Foreword

Amalgamations are not easy. They involve bringing together different cultures and ways of doing business. There are expectations that the activities being brought together will create efficiencies and savings. At the same time as managing the implementation of the amalgamation, normal services must be delivered and operational issues dealt with.

This requires the new governance team to come together quickly and to identify amalgamation and business-as-normal issues and their approach to them. Stakeholders’ expectations are that the amalgamation is to be implemented quickly and that this will not disrupt the normal delivery of services. It is the responsibility of the governance team to plan how they are to implement the amalgamation and meet the objectives of their stakeholders.

In the unusual situation that the governance team considers that the stakeholders’ objectives are unrealistic, they have a responsibility to promptly consult and if necessary provide an alternative approach. If they do not do so, it is reasonable to consider them to be bound by the stakeholders’ original objectives.

This report examines the management of the amalgamation creating the Greyhound and Harness Racing Authority.

The report helped inform the development of the Better Practice Guide: Implementing Successful Amalgamations released by this Office last month.

Peter Achterstraat

Auditor-General

April 2008