Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the 73rd annual report of the committee, for the year ending 31 December 2009.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee’s 73rd annual report, for the year ending 31 December 2009. The committee is required under its act to report annually to parliament, and I am pleased to present this report of the committee’s proceedings during 2009.

The committee had a busy year in 2009, investigating 14 proposals with a combined cost of $3.3 billion. There was one proposal withdrawn from the committee’s consideration, and it is discussed in the report. There are some particular features of the committee’s work in 2009 that I would like to note.

The committee undertook an inquiry into a defence project in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, where members of the Defence Force are currently deployed. This is the first time the committee has considered works proposed for an operational deployment, and this demonstrates the capacity of the committee to undertake inquiries into sensitive projects. The committee would particularly like to thank the Department of Defence for its assistance in making the inquiry so successful.

At numerous times in the year, the committee asked agencies to submit further confidential cost estimates. The committee must have sufficient information to be confident that projects have been accurately costed and that they will be completed without cost overruns. Incomplete costings can cause significant delays in the inquiry process, and the committee looks forward to improved project costings in 2010.

The committee was also notified of 78 medium works in 2009, with a total cost of $425 million. The committee also implemented a new process of publication for medium works under an agreement with the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. The project title, agency name and date of notification of all medium works are published on the committee’s website. This is an important measure to increase accountability and transparency.

I would like to thank all members and senators for their work in 2009. I particularly commend our very professional committee secretariat which supports the committee’s work. I commend the report to the House.

Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I would just like to confirm to the House that the Public Works Committee takes its work very seriously indeed and in fact holds those departments that come before the committee responsible. Where we detect anomalies, insufficient information and that projects have not been delivered as was presented to the committee, we follow up. It is a good process and committee members are very diligent in relation to that.

I would also like to draw the House’s attention to the great work of the committee secretary, James Catchpole, the inquiry secretary, Siobhan Leyne, and the other committee staff members. They do a fantastic job. Everything is always on time and everything is absolutely perfect. They should be commended for the work that they do in supporting the committee members in our deliberations.