As reported in the financial statements at Section 04, the department recorded an operating deficit of $53.9 million. After adjusting for depreciation and amortisation expenses, the department’s year end result is a surplus of $133.3 million, due to the gain from sale of the chanceries in Bangkok and Jakarta.

The department’s 2017–18 operating budget was supplemented to continue Australia’s diplomatic engagement and security arrangements in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to maintaining our diplomatic presence, this funding also supported Australia’s efforts to combat ISIL in Iraq and Syria. The department was approved to centralise management of non-departmental property overseas to capture economies of scale in service provision, the costs of which were met within the existing resourcing of the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.

See also Management of Financial Resources, p. 144, and the financial statements, p. 155.