Budget 2005-06

In the 2005-06 Budget, the Australian Government has announced a number of measures to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally.

New security measures for Australian missions

The Government will provide a further $149.5 million over four years to enhance security at Australia's overseas missions. This will bring the total amount allocated for overseas security to almost $1 billion since 2002 and demonstrates the high priority we place on ensuring the safety of our overseas staff and of the thousands of Australian and foreign visitors to our missions.

The funding will ensure that our embassies and consulates can operate effectively in this changing international security environment and that new minimum security standards are met. Work at a large number of our overseas missions will include the redesign of some and the relocation of others where security cannot be improved in their present locations. Emergency communications will also be upgraded.

Development of biometric technology for border control

The Government will commit $185.7 million over four years for the development of biometric technology for border control. This initiative will contribute to national security, reduce the cost to the Australian community of identity fraud and ensure that passenger numbers can be managed effectively.

As part of the initiative, the Government will provide funding of $67.5 million over four years to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the introduction of the new biometric passport - or ePassport - in the last quarter of this year. All eligible Australians seeking new or replacement passports from that time will receive the new ePassport containing a microchip which stores an electronic image of the passport holder. This image will be matched against a photograph of the passport holder taken at customs checkpoints. The cost of this will be offset by a $19 increase in the fee for an adult passport and an increase of $9.50 in the child/senior passport.

The ePassport will provide Australians with a highly secure and reliable identity document and ensure that we remain at the leading edge of international passport technology and fraud detection techniques. The ePassport complies with International Civil Aviation Organization standards for electronic travel documents and will ensure Australia's continued participation in the US Visa Waiver Programme.

Australia to host APEC 2007

The Government will provide $216.3 million over three years to enable Australia to host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2007. Fifteen Australian Government agencies will collaborate on policy, organisational logistics and security planning for this major international event, culminating in the meeting of APEC Leaders in Sydney scheduled for September 2007.

As part of the initiative, the Government will provide $14 million over three years to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to develop and manage Australia's APEC 2007 policy agenda and provide host-year support for a number of APEC organisations and meetings.

In the 16 years since its inaugural meeting in Canberra in 1989, APEC has become a key regional forum for the facilitation of economic growth, trade and investment in our region and an important contributor to regional security. The APEC Leaders' meeting and associated events in Sydney will be the most significant international meeting ever hosted by Australia, involving the leaders of APEC's 21 member economies and thousands of government and business representatives.

Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands

The Government will provide funding of $840.6 million over four years to enable the the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to continue its work. This demonstrates the Government's long-term commitment to consolidation of the significant progress made to date. The funding will ensure our continuing assistance to the Solomon Islands Government in the restoration of law and order and the consolidation of broad-ranging reforms. This benefits Australia's own security and the security of other Pacific countries.

The package strengthens RAMSI's transition from stabilisation and law enforcement work to wider state building and development activities. It will support the transition to self-reliance by the Royal Solomon Islands Police, enhance the justice and prison system and involve economic governance and machinery of government reforms.

Funding of $15.1 million over four years will be provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to continue its coordination role in Honiara as lead agency for this whole-of-government effort. Agencies involved include AusAID, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Customs Service and other public service personnel from the Departments of Treasury and Finance.

Regional counter-terrorism package

The Australian Government will outlay an additional $40.3 million over the next four years to boost regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

New measures will build on successful regional cooperation in law enforcement, border and transport security, intelligence and legal affairs.

Key elements of this package will aim to counter terrorist links and movements between the countries of maritime South East Asia. This reflects the high priority placed by the Government on engagement with neighbouring countries to make our region more secure.

National security - countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

The Australian Government will spend $43.3 million over four years to boost the collection, coordination and analysis of intelligence on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The Government recognises the threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and we are committed to strengthening our protective measures including through the enhanced gathering of information on proliferation activities.

This initiative will strengthen specialist and technical advice capabilities concerning weapons of mass destruction and will improve coordination. This will assist Australia's whole-of-government efforts to counter proliferation, including by enhancing controls on the export of dual-use goods, technology and knowledge.

Export facilitators for Australia-US Free Trade Agreement

The Government will provide $6 million over two years for 30 new Austrade export facilitators to help Australian businesses take advantage of export opportunities arising from the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA).

This measure significantly boosts the number of Austrade export facilitators available to perform valuable business development work in the United States, including in specific industries. A total of 23 export advisers will be appointed to work in the United States. Ten of these will work on general market opportunities, five on government procurement opportunities, three on agricultural export opportunities and five on niche market opportunities. An additional seven mobile export advisers will be based in locations around Australia.

Iraq reconstruction assistance

The Government will provide an additional $45 million over two years for further reconstruction assistance in Iraq. This will bring Australia's total reconstruction commitment to Iraq to more than $170 million since 2003. We will continue to focus on those niche areas where Iraq has particular expertise including governance, agriculture and related economic and trade reforms.

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

The Government will provide $34.8 million over three years for Australia's continuing share of multilateral debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative.

The HIPC Initiative provides debt relief to the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries, which are pursuing sound adjustment and reform programmes supported by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The HIPC debt relief package is in addition to other bilateral aid.

Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development

The Government will spend $24.5 million over four years to expand the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) programme. This will increase the total funding for the programme to $52.5 million over four years. The number of young Australian ambassadors working in developing countries in the Asia Pacific region will increase from 230 to about 400.

Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development - Secretariat

The Government will provide $8.6 million over two years to support the day-to-day operations of the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development. The funding will cover AusAID's programme management costs, the operations of a small inter-departmental Secretariat, located in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the placement of staff in Indonesia to work with relevant Indonesian government agencies.

Aid Highlights

The Government will provide $2.491 billion Official Development Assistance (ODA) - an increase of $358 million over the 2004-05 Budget figure of $2.133 billion and a real increase of 11.7 per cent. This represents the fifth consecutive real increase in Australia's ODA. Australia is one of only five donor countries to record consecutive real increases in ODA from 2001 to 2004. The ratio of Australia's ODA to Gross National Income (GNI) for 2005-06 is estimated at 0.28 per cent - above the international donor average of 0.25 per cent in 2004.

The Australian aid programme advances our national interest by helping developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development. Our partnership with Indonesia will be significantly strengthened. Funding for ongoing programmes will be expanded to an estimated $302 million and a further $1 billion will be allocated to the Australia-Indonesia Partnership Programme. Funding for Papua New Guinea and the Pacific will grow to $955 million - including increases for PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. A new contribution of $3 million over three years will fund regional anti-corruption initiatives. Funding for the battle against HIV/AIDS and other transboundary threats will also be increased with the Australian Government allocating a further $50 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and $5 million to a new regional programme to combat Avian Influenza.

Funding for humanitarian, emergency and refugee programmes will rise to $170 million. To help with post-tsunami reconstruction, the ODA for Sri Lanka will rise to $29 million. The Government will also work with regional countries such as the Philippines, Iraq and Afghanistan to address security issues, mitigate the impacts of conflict and assist in post-conflict recovery.

Media inquiries: Mr Downer's office 02 6261 1555, Mr Vaile's office 02 6277 7420