Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

This week I approved two determinations to release funding from the Advance to the Finance Minister (AFM) provision. These determinations totalled $469 million.

The largest determination provided $403 million to the Department of Finance (Finance) to support construction of Centres for National Resilience in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, using the AFM. This allocation will allow Finance to meet expected payments for work in November and December 2021. This is the second allocation made to Finance for this program following an earlier allocation of $218 million made in November 2021, taking total AFM funding for the Centres to $621 million to date.

The determination provides funding to Finance to meet contractual milestone payments for the construction of purpose-built quarantine facilities during a peak period in the build when the first stage of the Melbourne Centre will be completed. Further allocations from the AFM appropriation will be made as the builders of the facilities meet additional contracted deliverables.

A second determination provided $66 million to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to support a decision by the Australian Government to extend the availability of the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (PLDP) until 30 June 2022.

The PLDP provides support to individuals without access to paid leave entitlements or other Australian Government income support, who were required to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19. The PLDP is a lump sum payment of up to $1,500 made to people who cannot earn an income because they must self-isolate, quarantine or care for someone who has to self-isolate or quarantine.

Both determinations were made from the AFM that was appropriated by the Parliament in Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2021-2022.

These determinations were registered on the Federal Register of Legislation, together with associated Explanatory Statement (these are available at legislation.gov.au).