Page 907 - Week 03 - Thursday, 2 April 2020

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(5) The total amount of deferred rates to 26 February 2020 is $3,158,726.79 and the amount of deferred interest to 26 February 2020 is $292,266.16.

(6) Amounts deferred for rates and interest since 2007-08

(7) Average value of deferments and length of time deferred

(8) The interest charged is referenced to the 3 month bank bill swap rate which is an Australian short term benchmark interest rate. The referenced interest rate is updated every six months for interest calculations.

Government—rental bonds
(Question No 2956)

Mr Coe asked the Treasurer, upon notice, on 21 February 2020:

(1) In relation to the answer to question on notice Estimates E18-145, for the table, what are the final results for each column for 2017-18, noting that the answer is for the year to date.

(2) For the table, what are the final results for each column for 2018-19 and 2019-20 to date.

(3) For the information in the table for 2014-15, what were the reasons for the significant (a) increase in the number of bonds held in 2014-15 compared with 2013-14 and (b) decrease in the average bond value in 2014-15 compared with 2013-14.

(4) For each financial year since 2007-08 to date, what was the total number of
(a) new bonds received, (b) bonds refunded, (c) bonds unclaimed and (d) bonds held for the entire year.

(5) For each financial year since 2007-08 to date, what was the (a) average,
(b) median and (c) longest number of days for a rental bond to be refunded.

(6) For each financial year since 2007-08 to date, in relation to unclaimed rental bonds what was the (a) total number, (b) total value, (c) average time held unclaimed, (d) median time held unclaimed, (e) average value of unclaimed rental bonds and (f) median value of unclaimed rental bonds.

(7) For each financial year since 2007-08 to date, in relation to unclaimed rental bonds that were transferred into general revenue what was the (a) total number, (b) total value, (c) average time held unclaimed, (d) median time held unclaimed, (e) average value of unclaimed rental bonds and (f) median value of unclaimed rental bonds.

Mr Barr: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

Q1-3: The following table provides historical and current data in the same format that was provided in response to QONE18-145 of July 2018.

In 2019, a new portal and data warehouse went into production to manage rental bonds. Information provided in the table below is from the new data warehouse. Generally, the numbers are similar to those provided in QONE18-145 and small differences in the numbers reflect data cleansing and updating as the data was prepared for migration from the old system to the new warehouse. However, the number of bonds held between 2007-08 and 2013-14 (and consequently the calculation of average bond value) are significantly different. On investigation it was determined that the old system did not identify historical bonds for reporting purposes where the date field was corrupted. Hence, there was an under reporting of the number of bonds (and an overstating of average bond value) most obviously in the period from 2007-08 to 2013-14 in QONE18-145.

Q4: Rental bond information on bonds lodged, refunded and held longer than 12 months from 2007-08 to 2019-20 is presented below:

Details on unclaimed bonds (question 4c) is provided in the answer to Question 6 below.

Column (d) No. of bonds held longer than 12 months, is for bonds lodged in that year. Hence data is not available for 2018-19 or 2019-20 at this point.

Q5: The Revenue Management Division of Treasury (in CMTEDD) began administering rental bonds in 2017. Data prior to this date cannot be verified and is therefore not provided.

Q6: An unclaimed bond is a rental bond for which an application for a refund has been received but has not been able to be fully paid. The reasons for being unable to pay a bond are generally; one party not authorising the refund to a 3^rd party; incorrect bank details prohibiting a payment; or a payment bouncing back from a financial institution.

The table below shows the number, value and average value of unclaimed bond transactions for each year 2008 to 2019. Unclaimed bonds transactions are compiled on a calendar year basis. They are counted not by number of bonds but number of refund transactions attached to each bond. For example, a bond held in four names will have four transactions. If 1 of the 4 payments can be made and the other 3 cannot be made, this will be recorded as 3 unclaimed bond transactions.

Unclaimed bond transactions recorded at the end of each year are either subsequently paid or transferred to general revenue (after six years).

To determine medium time held, average time held and longest number of days for unclaimed bond transactions would require each bond to be reviewed and then the data manually collated. This would be an unreasonable diversion of resources.

Q7: Unclaimed bond transactions transferred to general revenue by year:

From 2008-2010 there were no unclaimed bond transactions transferred to general revenue.

Unclaimed bond transactions are only transferred to general revenue after they have been unclaimed in the rental bonds system for six years or more.

To determine medium time held, average time held and longest number of days for unclaimed bond transaction that were transferred to general revenue would require each bond to be reviewed and then the data manually collated. This would be an unreasonable diversion of resources.

Hospitals—outsourced procedures
(Question No 2959)

Mr Coe asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 21 February 2020:

(1) For each financial year since 2018-19 to date, what is the breakdown of the (a) total number of procedures and (b) type of procedures that have been outsourced to (i) private hospitals and (ii) private facilities.

(2) Further to part (1), what is the average waiting time for outsourced procedures broken down by (a) type of procedure and (b) type of facility, such as private hospital or private facility.

(3) Further to part (1), what is the average waiting time for outsourced procedures once transferred to private hospitals for each financial year from 2014-15 to date broken down by (a) type of procedure and (b) type of facility, such as private hospital or private facility.

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