Report snapshot: Emergency Relief Grants – Local Government Recovery Grants program

Objective

This audit assessed whether the Office of Local Government (OLG) administered the Local Government Recovery Grants program in line with the Grants Administration Guide and the Program Guideline.

The Local Government Recovery Grants program provided grant funding to local councils following the August and September 2022 flood events.

Key findings

Funding was administered in line with the Grants Administration Guide and the Program Guideline

The OLG administered grant funding in line with the mandatory requirements of the Grants Administration Guide, however it did not document:

• the reasons for all eligibility decisions as part of the assessment process
• fraud controls
• processes to manage conflicts of interest.

Some of the monitoring and reporting requirements were not implemented

The OLG collects quarterly financial progress reports from councils. However, the OLG has not implemented Program Guideline requirements relating to the establishment of performance measures and monitoring of project outcomes by local councils.

There is no clear plan to finalise the program

The OLG has approved a detailed program of works for 37 councils. This is yet to occur for 9 councils.

The OLG has not yet confirmed final reporting and acquittal processes for the program.

Roles and responsibilities have not been defined

The OLG and the NSW Reconstruction Authority have not documented their respective roles for the Program. This has limited the accountability for some aspects of Program administration and has impacted timely delivery.

Recommendations

Three recommendations were made for the OLG to improve practices in line with the Grants Administration Guide. One recommendation was made for the OLG and the NSW Reconstruction Authority to improve clarity of roles and responsibilities.

Further information

Please contact Renee O'Kane, Chief of Staff, on 9275 7347 or by email.