QUESTIONS IN WRITING
Contracts
(Question No. 6053)
Question

Mr McClelland (Barton)  asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in writing, on 19 June 2007:

(1)
In respect of contract number 1659282 for property expenses: (a) to which property does the contract relate; (b) what is the nature of the expense; (c) what does the contract include; and (d) what is the cost breakdown of the $486,800.82 contract in terms of (i) items and (ii) services.
(2)
In respect of contract number 1657999 for furniture: (a) to which Head of Mission residence does the contract relate; (b) which furniture items does the contract include; (c) what is the cost breakdown of the $49,146.00 contract in terms of (i) items and (ii) services; and (d) how many people occupy the residence to which the contract relates.
(3)
In respect of contract number 1658151 for art lease: (a) what specific artworks will the lease cover; (b) what is the unit cost of each artwork; and (c) where will the artworks be displayed.
(4)
In respect of contract numbers 1664547 and 1664540 for wines: (a) what is meant by the term ‘representational costs’; (b) what is the cost breakdown in terms of (i) products and (ii) quantity; and (c) where have the products been used and distributed.
(5)
In respect of contract number 1663995 for a copyright licence fee: (a) for what specific uses of copyright was this fee paid and (b) how and where were the copyrighted items used.
(6)
In respect of contract number 1664010 for property refurbishment: (a) what is the location of the property to be refurbished; (b) what are the details of the refurbishments; and (c) what is the cost breakdown of the $263,621.94 contract in terms of (i) items and (ii) services.
(7)
In respect of contract number 1663992 for translating and interpreting services: (a) what are the details of the services provided; (b) in which languages were services provided; and (c) are the language skills identified in Part (7)(b) not available in his department.
(8)
In respect of contract number 1663988 for building materials: (a) what specific building materials will be provided under the contract; (b) where will the building materials be used; (c) what is the cost breakdown of the $85,699.15 contract in terms of (i) items and (ii) services; and (d) why was the selected contractor chosen.
Answer

Mr Downer (Mayo—Minister for Foreign Affairs)—The answer to the honourable member’s question is as follows:

(1) (a)
and (b) The expenditure was for security-related construction work on the chancery compound in Riyadh (not furniture, as mistakenly reported in the gazette). (c) and (d) It is not the practice of the Government to provide details of security works
(2) (a)
The expenditure related to the Australian Government-owned Head of Mission residence in Seoul. (b) The items covered by the contract comprised furniture and fittings for the residence reception area, entrance hallway and living room, shelving, and new lighting, drapes and floor rugs. Furniture items were chairs, cabinets and tables for the reception room, console and mirror for the entrance hall, and wall storage, shelving, sofa and tables for the private living room. Fittings comprised lighting for the entrance hall, reception and dining rooms, and rugs, drapes and curtains for the reception, dining, private living and master bedroom. (c) Furniture items cost $74,955. Fittings cost $35,410. The total cost of items was $110,365. Services (shipping and insurance) cost $12,500. The total cost of the furniture and fittings contract including shipping and insurance was $122,865. The payment was made in two parts. An amount of $73,719 was paid in advance on order. The remaining amount of $49,146 was the second and final payment made on pre-delivery. Payment of the amount of $73,719 was gazetted under contract ID number 1647129. Payment of $49,146 was gazetted under contract ID number 1657999.

One person currently occupies the residence.

(3) (a)
see table below. (b) see table below. (c) The artworks are displayed in the public areas of the R G Casey Building

 Name of artwork (a)

 Artist

Rental paid by DFAT (b)

Beach City, La Perouse

Bryan Westwood

$247.50

Inside Looking Out

June Stephenson

$178.75

Raising the Sky

David Aspden

$632.50

Signus XI

Sydney Ball

$55.00

Newcastle Harbour

Margaret Olley

$825.00

Broken Fence and House, Baerami

Max Watters

$275.00

The Overpass

Jeffrey Smart

$1,375.00

Forest Floor II

Joy Hutton

$27.50

Forest Floor

Joy Hutton

$27.50

In The Capertee Valley

Robert Johnson

$412.50

Palm Tree Shadow

Ronald Hawke

$137.50

Untitled

Charlie Marshall Tjungurrayi

$440.00

Untitled

Gideon Tjupurrula

$110.00

Aviary – The Ornithologist

Colin Lanceley

$247.50

Templestowe Landscape

Ron Reynolds

$41.25

Currawong in Firewheel Tree

Leslie Van Der Sluys

$41.25

Glowing Gorge

Ulrich Stalph

$110.00

Bush Church with Green Door

Max Watters

$275.00

Untitled

Artist Unknown (Indig.)

$178.75

The Farewell

Charles Blackman

$825.00

Untitled

Michael Nelson Jagamara

$275.00

Untitled

Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi

$275.00

Untitled

Dorothy Djukulul

$275.00

Untitled (Dissected Kangaroo)

Bruce Bilinyara Nabegeyo

$330.00

Morning Star

Terry Yumbulul

$110.00

Williamstown

Ross Moore

$123.75

Road to Elaine, Late Afternoon

Peter Simpson

$206.25

Daisies and Cornflowers

Jan Mitchell

$27.50

Poppies

Jan Mitchell

$27.50

Fatal Shore

Rohan Robinson

$178.75

Imaginary Landscape – Tas.

