and marketing is handled in-house, publications are produced in-house wherever possible and advertising is kept to a minimum; and the engagement of external consultants is not encouraged.
(b-d) The Commission is still finalising its structure and resource requirements.
Department of State Development:
(a)(i) State Development Policy Activities - reduction in consultancies and operational support and other associated activities totalling $588,000.
(ii) Zhejiang Province (China) - reduction of funds, by $45,000, allocated to Zhejiang Province (China) Sister-State activities and programs.
(iii) Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong Austrade - funding of $130,000 for Western Australian representation in the Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong Austrade offices will be ceased.
(b)(i) There has been a reduction in the number and scope of external consultancies used for specialist research as well as reduced attendance at conferences, interstate meetings and a decrease in the production of printed materials.
(ii) The reduction in unearmarked funds to support the Zhejiang-Perth Sister-State relationship had a minor decrease in the capacity to enhance the trade opportunities between Zhejiang Province in China and Perth.
(iii) Western Australia's contracts for representation through Austrade offices in Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong have expired. A review of the Thailand office found it was not cost effective.
(c)(i) The Department of State Development is building the capacity of internal resources and making better use of publicly available research. Electronic publishing, where appropriate, is being used in favour of printed materials.
(ii) The funds available for Zhejiang-Perth Sister-State relations are being directed toward those areas having the greatest potential benefit for Western Australia. For example, supporting senior visits to WA, government officer exchange to WA, Zhejiang high school English competition, and marketing and promotion of Zhejiang as a gateway into China.
(iii) Trade and investment inquiries for Hong Kong and Taiwan are now handled through the Western Australian Government's Shanghai office and therefore expect to have minimum impact on service delivery.
(d) Not applicable
Office of the Public Sector Standard Commissioner:
(a) Nil. OPSSC was exempted from the 3 percent efficiency dividend as its annual budget is below the threshold at which this was applied.
(b-d) Not applicable
Gold Corporation:
(a) Gold Corporation is required by the Gold Corporation Act 1987 to "..derive a profit by earning a commercial rate of return on its capital." The business is always run to optimise profitability and therefore there would be no point in implementing a one-off 3% efficiency dividend. It operates in a competitive environment and has to address efficiency on a continuous basis.
(b) Gold Corporation does not provide any services to the community - it only concerns itself with profitable activities.
(c) Not applicable
(d) See answer to part (b).
Lotterywest:
Lotterywest is a self-funded statutory authority empowered by the
Lotteries Commission Act
1990 to raise funds from the sales of lotteries products and to distribute the proceeds as specified in the Act to government agencies and to the community of Western Australian (for charitable and benevolent purposes).
When compared with other Australian lottery operators Lotterywest operates with a minimal budget which is used not only to generate sales but also to distribute the proceeds from sales.
The
Lotteries Commission Act
dictates that any savings from a reduction in expenditures are to be treated as surplus funds and are to be distributed to eligible organisations (for eligible purposes) and as such cannot be returned to the government as an efficiency dividend.
In response to the specific questions the following is provided:
(a) Lotterywest's support for the efficiency dividend to government is through:
(i) using its existing product expenditure budget to maintain a year on year sales growth (at normal jackpot occurrences) of 3.9%, $27 million; and
(ii) without compromising "due diligence" to distribute an estimated 5%, $5 million, increase in funds to eligible organisation (made up of increased funding from sales and distributions from general reserves).
(b) Lotterywest's service levels will remain unchanged.
(c-d) Lotterywest has an ongoing "business enhancement" program lead by a senior officer and guided by the executive, to continuously seek out process improvements and to positively impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations and no new services have been provided.
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Department of the Premier and Cabinet:
(a-c) Savings to meet Government's 3% efficiency dividend have been achieved by reductions in both staffing and operational expenditure. At this time, the Department has not ceased to provide any services, or reduced the level of services provided to the extent that other areas of the Department were required to provide additional services.
(d) Not applicable.
