Summary
The Portfolio Budget Statements (PB Statements) inform Members of Parliament and the public of the proposed allocation of resources to government outcomes. They also assist the Senate Standing Committees with their examination of the Government’s Budget. The PB Statements, Budget Papers, Annual Appropriation Bills (Nos. 1 and 2) and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) are tabled in the Parliament on Budget Night, the second Tuesday in May of each year. The Bills require that the PB Statements be taken into account when interpreting the appropriated items in the Schedules.
The PB Statements contain details of the estimated payments under each of the annual Appropriation Bills and other legislation providing appropriations. In doing this, entities are required to report against the approved list of outcomes and programs for which they are responsible. They also contain details of estimated receipts from other sources, including taxation, customs, excise and receipts from fees and charges collected by entities. The appropriation details included in the PB Statements’ tables match the figures in the Appropriation Bills and the relevant amounts included in the tables in Budget Paper No. 4.
Individual PB Statements are intended to further explain the purposes and planned performance of entities and their contributions towards the achievement of outcomes. Entities also include their programs’ objectives; financial and non-financial performance, including deliverables; and key performance indicators.
PB Statements also assist in the interpretation of the Appropriation Bills. There is a provision in the Acts that declares the PB Statements to be extrinsic material under paragraph 15AB(2)(g) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. As a result, a court may use the PB Statements to decide whether a particular expenditure is consistent with the purpose of the appropriation item.
PB Statements are prepared by those Commonwealth entities which receive funding through the annual Appropriation Acts (either directly or through a portfolio department). Finance has issued the following guidelines on the format and printing of the PB Statements:
- Guide to preparing the 2024-25 Portfolio Budget Statements
- Guide to preparing the 2024-25 Portfolio Budget Statements
Excel and Word templates are downloadable from the Central Budget Management System, or contact your Chief Finance Officer (CFO) Unit to obtain a copy.
Financial data for the 2024-25 PB Statements will be available at http://www.data.gov.au when the PB statements are published in May 2024, to assist those who wish to analyse the financial information published in the PB Statements. The website also has financial data from the 2014-15 PB Statements and PAES.
Requirements for performance information in PB Statements – Finance Secretary Direction
The Finance Secretary has issued the following Direction, effective 21 August 2022, under Section 36(3) of the PGPA Act. The Direction sets out the requirements for performance information included in PB Statements.
Previous Year’s Version
- Guide to preparing the 2023-24 Portfolio Budget Statements
- Guide to preparing the 2023-24 Portfolio Budget Statements
Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
The Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (PAESs) inform the Parliament of changes to the proposed allocation of resources since the Budget. The PAES, annual Appropriation Bills (Nos. 3 and 4) and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) are tabled in the Parliament usually in mid-February each year.
The annual Appropriation Bills (Nos. 3 and 4) and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) require that the PBS be taken into account when interpreting the appropriated items in the Schedules.
Not all portfolios prepare a PAES. Only those entities for whom the government has agreed to change funding through the Appropriation Bills listed in the previous paragraph need produce a PAES. Finance has issued the following guidelines on the format and printing of the PAES:
Guide to Preparing the 2023-24 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements:
- Guide to Preparing the 2023-24 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
- Guide to Preparing the 2023-24 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
The 2022-23 version of the PAES Guidance is provided below for reference:
- Guide to Preparing the 2022-23 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
- Guide to Preparing the 2022-23 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
Portfolio Supplementary Additional Estimates Statements
The Portfolio Supplementary Additional Estimates Statements (PSAES) informs Parliament of changes to the proposed allocation of resources since the Additional Estimates. If required, the Supplementary Additional Estimates Bills (SAEs Bills), Appropriation Bill (No. 5) and Appropriation Bill (No. 6) , are tabled in the Parliament usually in early May.
The SAEs Bills require that the PSAES be taken into account when interpreting appropriated items in the Schedules.
Not all portfolios prepare a PSAES. Only those entities for whom the Government has agreed to change funding through the Appropriation Bills listed in the previous paragraph need produce a PSAES. Finance has issued the following guidelines on the format and printing of the PSAES:
