State government departments and agencies overspend their budgets by $2.8b
State government departments and agencies have overspent their budgets to the tune of $2.8 billion, the worst blowout in a decade. See the worst offenders.
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STATE government departments and agencies have overspent their budgets by billions of dollars in the biggest overrun in expenses in a decade.
Treasurer Cameron Dick introduced new legislation to state parliament on Wednesday to pick up the tab for $2.8bn in “unforeseen expenditure” that was racked up in 2021-22.
The money will cover the extra spending accrued by 14 departments and agencies that overspent what they had been allocated for the financial year.
The government says some of the extra expenses included bringing forward spending, as well as funding that will be repaid to the state by the federal government.
EDITOR’S VIEW: Debt will have to be paid one day
Queensland Treasury incurred more than half a billion dollars in unforeseen expenses, while the Department of Transport overspent what they had been allocated by $330m.
The Youth Justice Department needed an extra $175m in funding, the Small Business Department overspent by $138m, and the State Development Department had a $573m overspend.
The Environment Department also had a $623.2m overspend, while the Queensland Police Service had about $56m in unforeseen expenditure for the financial year.
A Treasury spokesman said some of the unforeseen expenditure included bringing forward payments to local councils for the waste levy, and extra funding for the Home Builder and First Home Owners’ grants.
They also said it funded the “acceleration” of rail and road project, and included on-forwarding of the federal government’s financial assistance grants to councils.
“Natural disasters have historically been and continue to be a significant source of unforeseen expenditure,” the spokesman said.
“In 2021-22, some unforeseen expenditure related to Covid-19 measures including additional funding for Queensland Health, hotel quarantine accommodation for QFES and funding to offset loss of transport fare revenue for TMR.”
Opposition treasury spokesman David Janetzki seized on the figures to accuse Treasurer Cameron Dick of overseeing a “serious spending blow out”.
“Cameron Dick‘s $2.8 billion budget fail is an astronomical blow for Queensland taxpayers,” he said.
The last time unforeseen expenditure surpassed $2.8bn was in 2011-12, when it reached $2.826bn.
The 2021-22 financial year’s unforeseen expenditure was about six times more than what was accrued in the prior financial year.
COSTS BY DEPARTMENT
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries: $2.225m
Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs: $175.791m
Department of Employment, Small Business and Training: $138.224m
Department of Energy and Public Works: $57.098m
Department of Environment and Science: $623.215m
Department of Justice and Attorney-General: $4.444m
Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning: $573.696m
Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport: $85.222m
Department of Transport and Main Roads: $330.326m
Office of the Governor: $76,000
Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management: $62,000
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services: $224.315m
Queensland Police Service: $56.917m: Queensland Treasury
$551.513m
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