On this page

• Media releases
• Portfolio Budget Statements
• The 2014-15 development assistance budget at a glance
• Allocations to DFAT country, regional and global programmes
• Total Australian ODA by partner country and region
• Estimated regional flows
• Estimated total ODA by country

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will receive an appropriation of $1,404.8 million for the 2014-15 financial year, including $1,271.0 million in operating funding, $53.0 million in capital and $80.8 million equity funding.

DFAT will receive $51.5 million in 2014-15 to maintain Australia's Embassy in Kabul and continue work towards preventing Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

DFAT will receive $35.6 million in 2014-15 to close the current Australian Embassy in Baghdad and relocate to lower-cost shared accommodation with the British Embassy. This funding will allow the department to continue to promote Australia's national interests in Iraq while delivering significant savings on security costs.

DFAT will receive $6.4 million over two years to provide support for the Government's counter people smuggling operations and continue to engage our partners in the region on a coordinated response to people smuggling.

This Budget also contains a range of savings measures. The efficiency dividend will continue to apply, providing $28.8 million in savings over four years from DFAT.

The Government will terminate the Australia Network contract with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Funding of $79.4 million will be withdrawn from the Overseas Property Special Account in 2014-15, previously set aside for a planned relocation of the Tehran Embassy, which will not currently go ahead due to lack of suitable site.

DFAT has also reviewed its staffing profile to identify efficiencies as a result of the integration of the former AusAID. The department will reduce staff numbers by around 500, delivering approximately $110 million in savings in 2014-15 and $287 million over the forward estimates.

Media releases

• 2014-15 Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio Budget
• Budget affirms government support for tourism

Portfolio Budget Statements

More: 2014-15 Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio Budget Statements, including funding for portfolio agencies Austrade, EFIC, ACIAR, ASIS and Tourism Australia

The 2014-15 development assistance budget at a glance

In 2014-15, Australia will provide an estimated $5,031.9 million in Official Development Assistance (ODA).

This programme will work in Australia's national interest through contributing to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. It will be governed by a new development policy, Australian aid: promoting prosperity, reducing poverty, enhancing stability¸ which will guide a re-shaping of the aid programme throughout 2014-15 and in coming years.

The Government's new performance framework Making Performance Count: enhancing the accountability and effectiveness of Australian aidwill reinforce the new directions laid out in the new development policy. Making Performance Count will drive real links between performance and aid funding decisions, ensuring a stronger focus on results and value-for-money.

The 2014-15 Budget delivers a stable development assistance budget tied to measurable outcomes and focused on the Indo‑Pacific region, positioning Australia as a reliable international donor and effective development partner.

Australia is the second largest donor to the East Asia and Pacific region and is in the top ten donors of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) group of major donors.

Australia will continue to uphold its global responsibilities, including by maintaining a strong humanitarian programme. Of the total development assistance budget, $338.6 million will be allocated for humanitarian, emergencies and refugee expenditure in 2014-15, with further funding allocated to assist communities to reduce disaster risk. This includes an increase of the Emergency Fund, from $90 million to $120 million, to enable Australia to respond swiftly and effectively to global emergencies and emerging priorities.

The Australian aid programme will be delivered by non‑government organisations (NGOs), Australian volunteers, businesses and government agencies working together with developing countries and international organisations.

• The Australia Awards program within DFAT will be increased by $31.7 million to contribute to overall DFAT-administered Australian Awards funding of $310.0 million in 2014-15. This will ensure we can offer over 4,500 scholarship and fellowships awards in 2014-15 and continue to build skills to contribute to economic and human development and foster links between Australia and countries in our region.
• Funding managed by NGOs through the Australian-NGO Cooperation Programme (ANCP) will be increased to $134.0 million in 2014-15 – an increase of $3.3 million.
• The Direct Aid Programme will be doubled to $22.0 million and volunteer programme maintained at 2013-14 levels ($56.6 million) – to strengthen our focus on cultural exchange and people-to-people links.
• Other government departments (e.g. the Australian Federal Police, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and Attorney-General's Department) will manage and deliver an estimated $392.0 million (8 per cent) of Australia's ODA in 2014-15.

Indo-Pacific region

The 2014-15 development assistance budget reinforces the Government's decision to refocus Australian aid on the Indo-Pacific region. Countries in the Indo-Pacific region will receive an estimated 92 per cent of country and regional programme funding in 2014-15 (compared to 86 per cent previously) to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and enhance stability. Our sharper geographic focus reflects the reality that most of our neighbours are developing countries. Many of them face significant development challenges.

Most countries within the Indo-Pacific have received an increase on 2013-14 funding levels. Consistent with the Government's focus on our region, programmes outside the region either phased out (e.g. in Latin America and the Caribbean) or scaled back (e.g. sub‑Saharan Africa), where other developed nations have primary responsibility.

Sectoral priorities

The 2014-15 Budget provides a sharper focus on investing in drivers of economic growth, in line with the new strategic framework for the aid programme released as part of the Government's new development policy Australian aid: promoting prosperity, reducing poverty, enhancing stability.

Figure 1: 2014-15 sectoral funding estimates

Global programmes

In 2014-15 Australia will continue to work with effective and efficient multilateral and global organisations to contribute to global aid solutions or deliver aid in countries where we do not have a bilateral presence. These partners include:

• multilateral development banks such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
• United Nations (UN) development and humanitarian organisations such as UNICEF, UN Women, UN Development Programme and the World Food Programme
• the International Committee of the Red Cross
• partnerships with health, education and environmental organisations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Global Partnership for Education, and the Global Environment Facility.

For more detail see: The 2014-15 development assistance budget: a summary [DOCX 403 KB]

Table 1: Allocations to DFAT country, regional and global programmes

This table shows allocations to DFAT country, regional and global programmes.

Table 2: Total Australian ODA by partner country and region

This table shows total Australian ODA from all agencies and programmes attributable to partner countries and regions. This includes DFAT country programme allocations, flows from DFAT regional and global programmes, and Other Government Departments expenditure.

Chart 1: Estimated regional flows

Chart 2: Estimated total ODA by country