EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability
(Section 75 Transfers) Amendment Determination 2025‑2026 (No. 4)
Purpose of the determination
Section 75 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) enables the Finance Minister to determine that one or more Schedules to one or more Appropriation Acts are modified in a specified way in relation to the transfer of a function from one non-corporate Commonwealth entity to another. The power in section 75 recognises that the Executive Government will from time to time choose to reorganise the administration and delivery of its functions with commensurate transfers of resources, including appropriations, between entities.
Subsection 75(7) of the PGPA Act provides that a determination made under subsection (2) is a legislative instrument, but that section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the determination. The Explanatory Memorandum for the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Bill 2013 provides (at paragraph 370) that determinations made under section 75 are exempt from disallowance as the changes effected by determinations made under section 75 are in the nature of administrative changes only, relating to the Executive Government’s decisions about the allocation of functions to particular entities.
Under section 107 of the PGPA Act, the Finance Minister has delegated the power to make determinations under section 75 to the Secretary of the Department of Finance. Under section 109 of the PGPA Act, the Secretary has, in turn, subdelegated this power to certain officials within the Department of Finance.
The commitment to establish the Australian Centre for Disease Control arose in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and was a key recommendation of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19. The independent COVID-19 Response Inquiry also supported the establishment of the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control Act 2025 establishes the Australian Centre for Disease Control, a non‑corporate Commonwealth entity for the purposes of the finance law as defined by the PGPA Act, to permanently monitor and assess public health risks; proactively work to prevent them; and prepare Australia when another crisis occurs. The Australian Centre for Disease Control commences on 1 January 2026.
The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Section 75 Transfers) Amendment Determination 2025‑2026 (No. 4) (the amendment determination) amends the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (Section 75 Transfers) Determination 2025‑2026 (the principal determination) to reflect the transfer of appropriations from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
The amendment determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of section 8 of the Legislation Act 2003. It does not change the total amount appropriated by the Parliament.
The principal determination modifies the 2025-26 Appropriation Acts to, among other things, increase or decrease appropriation items for affected entities due to the transfer of functions between them.
The 2025-26 Appropriation Acts modified by the principal determination include:
- the Supply Act (No. 1) 2025-2026;
- the Supply Act (No. 2) 2025-2026;
- the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2025-2026; and
- the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025-2026.
Commencement
The amendment determination commences the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Statement of compatibility with human rights
A statement of compatibility with human rights is not required for the amendment determination.
Subsection 9(1) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 requires a statement of compatibility with human rights for all legislative instruments subject to disallowance under section 42 of the Legislation Act 2003. A determination made under subsection 75(2) of the PGPA Act is exempt from disallowance under subsection (7). As such, a statement of compatibility with human rights is not required.
Consultation
Consistent with section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003, the affected entities were consulted in the preparation of the amendment determination.
Summary of amendments
- Item 1 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination amends the definition of Appropriation Act in section 4 of the principal determination by adding the following Acts:
- the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2025-2026; and
- the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025-2026.
- Item 2 of Schedule 1 to the amendment determination adds new sections 8 and 9 to the principal determination.
New section 8 modifies the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2025‑2026.
- Subsection 8(1) applies section 8 to the Act.
- Subsection 8(2) has effect as if Schedule 1 to the Act included a departmental item for the Australian Centre for Disease Control and an administered item for that entity opposite the outcome as set out in paragraph (b).
- Subsection 8(3) has effect as if appropriation items in Schedule 1 to the Act were increased or decreased in accordance with the table included in that subsection. If an appropriation item exists only because of the principal determination, the increase is from a nil amount. The amendment determination does not change the total amount appropriated by the Parliament.
Item | Entity | Appropriation item | Previous increase/ decrease by the principal determination ($) | Current increase/ decrease by the amendment determination ($) | Increase (+) / decrease (-) by the principal determination ($) |
1 | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing | Departmental item | 0.00 | -26,300,000.00 | -26,300,000.00 |
2 | Australian Centre for Disease Control | Departmental item | 0.00 | +26,300,000.00 | +26,300,000.00 |
3 | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing | Administered item, Outcome 1 | 0.00 | -80,100,000.00 | -80,100,000.00 |
4 | Australian Centre for Disease Control | Administered item, Outcome 1 | 0.00 | +80,100,000.00 | +80,100,000.00 |
Note: A positive amount reflects an increase in an appropriation item and a negative amount reflects a decrease in an appropriation item.
New section 9 modifies the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2025‑2026.
- Subsection 9(1) applies section 9 to the Act.
- Subsection 9(2) has effect as if Schedule 2 to the Act included an other departmental item for the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
- Subsection 9(3) has effect as if appropriation items in Schedule 2 to the Act were increased or decreased in accordance with the table included in that subsection. If an appropriation item exists only because of the principal determination, the increase is from a nil amount. The amendment determination does not change the total amount appropriated by the Parliament.
Item | Entity | Appropriation item | Previous increase/ decrease by the principal determination ($) | Current increase/ decrease by the amendment determination ($) | Total increase/ decrease by the principal determination ($) |
1 | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing | Other departmental item (Equity Injection) | 0.00 | -7,500,000.00 | -7,500,000.00 |
2 | Australian Centre for Disease Control | Other departmental item (Equity Injection) | 0.00 | +7,500,000.00 | +7,500,000.00 |
Note: A positive amount reflects an increase in an appropriation item and a negative amount reflects a decrease in an appropriation item.