Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda[Index] [Search] [Download] [Bill] [Help]
2016-2017-2018
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TREASURY LAWS AMENDMENT (NATIONAL HOUSING AND
HOMELESSNESS AGREEMENT) BILL 2017
SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government
(Circulated by authority of the
Treasurer, the Hon Scott Morrison MP)
Table of contents
Glossary ................................................................................................. 1
General outline and financial impact....................................................... 3
Amendments to the Treasury Laws Amendment (National
Housing and Homelessness Agreement) Bill
2017 ............................................................................. 5
Glossary
The following abbreviations and acronyms are used throughout this
supplementary explanatory memorandum and additional explanatory
memorandum.
Abbreviation Definition
Bill Treasury Laws Amendment (National
Housing and Homelessness Agreement)
Bill 2017
States States and Territories
1
General outline and financial impact
Amendments to the Treasury Laws Amendment (National
Housing and Homelessness Agreement) Bill 2017
The amendments to the Bill provide additional certainty and clarity
concerning the conditions for payments in relation to primary and
supplementary housing agreements.
The Additional Explanatory Memorandum also inserts a paragraph into
the Explanatory Memorandum to clarify how state homelessness
strategies may address priority cohorts.
Date of effect: Consistent with the Bill, the amendments apply to
payments made on or after 1 July 2018, in relation to primary housing
agreements and associated supplementary housing agreements entered
into between the Commonwealth and the States both before and after that
time.
Proposal announced: The amendments have not previously been
announced.
Financial impact: The amendments do not alter the financial impact
outlined in the explanatory memorandum to the Bill.
Compliance cost impact: The amendments have no additional compliance
cost impact.
3
Amendments to the Treasury Laws
Amendment (National Housing and
Homelessness Agreement) Bill 2017
Outline of chapter
1.1 The amendments to the Bill provide additional certainty and
clarity concerning the conditions for payments in relation to primary and
supplementary housing agreement.
1.2 The Additional Explanatory Memorandum also inserts a
paragraph into the Explanatory Memorandum to clarify how state
homelessness strategies may address priority cohorts.
Detailed explanation of new law
Amendments to the Treasury Laws Amendment (National Housing and
Homelessness Agreement) Bill 2017
1.3 The amendments ensure that payments may be made by the
Commonwealth to the States and Territories (States) where they are party
to a primary housing agreement and a supplementary housing agreement
for part of a financial year, if that is consistent with the relevant
agreement. [Amendments 1, 2, 3 and 6]
1.4 The period for which States are required to have housing and
homelessness strategies in place is amended to the period ascertained in
accordance with the primary or supplementary housing agreement. This
provides greater administrative flexibility than requiring a State to have
strategies at all times during the financial year, and allows payments to be
made provided that the strategy has been in place for the period the
agreement requires. As a general rule, this must be at all times during the
financial year. However, there are genuine reasons that may prevent States
from having strategies in place at all times during a financial year. This
may include where the relevant agreement has only been made part way
through a financial year, there are changes of Government, or where the
strategy is being developed or reviewed, as set out in the relevant
agreement. [Amendments 3 and 6]
5
1.5 The amendments also clarify that the reforms and initiatives in
the States' housing strategies must contribute to meeting supply needs in a
State, rather than meeting the need in its entirety in that State. This is
intended to ensure the strategies contribute to an improvement in the
supply and demand balance. While housing demand is influenced by a
range of economic and other conditions, some of which are beyond the
control of the States, States' strategies should give consideration to likely
demand and include reforms and initiatives accordingly. [Amendment 4]
1.6 The requirement that housing and homelessness strategies are
available on a publicly accessible website has been amended so that it is
not an absolute requirement, and instead only requires a State to do this so
far as is reasonably practicable. This provides flexibility where there are
genuine reasons why strategies may be unavailable at times, such as
where there are website outages, the strategy is being developed or
reviewed, or there has been a change of government. [Amendments 5 and 7]
Additional Explanatory Memorandum
1.7 After paragraph 1.37 in the Explanatory Memorandum, the
following additional paragraph is inserted:
• "Homelessness strategies would be considered to address
priority cohorts if general homelessness reforms and
initiatives meet the needs of these cohorts, so long as
consideration is given by the States to the prevalence and
needs of that cohort in coming to that view. That is, it is not
strictly necessary to have specific reforms or initiatives for
every cohort. This acknowledges that the prevalence and
needs of cohorts, and the availability of and services
provided by States' homelessness reforms and initiatives, are
unique to each State. [Schedule 1, item 4, subsection 15C(6)]"
6
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