Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) The net financial effect on the department's budget as a result of the original 1.5 per cent efficiency dividend is:

(b) The net financial effect on the department's budget as a result of the additional 2.5 per cent efficiency dividend is:

(c) The net financial effect on the department's budget as a result of other savings measures as introduced in the 2012–13 Budget papers are:

(2) The department has a robust business planning and budgeting process to enable it to respond to Government budget and funding announcements. To further strengthen the focus on being cost conscious across the organisation, our dedicated Resource and Finance Committee is strategically and critically examining the department's financial outlook.

In addition, in 2011–12 and 2012–13, DIAC has examined the following areas to deliver savings:

(3) The percentage of total expenditure represented by staff costs is 54%. In 2011–12 staff benefits amounted to $799.345 million of DIAC's total departmental expenditure of $1 481.722 million.

(4) As reported in the Immigration and Citizenship's Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) for 2012–13, the Department is expecting a net increase of 32 Full Time Equivalent staff.

A small reduction in consultants and/​or contractor costs is considered likely in line with the decrease in supplier expenses also reported in the 2012–13 PBS.

(5) The department's position continues to be there is no need for any widespread voluntary redundancies (involuntary or otherwise) at this stage, if at all.

(6) The current distribution of full-time equivalent staff across the classification bands is outlined in the table below. Data has been sourced as at 31 August 2012.