Chapter 1Introduction
1.1On 25 March 2025, the Senate referred the following documents to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (the committee) for examination and report:
Particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026; and
Particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2026.
1.2A reporting date of 27 May 2025 was set for the committee’s report to the Senate on its consideration of the 2025-26 Budget Estimates.
Portfolio Coverage
1.3In accordance with a resolution of the Senate on 27 July 2022, the committee is responsible for the examination of the expenditure and outcomes of the following portfolios:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (Communications and the Arts functions only).
1.4A list of the agencies, independent statutory bodies and officeholders for which the committee has oversight is at Appendix 1.
Hearings
1.5On 28 November 2024, the Senate resolved that the committee’s 2025-26 Budget Estimates hearings would be held from 7 to 10 April 2025, with a cross portfolio estimates hearing on Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters on 11 April 2025.
1.6On 28 November 2024, a letter from the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator the Hon Penny Wong was tabled in the Senate outlining the government’s commitment to vary the dates of the Budget Estimates hearings if the 2025-26 Budget was handed down on 25 March 2025.
1.7On 25 March 2025, the Senate resolved that the committee’s Budget Estimates hearing dates would be varied to 27 and 31 March, and 1 April 2025, with a hearing for cross-portfolio Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters scheduled for 4 April 2025.
1.8On 27 March 2025, the committee examined certain outcomes and agencies of the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio and certain Communications and the Arts outcomes and agencies of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio.
1.9On 28 March 2025, the 47th Parliament was prorogued, and as a result the scheduled hearings on 31 March, 1 and 4 April 2025 did not proceed.
1.10On 27 March 2025, the committee heard evidence from the following ministers:
Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade, representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for the Arts; and
Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for Cities and Emergency Management, representing the Minister for Communications and the Minister for Environment and Water.
1.11Evidence was also provided by the following departmental secretaries who were accompanied by officers of the portfolio departments and agencies:
Mr David Fredericks, Secretary, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and
Mr Jim Betts, Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
1.12The following agencies were not required to appear:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner;
Australian Institute of Marine Science;
Office of the Supervising Scientist;
Offshore Infrastructure Registrar;
Offshore Infrastructure Regulator; and
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio
Australian Film, Television and Radio School;
Australian National Maritime Museum;
Bundanon Trust;
Classification Review Board;
Museum of Australian Democracy;
National Archives of Australia;
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia;
National Gallery of Australia;
National Library of Australia;
National Museum of Australia;
National Portrait Gallery of Australia; and
Screen Australia.
1.13The following outcomes and agencies were requested by the committee, but were subsequently released from the 27 March 2025 program:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Programs 2.2 and 2.3 of the Department of Climate Change, Energy the Environment and Water; and
The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio
Outcome 6 of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts; and
Creative Australia.
1.14Due to the prorogation of the 47th Parliament on 28 March 2025, the hearings on 31 March, 1 and 4 April 2025 did not proceed, and the following agencies did not appear before the committee as scheduled:
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Clean Energy Regulator;
Climate Change Authority;
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority;
Inspector General of Water Compliance;
Snowy Hydro Limited; and
Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio
Australian Broadcasting Corporation;
Australian Communications and Media Authority;
Australian Postal Corporation
Classification Board; and
Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Questions on notice and Hansard transcripts
1.15In accordance with Standing Order 26(9)(a), the committee set 29 May 2025 as the date for the return of written answers to questions on notice or additional information.
1.16Written answers and information provided to the committee in response to questions on notice are tabled in the Senate and published on the committee’s website. Links to the transcripts of the public hearings and to answers to questions on notice, tabled documents and additional information are available from the committee’s website.
Additional Estimates 2024-25: timeliness of answers to questions on notice
1.17The committee’s 2024-25 Additional Estimates hearings examined the outcomes and agencies of the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio on 24 February 2025, the Communications and Arts outcomes and agencies of the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio on 25 February 2025 and cross portfolio Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters on 28 February 2025.
1.18The due date for answers to questions on notice was set as 24 March 2025 for the hearings held on 24, 25 and 28 February 2025.
1.19The committee received answers to 205 of the 225 questions taken on notice for the 24 and 28 February 2025 hearings for the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio by the due date of 24 March 2025.
1.20The committee received answers to 91 of the 159 questions taken on notice for the 25 February 2025 hearing for the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts portfolio by the due date of 24March 2025.
Records of proceedings
1.21This report does not attempt to analyse the evidence presented during the hearings. However, it does provide a list of the key issues that were canvassed by the committee for each portfolio.
Note on references and additional information
1.22References to the Hansard transcript are to the proof Hansard. Page numbers may vary between the proof and official Hansard transcript.