Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

Most recent National Rental Affordability Scheme figures

(1) As at 20 April 2011, 23,112 National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) Incentives have been approved.

(2) (a) and (b) The following table provides a breakdown of the total NRAS Incentives approved by state/territory and by region as at 20 April 2011:

(3) In accordance with the National Rental Affordability Scheme Regulations 2008, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) attempts to notify all applicants of the result of their application within six months of receipt. While we do not maintain statistics on overall average processing times, the majority of applications are fully processed within four months.

(4) DSEWPaC has processed 100 per cent of Round Three applications.

(5) DSEWPaC received 297 applications for 61,133 NRAS Incentives under Round Four. These applications are currently being assessed by the department.

(6) The NRAS Incentive is indexed for all approved participants. Questions about the indexation of Commonwealth Rent Assistance should be directed to the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) portfolio.

Not for profit housing providers and NRAS

(1) Yes. FaHCSIA continues to host the Online Funding Management System (FOFMS) as it would not be practical or efficient to replace or replicate this major system in DSEWPaC.

(2) Yes. Members of both the NRAS and Housing Affordability Branches within DSEWPaC continue to have access to FOFMS.

(3) Yes. DSEWPaC officers work with FaHCSIA where necessary to make changes to the way FOFMS operates.

(4) Yes. DSEWPaC officers can and do access information provided by NRAS recipients.

Ministerial representation at the Housing Ministers' Conference of 16 December 2010

(1) No. The meeting primarily focused on social housing and homelessness issues which are the responsibility of FaHCSIA.

(2) Yes. The head of DSEWPaC's Housing Supply and Affordability Division attended this meeting on 4 February 2011.

(3) Yes. An update on NRAS was provided at the Housing Ministers' Advisory Committee.

Coordination across Departments following portfolio split

(1) (a) There is regular contact at Deputy Secretary, First Assistant Secretary, and Assistant Secretary level, both bilaterally and through Inter-Departmental Committee meetings.

(b) Relevant documents are shared between agencies (such as policy and meeting papers, and briefs).

(c) DSEWPaC and FaHCSIA SES staff participate in regular discussions on policy and program issues. Where suitable opportunities arise, staff from both departments will participate in joint seminars with guest speakers.

(d) No, but a number of FaHCSIA staff now work in DSEWPaC either on permanent or temporary transfer.

(1) There is regular contact through Inter-Departmental Committee meetings, bilateral meetings and sharing of documents.

(2) No. Treasury and DSEWPaC consult on relevant NRAS matters. The two announcements were communicating different issues. The taxation changes announced had been in train for some time, and are required regardless of the size of the number of NRAS Incentives to be issued.

The transitional safety net to cover charities participating in NRAS

(1) and (2) The High Court Word Investments decision (Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia v Word Investments Ltd [2008] HCA 55) determined that where an organisation raised funds exclusively for a charitable purpose, the fact that it did so through a commercial enterprise did not preclude it from being a charity. Treasury has advised DSEWPaC that this decision replaced the need for an extension of the temporary safety net that was put in place to provide certainty that charitable Community Housing Organisations would retain their charitable status if participating in NRAS.

Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Housing Supply and Affordability Reform agenda

(1) COAG's Housing Supply and Affordability Reform Agenda is being progressed through the Housing Supply and Affordability Working Party led by Treasuries and First Ministers' departments. DSEWPaC contributes to this work through a Treasury-led Inter-Department Committee and through the provision of input on the suitability of land for housing to the Land Audit Taskforce.

(2) Senior Executives within the Housing Supply and Affordability Division, and members of the Policy and Land Audit Section in the Division are contributing to the Reform Agenda both through input to the Treasury-led working party, and advice on specific land supply issues.

(3) Treasury is leading an Inter-Departmental Committee to coordinate the whole of government response to the Reform Agenda. DSEWPaC, Treasury and FaHCSIA are members of the Treasury Inter-Departmental Committee.