there
due to the new policy for dealing with the regrant of expired non-renewable leases, upon which stand post-war buildings. This had the effect of reducing instalments of premium payable over the first three years by about 50% on average. The increase under "Crown Land fees" was due to the payment of arrears on quarry contract premium. As regards 'Chargeable Water' was an increase in comparison with 1974-75 as there were no water restrictions in 1975-76. However, in comparison with the approved estimate of $206M, the decrease was due to the operation of two-tiered pricing, resulting in contraction in domestic consumption, coupled with a shortfall in non-domestic consumption. The significant increase under "Departmental Services and Supervision" was due to the transfer of revenue derived from "Departmental Services to the Urban Council and Housing Authority" to this subhead.
Deposits
2.38 The volume of work of various types carried out by the Department for private organisations and individuals showed a further increase in 1975-76, as reflected in the respective deposit accounts. Payment in these cases is required in advance, based on an estimate of the cost of the work to be done, to which is added a percentage to cover departmental overhead expenses. The payments by the depositors are placed on deposit accounts until work is completed and the final cost is known, when an adjustment is made taking the equivalent of the actual cost plus departmental expenses to revenue, any surplus held being refunded to the depositors. At the beginning of the year the balance held on deposit, i.e. in respect of works not completed, was $11,093,246 and further deposits amounting to $17,184,383 were received during the year; from this total of $28,277,629 the amount taken to revenue in respect of completed works was $10,964,438, while $2,484,811 was refunded, leaving balances remaining on the deposit accounts at the end of the year totalling $14,828,380.
2.39 Under the Government-financed Staff Welfare Scheme, funds allocated by Government are placed in a departmental deposit account to be used for authorised welfare and relief purposes to assist lower-paid staff. During the year 62 loans totalling $49,550 were issued under the scheme and a total sum of $51,796 covering loans issued before 1975-76 was recovered in repayments. The balance available at the end of the year for all purposes was $89,282.
Contracts and Contractors
2.40 At the beginning of the year there were 308 capital works contracts in progress and a further 411, with a value of $666M, were awarded during the year; of this combined total of 719, 538 were still uncompleted at the end of the year.
2.41 No contract was re-entered during the year 1975-76. During the year 121 sets of contractors' or specialist contractors' audited accounts were examined and of these 23 were eventually considered to have insufficient resources to merit inclusion, confirmation or promotion in the P.W.D. List while 98 cases were approved.
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