2004

THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION (TARGETED ASSISTANCE) AMENDMENT BILL 2005

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP)

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION (TARGETED ASSISTANCE) AMENDMENT BILL 2004

OUTLINE

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 to appropriate additional funding to provide Indigenous students from remote communities with tutorial support in their first year of schooling when they move to a non-remote location to continue their schooling, and to transfer transitional assistance funding for independent Indigenous vocational education and training  providers to appropriations under the Skilling Australia’s Workforce Bill 2005.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

The Bill will decrease the appropriation under section 14A of the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 by a net $3.7m over 2006 to 2008.  This reflects an increase of $7.2m for Indigenous school students leaving their community for education (fully funded from savings in other areas) and a transfer of $10.9m to appropriations under the Skilling Australia’s Workforce Bill 2005.  These amounts are subject to supplementation as prescribed in the Act.

INDIGENOUS EDUCATION (TARGETED ASSISTANCE) AMENDMENT BILL 2004

NOTES ON CLAUSES

Clause 1 - Short title

Provides for the Act to be cited as the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Act 2005.

Clause 2 - Commencement

Provides for the Act to commence on the day on which it receives the 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Provides that each Act that is specified in a Schedule is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule and that any other item in a Schedule has effect according to its terms.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

Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000

Item 1, 2 and 3 

Items 1, 2 and 3 amend the table in subsection 14A(1) of the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 (which sets out appropriations for non-ABSTUDY payments for the 2005-2008 quadrennium).  

In table item 2, the amount “$226,896,000” for the period starting on 1 January 2006 is omitted and replaced with “225,670,000”.  

In table item 3, the amount “$227,769,000” for the period starting on 1 January 2007 is omitted and replaced with “$226,543,000”.

In table item 4, the amount “$226,596,000” for the period starting on 1 January 2008 is omitted and replaced with “$225,370,000”.