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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 400 asked in the Legislative Council on 4 August 2021 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — BUILDING BONUS PROGRAM

400. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the Minister for Finance:

I refer to the state government's $117 million building bonus scheme announced on 7 June 2020 for the provision of a grant of $20 000 to new home builders with an estimated processing period of eight weeks.

(1) As of 31 July 2021, how many applications for the $20 000 grant have been registered with the Department of Finance, and what calendar month grant applications is the department currently processing?

(2) How many applications for the $20 000 building bonus have been fully processed and funds paid to applicants?

(3) What is the current average processing time from lodgement of the bonus application to determination and delivery to applicant?

(4) How much of the $117 million building bonus scheme remains unallocated?

Hon KYLE McGINN replied:

I thank the member for some notice of the question. I provide this answer on behalf of the minister representing the Minister for Finance.

(1) As at 31 July 2021, 25 860 building bonus grant applications have been lodged. The Department of Finance is currently processing building bonus applications lodged up to 23 April 2021. For applicants who lodged a building bonus grant application in conjunction with a commonwealth HomeBuilder grant application, the Department of Finance is processing applications lodged up to 23 February 2021.

(2) A total of 8 345 applications.

(3) It is not possible to provide an average processing time as it depends on whether the applicant has provided all the information required to process their application. Not all applications lodged are eligible for immediate payment when processing is completed, as grants are paid only after evidence is provided that foundations have been laid or off-the-plan purchasers are registered on the certificate of title. Additionally, over 90 per cent of applicants do not provide the necessary information for the state and commonwealth grants, such as Australian Taxation Office notice of assessments, required for HomeBuilder applications and proof of identification. This results in double handling, as Department of Finance staff contact applicants to request missing or incomplete information.

(4) None; $166.9 million has been paid to applicants. The estimated total cost of the building bonus scheme was most recently revised up to $390 million in the 2020–21 Pre-election financial projections statement. An updated estimate will be provided in the 2021–22 budget.