COMMONWEALTH GRANTS — 2018–19 STATE BUDGET
464. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister
representing the Treasurer:
I refer to the 2018
budget.
(1)
What is the total projected revenue the state will receive from the
commonwealth across all revenue streams in each year of the 2018–19
budget papers, including the 2018–19 budget year and each forward
estimate year?
(2) How much of this
funding will reduce demands on the state's own expenditure?
(3) How much of this
funding has a requirement for concurrent state funding?
(4)
Of the total in (3), how much of the required
concurrent funding is currently unbudgeted in the 2018–19 state
budget?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)
The 2018–19 state budget projections of total commonwealth grants are
outlined in table 3 on page 74 of budget paper No 3. Total commonwealth grants
are projected to grow from $10.5 billion in 2018–19 to $11.1 billion in
2019–20, $12.1 billion in 2020–21 and $12.5 billion in 2021–22.
(2)
Excluding commonwealth grants through the
state, the remaining grants, which total $8.9 billion in 2018–19,
$9.4 billion in 2019–20, $10.3 billion in 2020–21, and $10.6
billion in 2021–22, effectively reduce demands on the state's
own expenditure. However, in 2018–19, commonwealth grants to Western Australia
are estimated to represent only 35 per cent of total general government
revenue. Although this is up from 32 per cent in 2016–17, it compares
to an average of 44 per cent for other states and territories in 2016–17.
(3)–(4) An
estimate of how much of the funding requires concurrent state funding is not
readily available; however, at a minimum, the GST and North West Shelf grants
are untied funding, with no requirement for concurrent state funding and no
restrictions on the spending of these grants.