Raymond Arnold

$110.00

Lilies and Lantana

David Preston

$41.25

Irises

David Preston

$41.25

Emu and Turkey

Doris Gingingara

$41.25

Grinding Stones and Tree Bark

Doris Gingingara

$41.25

Spring, Bulla I

Roy Churcher

$41.25

Untitled

Andrew Southall

$206.25

Wangat Diptych

Sally Robinson

$41.25

Untitled (from vis-ŕ-vis)

Susan Norrie

$825.00

Smoko

Salvatore Zofrea

$41.25

Kids help with Chaff Cutting

Salvatore Zofrea

$41.25

Landscape

Stephanie Tabram

$165.00

Stony Creek

Kerry Gregan

$41.25

Cloud Over Past Generations

Bronwyn Bancroft

$41.25

Coming Home

Bronwyn Bancroft

$41.25

Untitled

Mabel Juli

$275.00

Straw Necked Ibises

Leslie Van Der Sluys

$41.25

My name is George…

Julie Dowling

$247.50

My name is Julie…

Julie Dowling

$247.50

My name is Mary…

Julie Dowling

$247.50

My name is Ruth…

Julie Dowling

$247.50

Biggibilla

Tiddalick Bogan

$41.25

Biggibilla

Dinwan

$41.25

Hollow Log Coffin

Jimmy Angunguna

$137.50

Hollow Log Coffin

Jacky Maranbarra

$137.50

Hollow Log Coffin

Jimmy Angunguna

$137.50

Hollow Log Coffin

Matilda Pascoe

$123.75

Hollow Log Coffin

Jimmy Angunguna

$178.75

Mimi spirit

Jacky Atjarral

$110.00

Mimi spirit

Jacky Atjarral

$110.00

Mimi spirit

Jacky Atjarral

$110.00

Mimi spirit

Jacky Atjarral

$110.00

Mimi spirit

Jackie Marilain

$137.50

Male Wangura Spirit figure

Jacky Maranbarra

$220.00

Female Wangura Spirit Figure

Jacky Maranbarra

$220.00

Spirit Being

Jack Nawilil

$137.50

Clearing Weather - Cressy

David Chapman

$275.00

Seasonal Understanding

Bronwyn Bancroft

$275.00

Darter and Manfgove Sonneratai

Leslie Van Der Sluys

$41.25

Noisy Friar Birds, Banksia

Leslie Van Der Sluys

$41.25

Like a River

Philip Cooper

$275.00

Redbank Gorge

Geoff La Gerche

$275.00

After Grass Fire, Flinders Is.

Fred Williams

$1,320.00

Banks of the Hopkins River

Martin Jones

$82.50

Marigolds and Prickly Pears

Margaret Olley

$1,265.00

Flying Insect Painting

Michael Taylor

$275.00

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

Divider

Graeme Altmann

$275.00

Pike River Landscape No. 1

Tony Flint

$82.50

Forest No. 1

Tony Flint

$82.50

B1 – Wild Thing

David Keeling

$275.00

Moon Viewing Platform 2

Max Miller

$247.50

The Lady and the Unicorn

Arthur Boyd

$82.50

Southern Harbour

David Chapman

$440.00

Island Village

Ray Crooke

$825.00

Convict

Sir Sidney Nolan

$550.00

Sewing Wheat Bags, Hot Sun

Ian W. Abdulla

$206.25

Food, Weapons and Instruments

Robert Campbell Jnr

$632.50

Stripe dupun

Namiyal Bopirri

$137.50

Dupun (Hollow log coffin)

Namiyal Bopirri

$137.50

Wititj and Hollow Log

Namiyal Bopirri

$275.00

Fall from Grace

Pam Debenham

$27.50

Australian Lotus Bird

Leslie Van Der Sluys

$41.25

Migration of Butterflies

Elaine Haxton

$41.25

98 works of art

Total rent for contract

$22,206.25

(4) (a)
Representation expenditure is a tool of trade to be used by each post for the promotion of Australia’s interests. It is primarily intended to facilitate contacts with politicians, government, civic and military officials, business people, journalists, academics and other influential people and organisations in the host country that will assist the employee in promoting Australia’s interests and policies and in seeking information that will form the basis of future reporting. (b) Post purchased 79 cases of Australian wine at a cost of AUD 14,137 for use at official representational functions at the Australian Embassy over a period of eighteen months. The remaining cost of AUD 995 was paid for freight and insurance. (c) The representational functions have been held at the Ambassador’s residence at the Embassy or, on occasion, at commercial premises. More than two thirds of the wine is yet to be consumed and is stored at the Ambassador’s residence with stocks checked on a regular basis.
(5) (a)
This fee was paid in relation to the reproduction of copyright material in accordance with the Agreement between the Commonwealth and the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL). DFAT endorsed this agreement on 2 July 2003. The fee paid by DFAT fulfils the Department’s obligations under the Copyright Act 1968 to provide equitable remuneration to copyright owners pursuant to section 183 of the Act. Section 183 of the Act allows the Commonwealth to make copies of copyright material if this is done for the service of the Commonwealth or a State. (b) The copyright material was used within the Department during the financial period ending 30 June 2006.
(6) (a)
and (b) The expenditure was for security-related construction work on the chancery compound in New Delhi.  (c) and (d) It is not the practice of the Government to provide details of security works.
(7)
This agreement is between the Australian Translating and Interpreting Service, of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Australian Passport Information Service (APIS) which is operated by Centrelink on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (a) APIS provides simultaneous interpreting on all Australian passport related matters for non-English speaking people. (b) The service is provided in over 60 languages as listed on the APIS website (http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/languages/index.htm). (c) While some DFAT employees have simultaneous interpreting skills, the department does not have the number of employees with the range of languages needed to provide this service.
(8) (a)
and (b) The expenditure was for security-related construction work on the chancery compound in Tel Aviv. (c) and (d) It is not the practice of the Government to provide details of security works.