Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda

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SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE (LEARNING TOGETHER--ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITY) AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2006

                                   2004-2005-2006




       THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA




                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES




SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE (LEARNING TOGETHER - ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH
     CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITY) AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2006




                        EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM




     (Circulated by authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training,
                          the Honourable Julie Bishop MP)
  SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE (LEARNING TOGETHER - ACHIEVEMENT
      THROUGH CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITY) AMENDMENT
                      BILL (NO. 2) 2006


                                          OUTLINE
The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Schools Assistance (Learning Together - Achievement
Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 (the Act), which provides funding for Australian
Government programmes of financial assistance to the States and Territories for government and
non-government schools for the 2005 to 2008 quadrennium.

The Bill amend Schedules 3 and 5 to the Act to insert maximum capital grant funding amounts
for government and non-government schools for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Schedules 3
and 5 currently set out maximum funding amounts for the capital grants programme for
government and non-government schools, for the years 2005 to 2008. This amendment is
foreshadowed in the Act in note 2 to Schedules 3 and 5, which states "amounts for 2009, 2010
and 2011 will be inserted by later amending Acts." The Bill will permit approval of capital grant
funding amounts for the programme years 2009-2011, in keeping with programme
administrative arrangements. Amounts for programme years beyond 2008 need to be inserted in
the Act as capital grants for schools are approved up to three years in advance of the current
calendar year.



                                  FINANCIAL IMPACT
The amendment to Schedules 3 and 5 to insert capital grant funding amounts for government and
non-government schools for the years 2009 to 2011 provides for funding for these years of $747
million for government schools and $259 million for non-government schools.

Funding amounts are in initial 2005 prices, the price basis of funding amounts in the Act. These
amounts will be adjusted for price movements, as prescribed in the Act.

The financial impact is nil as funding is included in the forward estimates.
  SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE (LEARNING TOGETHER - ACHIEVEMENT
      THROUGH CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITY) AMENDMENT
                      BILL (NO. 2) 2006

                                  NOTES ON CLAUSES

Clause 1 - Short title

Provides for the Act to be cited as the Schools Assistance (Learning Together - Achievement
Through Choice and Opportunity) Amendment Act (No. 2) 2006.


Clause 2 - Commencement

Provides for the Act to commence on the day on which it receives Royal Assent.


Clause 3 - Schedule(s)

Provides that each Act that is specified in a Schedule is amended or repealed as set out in the
applicable items in the Schedule, and that any other item in a Schedule has effect according to its
terms.
Schedule 1 -- Amendments

Schools Assistance (Learning Together - Achievement Through Choice and
Opportunity) Act 2004

Items 1, 2 and 3 - Schedule 3 (cell at table items 5, 6 and 7, column 2)

Schedule 3 deals with capital grants for government schools and sets out maximum amounts that
may be paid for capital and capital infrastructure (Investing in Our Schools Programme) grants.

Items 1, 2 and 3 amend table items 5, 6 and 7 respectively in column 2 of the table in Schedule
3 to insert amounts for program years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Table item 5 in column 2 becomes
$249,000,000, table item 6 in column 2 becomes $249,000,000 and table item 7 in column 2
becomes $249,000,000.


Items 4, 5 and 6 - Schedule 5 (cell at table items 5, 6 and 7, column 2)

Schedule 5 deals with capital grants for non-government schools and sets out maximum amounts
that may be paid for capital and capital infrastructure (Investing in Our Schools Programme)
grants.

Items 4, 5 and 6 amend table items 5, 6 and 7 respectively in column 2 of the table in Schedule
5 to insert amounts for program years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Table item 5 in column 2 becomes
$86,173,000, table item 6 in column 2 becomes $86,173,000 and table item 7 in column 2
becomes $86,173,000.