Industry, science and resources portfolio

Table 2.1: Total resources for outcome 1 ($’000)

	Estimated	Budget
	actual	estimate
	2000-01	2001-02
	$'000	$'000
Administered appropriations	0	0
Total administered appropriations	0	0
Departmental appropriations
Output 1.1 Coordination of the national measurement system	1,761	3,000
Output 1.2 Legal measuring instruments comply with	850	1,893
international and national metrological standards
Total revenue from government (appropriations)	2,611	(C1) 4,893
contributing to price of departmental outputs	65%	94%
Revenue from other sources1
Output 1.1 Coordination of the national measurement system	399	-
Output 1.2 Legal measuring instruments comply with	911	860
international and national metrological standards
Total revenue from other sources	1,310	(E1) 860
Total price of departmental outputs2	3,921	5,753
(Total revenue from Government and from other sources)
Administered capital	0	0
Total estimated resourcing for outcome 1	3,921	5,753
(Total price of outputs and admin expenses)
1 see Appendix 1
2 see Note 1 to the Financial Statements

2000-01 2001-02 Average staffing level (number) 30 34

OUTCOME 1 — CONTRIBUTION OF OUTPUTS

The NSC has two outputs which collectively achieve outcome 1.

Output 1.1: Coordination of the National Measurement System

The Commission monitors the emerging legal metrology requirements of industry and regulatory authorities and develops new policies, standards, test procedures, measurement infrastructure and legislation as required, in consultation with sector-based advisory groups and technical specialists.

The Commission coordinates Australian input, and ensures that Australian interests are represented in the development and review of international legal metrology standards. Australia is an active participant on 37 OIML technical committees and an observer on a further 11 technical committees. As a member of the WTO, Australia is committed to the harmonisation of standards and the reduction in technical barriers to trade.

Training courses are provided to trade measurement authorities and industry clients in all States and Territories and in the Asia-Pacific region. National legal metrology standards and other information is published free of charge on the NSC website.

Output 1.2: Legal measuring instruments comply with international and national metrological standards

The Commission is responsible for the pattern approval of all instruments used for trade or regulatory purposes in Australia. Pattern approval testing and calibration services are provided on a fee-for-service basis. The Commission has national testing facilities for weighing instruments and load cells, and for flowmetering of liquids and LPG. Testing of utility meters is carried out by external laboratories which have been appointed by NSC as Approval Authorities.

To ensure that production instruments comply with the approved pattern, the Commission will implement a national pattern compliance program, commencing in 2001. Imported and locally manufactured instruments will be systematically sampled and subjected to selected performance tests to ensure that they consistently meet national and international standards.

Table 2.2 provides information on the strategies chosen to deliver outcome 1, and shows the links between the outputs and the outcome. Achievement of planned performance will be reported in the NSC’s 2001-02 Annual Report.