* Budget documents are available in HTML, portable document (PDF) and rich
text (RTF) formats at: http://www.ausinfo.gov.au/budget/index.htm
The Government is to be congratulated for providing the documents in easy to
us formats. The papers can be viewed on screen or downloaded one at a time,
or all together. About all that is missing is a search facility.
The mail AusInfo site was very fast, the DCITA site and some of other
agencies were very slow.
Overall there is very little specifically for the Information Technology
industry in this budget. No doubt the government would argue that general
measures will improve the economy and so benefit all industries. However,
the budget specifically allocates money to help the paper printing industry
and to censor the Internet, which are hardly positive outcomes for IT.
Part IV: Budget Priorities:
http://www.ausinfo.gov.au/budget/bp1/bs1/bs1-Part-4.html#Heading17
>The Networking the Nation regional telecommunications programme will
>provide enhanced rural internet access, continuous mobile phone coverage
>on major national highways and an expansion of the Regional
> Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund."
How much for how long?
Budget Speech: http://www.ausinfo.gov.au/budget/speech/speech.html
>Funding of $78 million is being provided for a Quality Teacher Programme
>to help teachers focus on professional development in literacy,
>numeracy, mathematics, science, information technology and
>vocational education.
Not a lot.
* DCITA Ministerial Media release, Alston: Budget delivers on Coalition
Election promises and more:
http://www.dcita.gov.au/nsapi-text/?MIval=dca_dispdoc&ID=3857&template=Newsroom
$7.0 million of the ABA's additional funding will be provided
over four years for the implementation of a regulatory framework
for online content, proposed under the Broadcasting Services
Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 introduced into
Parliament on 21 April 1999.
A further $150 000 will be provided to the ABA to assist in
administering a proposed regime to address community concerns
that telephone sex lines are too easily accessed by children.
'The Government has also approved a supplementary allocation of
$304 000 for the ACA to review the longer-term
cost-effectiveness of telecommunications interception, a
requirement under the Telecommunications Act 1997.'
* Industry, Science and Resources Budget Initiatives, 11 May 1999, B99/111,
Statement by Senator Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science and
Resources: http://www.isr.gov.au/media/1999/budget/budget99_0.html
>The Government has allocated $20.6 million over the next
>four years to a new Printing Industry Competitiveness
>Scheme. The scheme became effective from 1 January
>1999, meeting the Government's election commitment. It
>is designed to develop a stronger, sustainable printing
>industry by addressing the negative assistance faced by
>book printers as a result of paying duty on paper inputs.
Back-to-the-future move to support paper publishing, in preference to
electronic publishing?
* Increased Funding For Science Agencies, 11 May 1999, B99/114, Statement by
Senator Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science and Resources:
http://www.isr.gov.au/media/1999/budget/budget99_2.html
>Key measures include an extra $82 million for the CSIRO
>over the next three years.
Not a lot.
Tom Worthington tom.worthington@tomw.net.au
Immediate Past President http://www.tomw.net.au
Australian Computer Society PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617
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Net Traveller Book: Cambridge live from a bus: http://www.tomw.net.au/nt