Public Sector Commissioner:
(a) The Commission's initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency's 3 percent efficiency dividends are as follows:
Managing the recruitment process - assessing the need to fill vacant positions;
Reviewed operational costs arising from the use of mobile phones, indoor plants, fleet and car bays;
Prioritisation of activities and identifying more cost effective delivery of services eg media and marketing is handled in-house, publications are produced in-house wherever possible and advertising is kept to a minimum; and the engagement of external consultants is not encouraged.
(b-d) The Commission is still finalising its structure and resource requirements.
Department of State Development:
(a)(i) State Development Policy Activities - reduction in consultancies and operational support and other associated activities totalling $588,000.
(ii) Zhejiang Province (China) - reduction of funds, by $45,000, allocated to Zhejiang Province (China) Sister-State activities and programs.
(iii) Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong Austrade - funding of $130,000 for Western Australian representation in the Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong Austrade offices will be ceased.
(b)(i) There has been a reduction in the number and scope of external consultancies used for specialist research as well as reduced attendance at conferences, interstate meetings and a decrease in the production of printed materials.
(ii) The reduction in unearmarked funds to support the Zhejiang-Perth Sister-State relationship had a minor decrease in the capacity to enhance the trade opportunities between Zhejiang Province in China and Perth.
(iii) Western Australia's contracts for representation through Austrade offices in Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong have expired. A review of the Thailand office found it was not cost effective.
(c)(i) The Department of State Development is building the capacity of internal resources and making better use of publicly available research. Electronic publishing, where appropriate, is being used in favour of printed materials.
(ii) The funds available for Zhejiang-Perth Sister-State relations are being directed toward those areas having the greatest potential benefit for Western Australia. For example, supporting senior visits to WA, government officer exchange to WA, Zhejiang high school English competition, and marketing and promotion of Zhejiang as a gateway into China.
(iii) Trade and investment inquiries for Hong Kong and Taiwan are now handled through the Western Australian Government's Shanghai office and therefore expect to have minimum impact on service delivery.
(d) Not applicable
Office of the Public Sector Standard Commissioner:
(a) Nil. OPSSC was exempted from the 3 percent efficiency dividend as its annual budget is below the threshold at which this was applied.
(b-d) Not applicable
Gold Corporation:
(a) Gold Corporation is required by the Gold Corporation Act 1987 to "..derive a profit by earning a commercial rate of return on its capital." The business is always run to optimise profitability and therefore there would be no point in implementing a one-off 3% efficiency dividend. It operates in a competitive environment and has to address efficiency on a continuous basis.
(b) Gold Corporation does not provide any services to the community - it only concerns itself with profitable activities.
(c) Not applicable
(d) See answer to part (b).
Lotterywest:
Lotterywest is a self-funded statutory authority empowered by the
Lotteries Commission Act
1990 to raise funds from the sales of lotteries products and to distribute the proceeds as specified in the Act to government agencies and to the community of Western Australian (for charitable and benevolent purposes).
When compared with other Australian lottery operators Lotterywest operates with a minimal budget which is used not only to generate sales but also to distribute the proceeds from sales.
The
Lotteries Commission Act
dictates that any savings from a reduction in expenditures are to be treated as surplus funds and are to be distributed to eligible organisations (for eligible purposes) and as such cannot be returned to the government as an efficiency dividend.
In response to the specific questions the following is provided:
(a) Lotterywest's support for the efficiency dividend to government is through:
(i) using its existing product expenditure budget to maintain a year on year sales growth (at normal jackpot occurrences) of 3.9%, $27 million; and
(ii) without compromising "due diligence" to distribute an estimated 5%, $5 million, increase in funds to eligible organisation (made up of increased funding from sales and distributions from general reserves).
(b) Lotterywest's service levels will remain unchanged.
(c-d) Lotterywest has an ongoing "business enhancement" program lead by a senior officer and guided by the executive, to continuously seek out process improvements and to positively impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations and no new services have been provided.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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