b'Canberra observed Canberra observedInfrastructure - just $8 billion overObviously CSIRO must have to earn its several years on road and rail projects, keep from cost recovery.Education480 000 fee-free places at TAFEs, starting in January 2023 withThe visual identity project causes 180 000 available. Universities willchaos in the BOMhave 20 000 more places for health, education and engineering courses,When times are hard and the efficiency and there will be 10 000 places fordividend is biting, would any leader apprentices working in the energywant to spend $220 000 on a visual sector. Total cost of about $2 billionidentity rebranding project? Thats just over several years. what the Chief Executive of the Bureau As you can see most of the big spendingof Meteorology, Dr Andrew Johnson, is not scheduled to start until 2024,did, at a time when floods were rampant David Denham AMthroughout New South Wales.Associate Editor for Government when the tax cuts for the higher income denham1@iinet.net.au earners are scheduled to start - just aCan you imagine what effect that had on coincidence? the meteorologists at the BOM?Mitigating climate change is still aAccording to the Saturday Papers Labors October budget- dull butproblem for the Government. On theissues 422 and 423 (October/November one hand, Labor has committed billions2022) the planned name-change risk averse to accelerate renewable energy. On and new corporate presence began Jim Chalmers, the Treasurer, had nothe other, it appears to have brokenmore than three years ago and cost room to change direction in his Octoberan election commitment on no newfar more than has been reported. It is budget. On the one hand, there isfossil fuel subsidies. They have allocatedestimated that over $300 000 was spent galloping global inflation triggered by$1.9 billion for a new gas subsidy andon re-branding and communications Mr Putin, who caused the prices of foodcommitted to funding a $30 millionconsultants.and energy to skyrocket by attackingCoalition-designed plan to frack the Ukraine. In Australia, the annual inflationBeetaloo Basin in the NT. Climate changeAs well as the re-branding project, the rate for 2022 is expected to be betweenwas never easy for governments! regional forecasting centres in every 7 and 8%, depending on how it isstate and territory have been shuttered. measured. On the other hand, there isOnly small changes in agencyState managers have been replaced by the debt blowout, mainly caused by thefunding a national desk, and all this was done Governments support measures duringwhen Lismore was being flooded.the COVID pandemic. This is projectedBudget Paper 4 is an easy-to-use document listing the funding for allTwo of the outcomes from this re-to reach $767 billion by 2025/6, up fromthe agencies for which the Australianorganisation are the reduction in the $572 billion in 2022/3. Government has responsibility. Table1launches of weather balloons, which The Reserve Banks attempt to reduceshows how the agencies are faring.affects Australias commitments to the inflation by increasing interest rates isThe numbers speak for themselves butWorld Meteorological Organisation, and not working. In fact, it is adding to thenotice that CSIRO, with an allocationa change in the weather grids for Victoria inflation rate by increasing the costs ofof $991 million, has an average staffand Tasmania from 3 km, which is what borrowing. But then, economists are notlevel of 5449, whereas the NHMRC, withthe new fire-danger rating requires, to always right. a similar budget, has only 195 staff.6 km. In other words, in two States the Consequently, the new big-ticket items in the budget were limited to electionAgency Government appropriation in $M and average staff numbers where available promises and ALPs high priorities. (in brackets) *Financial year 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23In summary these are:AIMS 42 (223) 47 44 45 46 (253) 63 (300)Health - NDIS ($167 billion over four ANSTO 198 (1303) 214 (1275) 235 (1356) 220 280 (1333) 289 (1364)years), vaccines ($2.6 billion), cheaper prescriptions and urgent-care clinics), ARC 789 (136) 793 (133) 818 (136) 833 804 (127) 832 (140)Defence - now more that 2% of GDP,Bureau of Meteorology 250 (1565) 296 315 294 358 (1599) 408 (1627)and includes $1.4 billion aid funding, Antarctic Division 176 (378) 188 (384) 185 (392) 225 270 270Families - $4.7 billion over for fourGeoscience Australia 208 (600) 238 232 226 265 (592) 340 (603)years to make childcare cheaper for over one million families, and aCSIRO 794 (5063) 834 839 834 949 (5001) 991 (5449)National Housing Accord betweenNHMRC 938 (177) 946 926 943 927 (183) 939 (195)governments, investors and industryABS 431 (2486) 401 413 187 592 (3364) 369 (2678)to build 1 million affordable dwellings *AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science), ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), ARC over five years from 2024 (no price tag(Australian Research Council), NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council), ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). but a $350 million down payment). Source: https://budget.gov.au/2022-23-october/content/bp4/index.htmlDECEMBER 2022 PREVIEW 24'