Bilateral Agreements under this AgreemenBilateral Agreements under this Agreement

Bilateral Agreements under this Agreement

6(1) (a) Within the scope of this Agreement, and in accordance with its principles and outcomes, the Commonwealth and each State will negotiate and enter into a Bilateral Agreement for a term which will be deemed to commence on the commencement date for this Agreement and will expire on the same date as completion of the term of this Agreement.

(b) Bilateral Agreements will be agreed by the Minister and each State Minister.

(c) Bilateral Agreements will outline arrangements for the planning by a State of the housing assistance to be provided out of Commonwealth Financial Assistance and out of State Grants and State housing funds. Unless varied by agreement between the Minister and the State Minister, Bilateral Agreements will include the following matters:

(i) level and nature of housing need in a State;

(ii) the environment faced by a State in providing housing assistance, including social, economic and market pressures and the funds and assets available;

(iii) the agreed objectives to be pursued in the Bilateral Agreement;

(iv) the State’s strategic response to subclauses 6(1)(c)(i), (ii) and (iii) for the term of this Agreement;

(v) outcomes to be achieved, and performance measures for these outcomes, including outputs and targets, for the term of this Agreement subject to subclause 6(1)(e) below;

(vi) outcomes to be achieved and performance measures in the areas of attracting investment from outside the Social Housing system and reducing workforce disincentives for Social Housing tenants. Schedule 1 outlines measures that States could undertake;

(vii) linkages with Commonwealth and State programs outside this Agreement which impact on housing outcomes;

(viii) arrangements for the planning and carrying out of any identified housing programs; and

(d) The Minister or the State Minister may seek to renegotiate a Bilateral Agreement. A Bilateral Agreement may be varied only in writing between the Minister and the State Minister.

(e) Where outputs and targets in subclause 6(1)(c)(v) have not been specified and agreed in a Bilateral Agreement for each year of the term of this Agreement, outputs and targets must be agreed in writing prior to:

(i) 1 May 2004, for the second year of the Agreement;

(ii) 1 May 2005, for the third year of the Agreement;

(iii) 1 May 2006, for the fourth year of the Agreement; and

(iv) 1 May 2007, for the fifth year of the Agreement.

(f) Bilateral Agreements will outline arrangements for community consultation.

(g) States will make publicly available within three months of agreeing or varying a Bilateral Agreement the objectives and outcomes to be achieved under the Bilateral Agreement.