Notes

Date
  1. The following definitions are used in the PEFO:
    • ‘real’ means adjusted for the effect of inflation;
    • real growth in expenses and payments is calculated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) deflator;
    • one billion is equal to one thousand million; and
    • the Budget year refers to 2016-17, while the forward years refer to 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
  2. Figures in tables and generally in the text have been rounded. Discrepancies in tables between totals and sums of components are due to rounding:
    • estimates under $100,000 are rounded to the nearest thousand;
    • estimates $100,000 and over are generally rounded to the nearest tenth of a million;
    • estimates midway between rounding points are rounded up; and
    • the percentage changes in statistical tables are calculated using unrounded data.
  3. For the budget balance, a negative sign indicates a deficit while no sign indicates a surplus.
  4. The following notations are used:
    -
    nil
    na
    not applicable (unless otherwise specified)
    $m
    millions of dollars
    $b
    billions of dollars
    nfp
    not for publication
    (e)
    estimates (unless otherwise specified)
    (p)
    projections (unless otherwise specified)
    NEC/nec
    not elsewhere classified
  5. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are referred to as ‘the Territories’. References to the ‘States’ or ‘each State’ include the Territories. The following abbreviations are used for the names of the States, where appropriate:
    NSW
    New South Wales
    VIC
    Victoria
    QLD
    Queensland
    WA
    Western Australia
    SA
    South Australia
    TAS
    Tasmania
    ACT
    Australian Capital Territory
    NT
    Northern Territory
  6. In this paper the term Commonwealth refers to the Commonwealth of Australia. The term is used when referring to the legal entity of the Commonwealth of Australia.

    The term Australian Government is used when referring to the Government and the decisions and activities made by the Government on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia.