Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, Chair. If we just go to the budget papers, minister, page 123, TasTAFE, there’s a significant move around of about $26 million in terms of TasTAFE’s assets, cash and deposits. It says here, ‘The decreasing cash and deposits primarily reflect the timing of asset purchases associated with planned capital projects’. I might just say, this is a very thin chapter in this report, the TasTAFE chapter. It doesn’t tell us very much at all.
Mr ELLIS – Okay.
Ms O’CONNOR – But what are those asset purchases associated with planned capital projects that are costing $26 million.
Mr ELLIS – I’ll pass to Mr Dreher to provide an update there.
Mr DREHER – Yes, thanks, minister. Through you. I think we’ll bring our CFO to the table to explain that. Will McShane is the chief financial officer at TasTAFE.
CHAIR – Welcome, Will.
Mr McSHANE – Thank you.
CHAIR – Thanks for joining us.
Ms O’CONNOR – Did you hear the question, Will?
Mr McSHANE – I did, yes.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay.
CHAIR – If you just pull that lovely microphone down because they like you to get fairly close to them. Thank you.
Mr McSHANE – Through the minister. The large amounts we’d be spending on things such as the Burnie student accommodation, using money for part of our transition planning, our virtual campus projects, our regional engagement projects. There’s a series of other smaller items such as the $10 million that’s been allocated to the north and northwest facility and equipment upgrades. It is a composite of the 2021 election commitments.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay. Thank you for that, Will. That’s most helpful. On page 122, when it talks about a statement of comprehensive income, it says, ‘TasTAFE’s sales of goods and services will increase by about nine and a half million over the course of the forward Estimates’. Is that through an increase, minister, in TasTAFE fees?
Mr ELLIS – Things like training more students. I’ll pass to Mr Dreher and Will to give us a bit of a sense about the other elements as well.
Ms O’CONNOR – Just to get an understanding because that’s a significant increase in sales of goods and services.
Mr McSHANE – Through the minister. That’s more of a classification. The fee free TAFE initiative in this budget has an end date, so it’s more that revenue would fall to sales as opposed to being fee free.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay. Well, the related question obviously, and this is probably one for the minister or the CEO, what is the plan in terms of the fees that are charged for TAFE? Because I know you know this, minister, but for some people from disadvantage backgrounds, even though relative to a HECS debt is very small, that fee itself is a disincentive. Are there any plans to increase learning fees, course fees for TasTAFE students over the next four years?
Mr ELLIS – So usually it just aligns with things like inflation, but certainly particularly for low income people, we have very significant concessions for learners that are coming through TasTAFE. It’s one of the most important things about the public training provided, that we’re able to provide those services for people who are really doing it tough. It’s been a really good partnership with the Commonwealth too around fee free.
Those courses are often in areas of targeted need and targeted groups of people too that might need additional assistance. Getting that balance right is really important, but when we have effectively fee maintenance, fees that align with inflation, CPI, that sort of thing, that’s pretty standard. But we’re very conscious of the cost of living for people and making sure that we align that. And I have some –
Ms O’CONNOR – Some numbers of people who are either fee free or assisted to learn.
Mr ELLIS – That’s right. This is the course list for delivery in 2024 which has the subsidised course fee, because we subsidise all of our fees.
Ms O’CONNOR – Yes.
Mr ELLIS – And then there’s the concession course fee, which is then significant on top of that, and the number of training places as well.
CHAIR – Thank you.
Ms O’CONNOR – So, minister, what’s the – in order to be eligible for a concession fee, is it similarly – what’s the criteria? Is it that they have a concession card or that they are a recipient of Commonwealth payment?
Mr ELLIS – Yes. I’ll look to the team from TasTAFE?
Ms O’CONNOR – What’s the criteria for assistance?
Mr DREHER – Yes. Generally, a recipient of a Commonwealth payment to be eligible for a concession.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay.
Mr DREHER – Yes.
Ms O’CONNOR – All right.
