Conroy, Sen Stephen

Senator Conroy: The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: (1) Given the very broad nature of the question, providing an answer would cause an unreasonable diversion of resources. (2) Given the very broad nature of the question, providing an answer would cause an unreasonable diversion of resources. (3) Annual Regulatory Plans are managed within the Department of Finance and Deregulation. Please refer to the response provided by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation to question 2469. (4) Annual Regulatory Plans are managed within the Department of Finance and Deregulation. Please refer to the response provided by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation to question 2469. (5) Annual Regulatory Plans are managed within the Department of Finance and Deregulation. Please refer to the response provided by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation to question 2469. (6) The following link details the current guidance on cost recovery: http://www.finance.gov.au/financial-framework/financial-management-policy-guidance/cost-recovery.html. The department imposes cost-recovery schemes on the non-government sector. (a) The following are the department's (including Portfolio Agencies) cost recovery programs: DSEWPaC cost recovery programs: (i) Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ii) Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 (iii) Hazardous Waste Permits (iv) Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Program (v) Sea Dumping Permit Application Fees (vi) Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme (vii) Wildlife Trade Permits Portfolio Agency cost recovery programs: (viii) Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – permit applications (ix) Director of National Parks – park use, educational services and parking fees (x) Bureau of Meteorology - Climate, Water, and Weather services and products; Participates in collaborative research projects; Specific cost recovered services for areas such as Aviation, Defence and some commercial services. (xi) Sydney Harbour Federation Trust - Tours; Development Applications; Liquor Licensing Fees (b) The following fees are being currently imposed: (i) Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme $54.25 annually per banding authority (ii) Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 Tier Tier Description Fee Tier 1 Less or equal to 1 ML $2,575 Tier 2 Over 1 ML and less or equal to 25 ML $25,000 Tier 3 Over 25 ML and less or equal to 100 ML $70,000 Tier 4 Over 100 ML $130,000 (iii) Hazardous Waste Permits Type of Permit Permit Fee Application for Basel Export permit $4,440 per application Application for Basel Import permit $270 per application Notification of transit country $110 per transit country Application to vary Basel export permit $370 per export application Application to vary Basel import permit $210 per import application Application to vary transit permit $110 Application for special export permit $480 per application Application for special import permit $270 per application Notification of transit country $110 per transit country Application to vary special export permit $270 Application to vary special export permit $110 Application to vary a special transit permit $110 (iv) Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Program A licence (or exemption) must be held by any person or entity from all sectors of the community wishing to import, export or manufacture substances regulated. A cost recovery levy (or fee for service) of $165/tonne imported is paid quarterly. Type of Licence License Fee Fee for Service Controlled Substances Licence $15,000 $165/tonne/quarter Essential Uses Licence $3,000 $165/tonne/quarter Used Substances License $15,000 $165/tonne/quarter Equipment Licence $3,000 $165/tonne/quarter Equipment Licence (Low Volume Import) $400 $165/tonne/quarter Section 40 Exemption $3,000 $165/tonne/quarter Methyl Bromide Licence $15,000 $165/tonne/quarter (v) Sea Dumping Permit Application Fees Dredged or excavated material <100,000 m3 $10,000 Dredged or excavated material >100,000 m3 $23,500 Artificial reef $10,000 Burial at sea $1,675 Platform $12,700 Vessel $12,700 Disposal of Sewage $5,000 The fee for an application to vary a permit is $860. (vi) Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme $1,500 to register a product, or family of product for 5 years (vii) Wildlife Trade Permits Personal baggage permit $1 Single use permit $30 Multiple use permit $75/six month Testing permits $150 Exceptional circumstances permit $150 Household pets permits $150 Facility assessment $150 viii) Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority The GBRMPA administers permits and other permission structures under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003, the Sea Installations Act 1987, the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981, and