For each financial year since 1 July 2000, what was the total cost of (a) gardening and (b) indoor plants for the Minister’s department and agencies.

Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

Core Department

(a)   Gardening is included in the lease costs of the buildings occupied by the Department and can not be identified as a stand alone item.

(b)   Indoor plants.

Financial Year	Indoor Plants $
2000-01	25,446
2001-02	27,070
2002-03	16,310
2003-04	19,077
2004-05	30,449
2005-06	36,534

Old Parliament House

* Payments made to National Capital Authority for Horticultural Maintenance. Includes landscaping and gardening services.

Portfolio Agencies

Australia Business Arts Foundation (a) and (b) The Australian Business Arts Foundation has no expenditure on gardening services or indoor plant hire.

Australia Council

Australian Film Commission

Australian Film Television & Radio School

*Includes School ground maintenance.

Australian National Maritime Museum

Australian Sports Commission

These figures include all tasks undertaken by the horticultural section of the Australian Sports Commission, including all salaries both for casual staff and full time employees. The section is responsible for the maintenance of a landscape covering 65 hectares.

Within the area are five high profile sports ovals, native/ornamental gardens, building grassed areas and dry land car parks.

Due to the nature and volume of elite sporting clients using these fields, the sports fields, have very high year round maintenance demands. The first three years of the reporting period included significant major refurbishments of sporting fields that added approximately $130,000 each year to the cost of horticulture operations.

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA)

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority was created in March 2006. Figures for previous years reflect spending by the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA).

Bundanon Trust

Bundanon Trust does not spend funds on contracted gardening services or the hire of indoor plants. However, as the Trust operates from rural properties, it is required to maintain and preserve the properties and farm. These activities include pasture improvement work, together with maintenance and upgrading of the lawns and gardens around the buildings. This work is undertaken by Bundanon Trust property maintenance staff, as well as volunteers.

Film Australia Limited

Film Finance Corporation Australia Limited (a) and (b) The Film Finance Corporation Australia Limited has no expenditure on gardening services or indoor plant hire.

National Archives of Australia

Note: These figures relate to all the National Archives’ buildings in Canberra and in each State capital city and Darwin.

National Gallery of Australia

National Library of Australia

National Museum of Australia

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

The ABC does not maintain separate accounts for recording gardening costs and the costs of indoor plants, but estimates the cost related to gardening and indoor plants as follows:

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)

The ACMA was formed on 1 July 2005 when the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) were merged. The following answers address this question for all three agencies separately.

Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)

Australian Communications Authority (ACA)

Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA)

Special Broadcasting Service SBS

Australia Post

Australia Post advises that costs for landscaping and gardening are captured within a single general ledger account. Gardening can not be uniquely identified as a stand alone cost.

* Includes landscaping services.

Telstra Telstra is unable to provide an answer to this question.