G/SCM/Q2/AUS/58  
 
4 October 2016  
(16-5283) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures  Original: English  
 
SUBSIDIES  
REPLIES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF  TAIWAN , 
PENGHU , KINMEN AND  MATSU1 REGARDING  THE NEW  AND FULL  
NOTIFICATION OF AUSTRALIA2 
The following communication, dated 30 September 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Australia . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Australia thanks the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu for its 
questions and provides the following replies.  
 
Clean Technology Investment Program (CTIP ) 
 
Question 1  
 
What evaluation cr iteria are applied in the granting of funds? Have  any enterprises or 
businesses been considered for, or presumed to qualify for, merit -based grant funding?  
 
Reply  
 
The Clean Technology Investment Program is a competitive, merit -based, grants programme  to 
support the development and commercialisation of innovative clean technology products, 
processes and services that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The merit criteria for assessing 
eligible applications must include:  
 
a) Merit criterion 1 – the extent of the r eduction in carbon emissions intensity, including 
through improvements in energy efficiency arising from the proposed project.  
 
b) Merit criterion 2 – the capacity and capability of the applicant to undertake the 
project.  
 
c) Merit criterion 3 – the extent to wh ich the project maintains and improves the 
competitiveness of the applicant 's business.  
 
Eligible applications seeking grant funds of $1.5 million or more will also be assessed against merit 
criterion 4:  
 
a) Merit criterion 4 – the contribution of the propose d project to a competitive, low 
carbon, Australian manufacturing industry and the benefits to the broader Australian 
economy.  
 
                                                
1 G/SCM/Q2/AUS/56.  
2 G/SCM/N/284/AUS.  G/SCM/Q2/AUS/58  
 
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  Question 2  
 
Could Australia please provide details of any specific application and evaluation 
procedures?  
 
Reply  
 
Under the progr amme, three Committees were established (relevant to each of the three fields 
within the programme) to assess projects against the Merit criteria.  Based on that, 
recommendations were provided to the Programme Delegate for approval.  
 
Question 3  
 
Thus far, w hat kinds of technologies, processes and products have been funded through 
this programme?  
 
Reply  
 
Clean technologies are being developed and trialled in a variety of industries including waste 
woodchip, brick manufacturing, LED and solar production, power  generation sectors, energy 
monitoring systems and waste management.  
 
Specific technologies developed and trialled under the Clean Technology Investment Program 
include LED streetlights, light weight brick and compost products, low cost LED products, proce ss 
control systems for solar technology production, wave energy generation, on -site anaerobic 
digestion systems, energy monitoring and management systems, railway traction electricity 
network integrity management systems, adaptive LED street light intellig ence systems, Phase 
Change Material refrigeration, cooling tower and boiler optimisation technology, low energy 
pipelines for supply of irrigation water, wind powered water pumps, single -chip micro -inverters 
and continuous biomass convertor technologies.  
 
Liquefied Pe troleum Gas Vehicle Scheme (LPG VS)  
 
The LPGVS Programme closed on 30 June 2014 (i.e. conversion of an existing vehicle or purchase 
of a new LPG vehicle had to be completed by that date) and closed to applications on 
30 September 2014.   
 
Questi on 4  
 
What is the definition of "successful applicants"? Do "individuals", "family" or 
"household" overlap in this programme?  
 
Reply  
 
The Scheme was open to individuals who owned private or family -use registered vehicles and had 
either converted a registe red vehicle to LPG or purchased a new vehicle fitted with LPG before first 
registration.  For joint registered owners of a vehicle, only one registered owner was eligible to 
apply for a grant for that vehicle.  
 
Successful applicants under the LPG Vehicle Sc heme (LPGVS) were those individuals who had met 
all applicant and vehicle eligibility criteria.   
 
Further, applicants : 
 could only apply for one grant once every three or more years, regardless of the number of 
eligible vehicles registered in their name. Th e minimum three year period was calculated:  
 from  the date of LPG conversion or new LPG vehicle purchase that had been the subject 
of a previous grant  
 to the date of application for the subsequent grant, and  G/SCM/Q2/AUS/58  
 
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   had to show proof in their name that they had pai d for the LPG conversion or new vehicle 
purchase, in full, and  
 had to show proof of vehicle registration in their name at the time of conversion, or  
 had to show proof that they are the first registered owner of a new LPG vehicle, and  
 had to show photo pro of of their identification, and  
 had to provide bank details for a personal Australian bank account (i.e. BSB and Account 
Number had to be recognised in Australia) in their name to which payment could be made 
by electronic funds transfer (EFT) if their appl ication was found eligible/successful. Joint 
personal bank accounts were acceptable if the applicant was one of the joint account 
holders. Credit card accounts, commercial or third party accounts were not accepted.  
The vehicle  had to:  
 be registered for pri vate use, and  
 less than 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), and  
 be registered in the applicant 's name at the time of LPG conversion, or, if a new vehicle 
purchase, registered in the applicant 's name as the first registered owner, and  
 not be a demonstrator  vehicle which was converted to LPG by a dealer and first registered in 
the dealer 's name prior to sale to the applicant, and  
 not subject to a novated lease at the date of LPG conversion or the purchase of new LPG 
vehicle, and  
 not be financed through a sal ary sacrifice arrangement at the date of LPG conversion or the 
purchase of the new LPG vehicle, and  
 not be a motor scooter, tricycle or boat, and  
 not only be authorised to travel on public roads in limited circumstances, such as a classic 
car, and  
 not be t he subject of a previous grant i.e. only one claim per Vehicle Identification Number 
(VIN) or Chassis Number.  
Repairs, maintenance or upgrades to an already existing LPG system were not eligible for a grant.  
 
Question 5  
 
Could Australia please provide more  information regarding the application process?  
 
Reply  
 
Applicants had to submit a complete application within 12 months after the date of LPG conversion 
or new LPG vehicle purchase.  There were two parts to the application form: Part A needed to be 
complet ed and signed/declared by the applicant; and Part B needed to be completed and 
signed/declared by either the LPG installer who performed the conversion, or the car dealer who 
sold the new vehicle to the applicant.  
 
Up until 30 September 2014, completed app lications and all required supporting documents were 
able to be lodged at a Medicare Office or Centrelink Customer Service Centre (divisions of the 
Department of Human Services). Applications were then forwarded to the Department of Human 
Services ' LPG Pro cessing Unit for assessment processing and, if deemed eligible in terms of the 
criteria specified above in Question 4, payment was made  to the nominated bank account. G/SCM/Q2/AUS/58  
 
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  If deemed ineligible, a rejection notice was sent to the applicant, specifying the reason (s). 
Applicants were also able to send their application directly to the LPG Processing Unit  
 
The application form and Customer Guidelines made it very clear that lodging an application did 
not automatically entitle applicants to receive a grant, and that  grant amounts for eligible 
applications were determined by the date of the LPG conversion or new LPG vehicle purchase.  
 
Question 6  
 
Does this programme cover all individuals? Are non -citizens eligible to apply and can 
they qualify for funding?  
 
Reply  
 
The LPGVS was open to individuals who owned private registered vehicles, including joint 
registered owners whereby one of the registered owners was eligible to apply. Non -citizens were 
eligible to apply as long as they met the applicant and vehicle criteria a s covered in Question 4, 
above.  
 
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