the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Regulations 1983. Permits are required for anyone (including individuals, companies, incorporated bodies and government departments and agencies) intending to conduct activities in the GBRMP which require permission under any of the pieces of legislation that the GBRMPA administers. Fees are applied for the administration of permits. Fees collected by the GBRMPA in relation to permits (and all other permission structures) range from $51 (administrative fee) to $105,290 (assessment of an application requiring an Environment Impact Statement). (NOTE: 2012 Schedule of Fees provided below) Permit Application Assessment Fees 2012 Part 1: Fees for assessments in respect of applications for permission Fee Category 2012 Initial Fee 2012 'Further Permit' Fee 1. Use of a vessel etc. pax (a) Less than 25 $670 $670 (b) 25-50 $960 $770 (c) 51-100 $1,750 $1,070 (d) 101-150 $2,910 $1,540 (e) More than 150 $4,870 $1,940 2 (a) Use of a facility or structure $2,140 $2,140 (b) Advertising $7,780 $2,910 (c) PER $38,980 $38,980 (d) PER continuation $4,870 (e) EIS $105,290 $105,290 (f) EIS continuation $4,870 3. Other Activities $670 $670 Part 2: Fees for other applications and requests Fee Category 2012 Fee 1. Transfer $554 2. Variation of a condition $380 3. Change to a Vessel Notification Approval $51 4. Replacement of a BIN or the document evidencing an identification number $51 5. Re-issue of a permit $51 6. Request to the Authority for information about any of the following: $51 (a) the conditions to which the permission is subject; (b) whether the permission is in force; (c) the activities for which the permission has been granted 7. Request to vary an application if, as a result of the variation: $51 (a) the Authority must notify or renotify; or (b) an assessment, or an additional assessment, must be made 8. Request for a summary of documents, being a list of any or all of the following: $51 (a) each permission granted to the person making the request; (b) each application made by the person (ix) Director of National Parks The Director of National Parks imposes a cost-recovery scheme on the non-government sector. This scheme is for "Park Use, Educational Services and Parking Fees". The following fees are incorporated in this cost recovery scheme: 1. Visitor Management – Park Use Fee Incorporates expenses associated with park use, camping and vehicle permit issue fee for reserve entry. The fees currently imposed range from $2.50 - $65 depending on the Park location, age of person entering the park and length of stay in the Park. 2. Visitor Management – Use of educational services Expenses associated with providing educational services The fees currently imposed range from $75-$200 per group depending on the location utilised, the time of use and the provider of the education services. 3. Visitor Management Parking Expenses associated with regulating vehicle parking The fees currently imposed range from $2.5 - $10 depending on how long a vehicle is parked. (x) Bureau of Meteorology Climate, Water, and Weather services and products; Participates in collaborative research projects; and Specific cost recovered services for areas such as Aviation, Defence and some commercial services. In addition to appropriation funded public information services, the Bureau provides enhanced weather and climate information to meet residual public needs. The current fees for services are as set out below: Climate Data Service Fee (Inc GST) Basic Request, Cat 1 94 Basic Request, Cat 2 147 Urgency Fee 160 Certified Extract, Cat 1 312 Certified Extract, Cat 2 392 Setup First Subscription, Cat 1 481 Setup First Subscription, Cat 2 561 Setup Each Added Subs, Cat 1 401 Setup Each Added Subs, Cat 2 481 Renewal, First Subcription 401 Renewal, Each Added Subscription 321 Additional TCZ Batch Extraction 40 Registered User Service (Weather) Fee (Inc GST) Annual Registration Fees PMSP User 9,905 Regular User 965 Annual Subscription Fees Level 1 Product 135 Level 2 Product 270 Level 3 Product 830 Level 4 Product 1,655 Level 5 Product 3,185 Transaction Fees New Client Setup 1,005 Service Change 335 Notes: Category 1 (Cat 1) relates to requests where the details are fully specified by the requestor. Category 2 (Cat 2) relates to requests where additional assistance is required to specify the details required. These charging rates are current as of 21 November 2012. For annual subscriptions, services range from Level 1 for the delivery of public products on a managed delivery platform to Level 5 for the provision of complex and custom products. The fee at each level has been standardised to reflect the per product production effort required. Otherwise the Bureau's cost recovered services (non-commercial) are enhanced information services pursuant to the Australian Government Cost Recovery Guidelines. Fees for commercial services are competitively neutral and set in accordance with the Australian Government Competitive Neutrality Guidelines for Managers. The Bureau's cost recovered services are demand driven and optional for all users. A significant proportion of the total is services to the aviation industry. (xi) Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Cost Recovery Activities Activity Type Fee Structure Tours Audio Tours $5 per audio player Tours Bushland, Barracks and Batteries Adult - $12 Child/concession - $8 Family - $30 Tours North Fort Adult - $7 Child/concession - $5 Family - $20 Tours Tunnels, Tracks and Tales Adult - $8 Child/concession - $5 Family - $20 Tours Macquarie Lighthouse Tour Adult - $5 Child/concession - $3 Family - $13 Cost Recovery Activities Estimated Cost of Action Fee Structure Development Applications Up to $5,000 $110 Development Applications $5,001 - $50,000 $170, plus an additional $3 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of the estimated cost. Development Applications $50,001 - $250,000 $352, plus an additional $3.64 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) by which the estimated cost exceeds $50,000 Development Applications $250,001 - $500,000 $1,160, plus an additional $2.34 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) by which the estimated cost exceeds $250,000 Development Applications $500,001 - $1,000,000 $1,745, plus an additional $1.64 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) by which the estimated cost exceeds $500,000 Development Applications $1,000,001 - $10,000,000 $2,615, plus an additional $1.44 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) by which the estimated cost exceeds $1,000,000 Development Applications More than $10,000,000 $15,875, plus an additional $1.19 for each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) by which the estimated cost exceeds $10,000,000 Liquor Licensing Fees $1,500 (c) Fee increases since August 2010: (i) Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme No fee increase (ii) Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 No fee increases (iii) Hazardous Waste Permits No fee increases (iv) Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Program No fee increases. Fees remained the same since 2005. New fee determinations are scheduled for January 2013, though these are yet to be confirmed. (v) Sea Dumping Permit Application Fees Old fees: Amount Increase Dredged or excavated material <100,000 m3 $5,000 $5,000 Dredged or excavated material >100,000 m3 $16,500 $7,000 Artificial reef $5,000 $5,000 Burial at sea $1,000 $675 Platform $10,000 $2,700 Vessel $10,000 $2,700 The fee for an application to vary a permit was $500 ($360 increase). (vi) Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme No fee increase (vii) Wildlife Trade Permits No fee increase (viii) Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority GBRMPA permit fees are increased annually in line with increases in the CPI. Recent increases include: 01 January 2011 – 2.56% 01 January 2012 – 3.26% (ix) Director of National Parks Fee increases since August 2010: Visitor Management – Park Use Fee At August 2010 the range of fees imposes was $2-$65. Visitor Management – Use of educational services At August 2010 the range of fees imposes was $50-$100. Visitor Management Parking At August 2010 the range of fees imposes was $1-$8. (x) Bureau of Meteorology Change between the current fees (2012/13) and those for August 2010 (2010/11) are set out below. Climate Data Service Change Basic Request, Cat 1 61 Basic Request, Cat 2 89 Urgency Fee 48 Certified Extract, Cat 1 144 Certified Extract, Cat 2 New Fee Setup First Subscription, Cat 1 New Fee Setup First Subscription, Cat 2 279 Setup Each Added Subs, Cat 1 New Fee Setup Each Added Subs, Cat 2 348 Renewal, First Subcription 301 Renewal, Each Added Subscription 221 Additional TCZ Batch Extraction New Fee Registered User Service (Weather), inc GST Change Annual Registration Fees PMSP User New Fee Regular User New Fee Annual Maintenance Fees All Users Removed Annual Subscription Fees Level 1 Product New Fee Level 2 Product 162 Level 3 Product 180 Level 4 Product 355 Level 5 Product 857 Transaction Fees New Client Setup 247 Service Change 85 Notes: The fee changes resulted from cost recovery reviews of the subject operations. Climate Data Service fees for 2010/11 had remained unchanged since 2008. Data product definitions have since been updated with some previously paid services becoming public information and others combined into single subscriptions. Registered User Service fees for 2010/11 had remained unchanged since 1997. Other services are bespoke and fees are determined by applying the prevailing labour rates and item costs, where appropriate, to the resources required for the service. (xi) Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Cost Recovery Activities Fee Increases Tours No Fee Increases Development Applications No Fee Increases Liquor Licensing Fees Fee increased by CPI each year