On 10 August 2021, the following matter was referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 2 December 2021:

The administration and expenditure of funding under the Urban Congestion Fund (UCF), with particular reference to:

1. the allocation of funding under the National Commuter Car Park Fund;
2. whether the administration of the UCF meets the highest standards of governance, performance and accountability in the expenditure of public funds;
3. the role of the offices of the Minister(s), the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister(s), and any external parties, in determining which projects to allocate funding to and who would announce these projects;
4. the extent to which the management of the fund respected the caretaker conventions;
5. the fund’s impact in reducing congestion, including whether the allocation of funding under the program was appropriately targeted to meet the stated objective of the UCF; and
6. any related programs or matters.

The closing date for submissions is currently Friday, 10 September 2021.

Additional evidence  

The committee notes that a number of other Senate committees have canvassed issues directly relevant to this inquiry and its terms of reference, including the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.

As this committee progresses its inquiry, it will take into consideration the evidence already before the Senate, including (but not limited to):

• evidence given to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee on 24 May 2021 and 19 July 2021 as part of Budget Estimates, and associated tabled documents and QON responses
• evidence given to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee on 25 October 2021 as part of Supplementary Estimates, and associated tabled documents and QON responses
• Orders for the Production of Documents (on 20 October 2021) and the response received (on 21 October 2021)