Effective financial management is critical in a fiscally constrained environment, where budget pressures and competing priorities increase the need to use public funds efficiently and sustainably. This audit will examine the effectiveness of financial management arrangements in selected cultural institutions (institutions) to fulfil their financial stewardship responsibilities and support long-term sustainability.

The audited entities are the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum and the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport. They were selected after considering risk, financial profile, sources of revenue, major projects, auditability and operating context. The audit may identify insights relevant to other entities in similar circumstances. Other institutions may be considered for future audits.

This audit will assess how effectively institutions manage and allocate their finances to achieve the prudent and efficient use of government resources.

The audit team will address the audit objective with the following criteria:

1. The institutions have a financial management governance framework that is tailored to their operating context
2. The institutions monitor and report on their financial position and risks using accurate and up-to-date data and systems
3. The institutions make decisions to achieve public value, deliver planned benefits and the optimal use of resources.
    

If you have experiences or views relevant to the audit scope, you can share them with the Audit Office. This can be done anonymously if you wish. Please note that contributions will close at 5pm (AEST) 17 November 2026.

You can contribute to this audit through the 'Contribute to this audit' button in the left-hand menu, the comment icon at the top right on mobile, or through this link.

We may use your contribution to identify key themes, risks or issues which may then be further investigated during the audit. In some instances, we may use extracts of what you tell us in our audit report as examples of feedback provided where appropriate. If we use extracts of a contribution, we will not identify the source in the report.

We will not share feedback provided to us with any other organisation or person outside of the Audit Office, and we will not publish feedback (including formal submissions) in our reports or on our website.

In specific circumstances the Audit Office has certain reporting obligations for matters relating to wrongdoing in the public sector that come to our attention. For more information on our confidentiality and reporting obligations for submissions, please visit Our confidentiality and reporting obligations for contributions page.

However, please note:

• We will not examine individual matters, nor can we investigate all issues or concerns raised. Please see the contact details listed below for relevant contacts. In general, the audit team will look for supporting evidence from other sources (such as documentation, data and audit interviews).
• While we will consider all feedback provided, we may not contact you to discuss.
• We are not able to answer questions or provide information we have collected during the course of the audit (see section 38 of the Government Sector Audit Act 1983).
• Performance audits focus on assessing whether public money is spent efficiently, effectively, economically and in compliance with the law. The Auditor-General is not permitted to question the merits of government policy objectives (see subsection 27B(6) of the Government Sector Audit Act).
• Please visit the Performance audit guide for audited entities (including non-public sector entities) for more information on how we undertake performance audits.

The Audit Office is required by section 38 of the Government Sector Audit Act 1983 to keep information obtained during an audit confidential and the Audit Office takes its responsibilities under these sections very seriously. 

All information that the Audit Office receives, and working papers that the Audit Office creates during an audit, are classed as excluded information in Schedule 2 of the Government Information (Public Sector) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). An access application under the GIPA Act cannot be made for excluded information.