Reports
Actions for Volume Thirteen 2014 Focusing on Education and Communities
Volume Thirteen 2014 Focusing on Education and Communities
The quality of financial statements in the education and communities cluster continues to improve with fewer reported misstatements over the last three years. The financial statements of all agencies within this cluster received unqualified audit opinions. The Department of Education and Communities has 24 performance targets for early childhood through to tertiary education. Seven of these are either not being achieved or unlikely to be achieved.
Actions for Volume Twelve 2014 Health
Volume Twelve 2014 Health
The quality of financial statements in the health cluster continues to improve with significantly fewer misstatements. The financial statements of all cluster agencies received unqualified audit opinions. Health has maintained or bettered its emergency triage performance and the percentage of patients admitted for elective surgery within clinically appropriate timeframes has improved.
Actions for Volume Nine 2014 Focusing on Family and Community Services
Volume Nine 2014 Focusing on Family and Community Services
The quality of agencies’ financial statements in the Family and Community Services cluster continues to improve with the number of misstatements identified during audit steadily decreasing over the past five years. The financial statements of all cluster agencies were submitted on time and received unqualified audit opinions. Family and Community Services finds it difficult to fill all funded caseworker positions, with an average ten per cent vacancy rate for the past five years.
Actions for Volume Seven 2014 Focusing on Transport
Volume Seven 2014 Focusing on Transport
All agencies in transport cluster received unqualified audit opinions for the year ended 30 June 2014. The quality of financial reporting continues to improve with the number of misstatements identified during audits falling for the fifth year in a row.
Actions for Volume Four 2014 focusing on New South Wales State Finances
Volume Four 2014 focusing on New South Wales State Finances
For the second consecutive year, the General Government and Total State Sector Accounts received an unqualified auditor’s opinion following more than a decade of qualifications. The quality and timeliness of financial reporting across the NSW public sector has continued to improve. Compared to previous years, there were fewer errors in agencies’ 2013–14 financial statements submitted for audit and used for whole-of-government financial reporting.
Actions for Volume Two 2014 focusing on Universities
Volume Two 2014 focusing on Universities
The NSW public university sector is in a good financial position with the combined operating margin improving to 6.6 per cent in 2013 up from 4.9 per cent in 2012.
Actions for Volume One 2014 - Areas of focus from 2013
Volume One 2014 - Areas of focus from 2013
Today the Auditor-General of New South Wales, Grant Hehir, released his Volume One Report to Parliament for 2014. The observations included in this report are designed to inform readers of common findings from the 2013 financial and performance audits so agencies and audit committees can use them to identify issues that may be relevant to their organisations.
Actions for Volume Ten 2013 focusing on Health
Volume Ten 2013 focusing on Health
Unqualified opinions were issued for all agencies audited in the following report.
Some of the reports findings include:
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Most cultural bodies rely heavily on government grants to fund services
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The Sydney Opera House Trust earns most of its revenue from commercial operations
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Less than half of the 2014-16 service agreements between HealthShare NSW and its customers have been signed. HealthShare NSW and health entities should finalise their 2014-2016 service agreements by no later than 31 January 2014
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Five service level agreements with NSW Health Pathology for 2012-13 were never signed. NSW Health Pathology and local health districts/speciality networks should finalise their 2013-14 service agreements by no later than 31 December 2013
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HealthShare NSW is committed to sharing internal audit findings across NSW Health
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The Ministry has started a long-term project to review its policy directives
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A recent review concluded the health sector has mature risk management practices
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When changes to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 occur, the Minister should identify and assess any risks from the changes and develop strategies to mitigate against them.
Actions for Volume Eight 2013 focusing on Transport and Ports
Volume Eight 2013 focusing on Transport and Ports
Unqualified audit opinions were issued on the above corporations’ 30 June 2013 financial statements. During the year, Treasury issued TC 13/01 ‘Mandatory early close procedures for 2013’. This Circular aimed to improve the quality and timeliness of agencies’ annual financial statements. In 2012-13, application of the circular was made mandatory for State owned corporations. As a result, the port corporations were required to perform the early close procedures. All the port corporations were successful in performing the procedures, which helped them submit financial statements by an earlier due date. The early close procedures also resulted in general improvements to the quality of most financial statements.
The report recommends all transport entities should do more to reduce excessive annual leave balances to ensure they will comply with new targets set by the Premier, RailCorp, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains should minimise the amount of overtime bonuses paid to train drivers and that Transport for NSW should set targets to measure the overall satisfaction of train users.
Actions for Volume Nine 2013 focusing on Environment, Water and Infrastructure
Volume Nine 2013 focusing on Environment, Water and Infrastructure
Volume Nine focuses on our financial audits of New South Wales government agencies in the environment, water, planning and infrastructure and family and community services. Some agencies in the Department of Premier and Cabinet are also included.