Page 2528 - Week 07 - Thursday, 3 August 2017

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

(1) Invest Canberra functions as one of a number of branded programs within Innovate Canberra, the ACT Government’s innovation policy and program delivery unit, which in 2016/17 is part of output Class 3.1 Trade Innovation Investment in the Chief Minister’s, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.

(2) There are no public servants ‘attached’ to the Invest Canberra program. As per (1), investment facilitation, under the Invest Canberra brand, forms part of Innovate Canberra’s activities that include innovation policy development, relationship with the higher education and research sector, management of the ACT Vice Chancellors’ Forum, relationship management with Commonwealth and State agencies including COAG Forum, sector development activities including development of the Key Capability Areas and the defence sector, enterprise development, export and trade development and programs such as Innovation Connect and the Small Business Innovation Partnership. Innovate Canberra currently has 31.47 FTE spread across these activities operating in a semi-matrix delivery model. The Commissioner for International Engagement also works closely with Innovate Canberra on aligned international engagement, export development and investment attraction activities.

(3) Innovate Canberra’s total budget allocation was:

(a) 2015-16 - $14,518,000 ; and

(b) 2016-17 - $11,705,000.

The amounts reflect GPO Budget allocation per year. The difference in allocation reflects changes per year to manage program rollover and reprofiling costs, new program appropriations, and program completions.

(4) Updates to the website are ongoing. A project is currently underway to rationalise and align investment promotion activity to the CBR Brand platform and also how web and social media resources are applied across the broader branch function. The aim is to create consistency in communication and achieve more efficient and effective use of these resources.

(5) Innovate Canberra managed 36 investment leads in 2015-16 and 34 investment leads have been received to date in 2016-17 (to 30 June 2017).

(6) Of the 36 investment leads received by Innovate Canberra in 2015-16, 14 were generated through the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Austrade.

Of the 34 investment leads received by Innovate Canberra in 2016-17 to date, 16 were generated through the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Austrade (to 30 June 2017).

(7) At date of data collection for this response 18 projects are active across Innovate Canberra ranging from management of unsolicited bids, company engagement, sector development, facilitating investment in existing ACT businesses and reinvestment by multi-national companies and infrastructure development opportunities.

(8)

(a) Light rail: Nil.

(b) Defence and cyber security: 4.

(d) Digital economy and e-government: 1.

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