Page 3236 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 18 November 1992
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improving the final contract. Once a selection has been made, unsuccessful offerers are notified in writing and debriefed either verbally or in writing on the reasons as to why they were not successful. The successful consultant is retained under contract tailored to the particular project.
. Consultants are engaged when a-specific need has been established and where it is
believed that a consultancy would provide the most cost effective solution.
Consultants are used for the provision of specialist advise and technical assistance
. which is not otherwise available from within the Department, to undertake specific tasks or projects, and to assist in-house on specific tasks and for a specified term which depends upon workloads, priorities etc.
(2) Overall, there is a forecast reduction in the provision for consultants in the
Departments 1992-93 budget, from expenditure of $2,773,843 in 1991-92 to an
estimated $2,660,000 in 1992-93. However, as the Program Explanatory Notes
presented to the Assembly Estimates Committee reveal, there are forecast increases in
some individual Sub-programs. These are:
Sub-program 6.2 - Parks and Conservation - A significant reduction is indicated reflecting the level of expenditure in previous years and the completion of a number of one-off projects.
Sub-program 7.2 - District Planning - The figures project an increase in funding due to studies related to the work of the Urban Renewal Unit which was established as an initiative for the Governments 1992-93 Budget.
Sub-program 9.1- Arts and Special Events- A notional provision of $1,000 has been made against 1991-92 expenditure of $800.
(3) The review of the Environment Protection Service resulted in a number of
. recommendations focusing on the need to update legislation, to improve performance
measurement, to adopt a more regional approach and to more clearly define the role of
the then Environment and Heritage Branch in environmental activities.
This review was approached in two stages. The initial work was undertaken by a consultant so that a broad perspective could be applied. As a result of the recommendations made by the consultant, a consultative process was then undertaken in-house with the aim of refining and implementing the recommendations made in the consultants report. The outcome of this was the establishment of the Office of the Environment. The new structure contains five work groups with more clearly defined roles and responsibilities in environmental management. These are: Environment Policy Co-ordination; Water, Legislation, Air and Noise; Environment Protection; and Hazardous Chemicals and Wastes.
This new structure focuses on key environment issues for the ACT, especially the need to commit resources to .updating and consolidating legislation. With the introduction of a much flatter structure, the reorganisation ensures better environment value for existing resources. It also recognises the local, regional and national context in which environment management decisions must be made.
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