Financial overview

The financial amounts summarised below include the activities of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (excluding administered activities).

During the 2009–10 financial year, the department received revenues totalling $476.118 million and incurred expenses of $471.208 million, a surplus of $4.910 million. The primary source of revenue for the department is departmental service revenue funding by the Government in return for the services delivered by the department.

The departmental operating surplus of $4.910 million primarily relates to the Registry of Birth, Deaths and Marriages and will be used to fund the digitisation of life event registrations project.

Net Assets of the department have grown by $92.472 million during the financial year principally reflecting the ongoing construction of the $600 million Brisbane Supreme and District Courts Building project and the completion of the Ipswich Courthouse.

Departmental Services

Funding is provided to assist the department to achieve a range of departmental services which underpin the Government’s priorities.
The departmental services for 2009–10 were as follows:

• Court and Tribunal Services
• Human Rights Protection Services
• Policy, Legislation and Legal Services
• Community Justice Services
• Electrical Safety Services
• Private Sector Industrial Relations Services
• Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations Services
• Administration of the Industrial Court and Commission System
• Workplace Health and Safety Services (including Workers' Compensation Policy).

Income

The primary funding for the department is supplied by government as departmental services revenue to enable the department to carry out its services.

Departmental services revenue is also referred to as Appropriation and totalled $355.163 million or 74.60 per cent of total revenue, representing an increase of $34.198 million on the previous year figure of $320.965 million. The increase primarily reflects the first full year of departmental services revenue associated with the Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland following machinery of government changes as per the Public Service Departmental Arrangements Notice (No 2) 2009 that occurred with effect from 27 March 2009 and enterprise bargaining salary increases.

User charges revenue totalled $53.331 million for the year and principally comprised of Crown Law professional services and the collection of fees for service in the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

In addition a further $66.470 million was received as Grants and Other Contributions that primarily reflects industry contributions for the services of the Electrical Safety Office and funding from the workers compensation scheme for the activities of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.

Expenses

Employee expenses are the amounts incurred with respect of employees and related salary on-costs such as superannuation and allowances. Employee expenses totalled $291.085 million in 2009 10 and represents 61.8 per cent of total expenditure. The total 2009–10 expenses, including employee expenses reflect the first full year of operational costs associated with the Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland following machinery of government changes as per the Public Service Departmental Arrangements Notice (No 2) 2009 that occurred with effect from 27 March 2009 and enterprise bargaining salary increases.

Supplies and services are the costs incurred from third parties for the daily operation of the department during the financial year. The most significant item of expenditure in supplies and services costs continues to be reflected in the property tenancy and maintenance costs and reflects the significant property assets owned and maintained by the department.

Grants and subsidies totalled $9.196 million in 2009–10 and principally represent grants provided for the Community Justice Groups, Safe Work Australia and the Anzac Day Trust.

Borrowing costs is the interest paid to Queensland Treasury Corporation on the funds borrowed for the construction of the Brisbane Magistrates Court Complex.

Depreciation is the value by which the assets are consumed during the year.

^{The graph (left) totals $485.830 million which does not agree to the total expenses of $471.208 million noted in the summary table at the beginning of this snapshot due to internal eliminations.}

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Capital expenditure overview

Capital expenditure of $144.159 million was incurred during the year.

The most significant capital expenditure continued to be on the $600 million Brisbane Supreme and District Court Building project. In addition work commenced on the expansion of the main arrest court and new courtrooms at the Southport Courthouse and the construction of the Ipswich Courthouse was completed. The department also continues to invest in the maintenance and renewal of its significant courthouse investment across the state.

Funds spent on plant and equipment includes court recording and videoconferencing, copiers, multi-function devices, letter inserting and folding machines, document scanners, electronic ticketing machines and other equipment.

The department continues to invest in software technology on a number of its core systems including the Queensland Wide Integrated Courts System (QWIC), Prosecutions Case Management Information System, and other systems to support the efficient and effective operation of the department’s services.

Chief Financial Officer Statement

The introduction of the new Financial Accountability Act 2009 has now formalised the requirement to nominate an officer to be responsible for the financial administration of the department (the CFO). The Executive Director, Financial Services Branch has been appointed as the department’s CFO from the commencement of the 2009–10 financial year.

In accordance with section 77 of the Financial Accountability Act 2009 the CFO provided the Acting Director-General with a Statement of Assurance certifying that the financial internal controls of the department are operating efficiently, effectively and economically, and that the:

• financial records of the department have been properly maintained throughout the year
• that there were no material deficiencies or breakdowns in internal controls impacting adversely on the financial governance of the department
• financial statements for the year are fairly stated
• department has complied with the financial requirements mandated in the Financial Accountability Act 2009, the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009, and other prescribed requirements, including internal governance policies and Australian Accounting Standards, where relevant.

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