Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank members for their contributions to the debate on the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2014. I acknowledge the bipartisanship of the member for Watson in his remarks. He spoke of an orderly sell-down of the land of the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation and the fact that this was good public policy. Both sides of politics, the member for Watson acknowledged, have kept to the time line for the wind-up set by the Howard government in, as he said, 2005. This was, the member for Watson said, an appropriate measure; and, while this bill is being passed today, it is just another phase, not an end to development in Albury-Wodonga. I certainly agree with him on that. The member for Watson spoke of the extent and importance of regionalism—certainly something he can be assured will continue and is indeed happening under the Liberal-National government. I too, like the previous speaker, acknowledge the work of those people who did so much good so diligently and so efficiently for the corporation over the years.

This bill demonstrates the government's commitment to delivering its smaller government reform agenda by abolishing the Albury-Wodonga development corporation. The government has made a firm commitment to reduce the size of government bodies and to ensure that government services are as efficient as possible. The smaller government reform agenda involves the abolition or merger of government bodies where possible to eliminate duplication, to remove waste, to streamline government services and to reduce the cost of government administration for taxpayers. The first phase of the agenda was implemented soon after the 2013 election and reduced the number of government bodies by 40. The second phase of the agenda was implemented in the 2014-15 budget and delivers a further reduction of 36 government bodies. As part of the second phase in the 2014-15 budget it was announced that the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation was to be abolished and its remaining assets and liabilities transferred to the Department of Finance.

This bill provides for the transfer of all remaining functions, assets and liabilities of the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation to the Department of Finance, which currently holds portfolio responsibility for non-Defence property management and divestment. The Commonwealth will continue to sell the remaining landholdings of the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation, with any issues unresolved at the time of abolition to be taken up by the Department of Finance.

This bill necessitated consequential amendments to other legislation in the portfolios of the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. The ministers responsible for this legislation have confirmed their support for the amendments, and I do not expect any further concerns to be raised. The date of the abolition of the corporation will be set by proclamation. In the absence of this, it will occur six months following the date the act receives royal assent or by 30 June 2015, whichever date falls later. This approach provides for an orderly wind-up and transition of the corporation's remaining activities. With that, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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