Reports
Actions for Volume Six 2015 Transport
Volume Six 2015 Transport
Public transport revenue decreased by 2.7 per cent despite a fare increase and increased patronage. Twenty-five per cent of all Opal trips (over 74 million) were free, including 47 per cent of trips on ferries, according to a report released today by the New South Wales Acting Auditor-General, Tony Whitfield. These trips were valued at $189 million.
Actions for Albert 'Tibby' Cotter Walkway
Albert 'Tibby' Cotter Walkway
On 17 September 2015, the Acting Auditor-General of New South Wales, Tony Whitfield, released a report on the Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter Walkway which crosses over Anzac Parade in Moore Park. The Walkway’s primary function is to cater for event patrons in the precinct. Moore Park is listed on the State Heritage Register and is an open space specifically established to cater for public recreation.
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) delivered the Walkway to an extremely tight timeframe. It was operational for the 2015 Cricket World Cup at the Sydney Cricket Ground as promised by the government. However, the World Cup deadline added substantially to the total cost of the Walkway, which is projected to be $38 million.
Transport for NSW and RMS could not provide evidence of a compelling economic or financial argument to support the construction of the Walkway or for the tight deadline. Also, the processes they adopted to provide assurance of the project’s value for money were not adequate.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #260 - released 17 September 2015
Actions for Sydney metropolitan bus contracts
Sydney metropolitan bus contracts
On 9 September 2015, the Acting Auditor-General of New South Wales, Tony Whitfield, released a report on Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts.
All scheduled bus services in the Sydney metropolitan area are provided under contracts with the public and private operators. The contracts allow Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to determine what bus services are provided and to whom. This audit assessed the effectiveness of TfNSW’s design and management of these contracts.
Bus services provided under the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Service Contracts have largely been effective and efficient. Operators are mostly meeting their key performance indicators. Customer satisfaction is better than under the previous contracts and improving, patronage is increasing, and the unit costs of providing services are now lower than under the previous contracts.
However, punctuality remains a problem. Private operators are mostly starting their trips on time, but rarely meeting their mid and end-of-trip targets. State Transit Authority’s (STA) punctuality is improving but is worse than private operators, and other areas of performance are generally below private operators.
The current situation is a substantial improvement over what we found in our 2010 audit on the previous contracts.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #258 - released 9 September 2015
Actions for Large construction projects
Large construction projects
The independent assurance given to the NSW Government and sponsor agencies on the viability of large capital projects throughout their lifecycle is inadequate. Government policy is regularly not followed and not properly communicated to those responsible for implementing such policy.
This audit sought to test the effectiveness of the NSW capital project assurance system - which includes gateway reviews and reporting - but significant levels of non-compliance identified in our case studies prevented this. The NSW Commission of Audit also identified this issue in 2012. Gateway reviews are conducted by independent reviewers at key stages of a project’s life cycle and provide an independent assessment on a project’s readiness to proceed to the next stage.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #252 - released 7 May 2015
Actions for Areas of focus from 2014
Areas of focus from 2014
Actions for Planning for road maintenance
Planning for road maintenance
The Audit Office is of the opinion that the RTA is taking positive steps in planning for road maintenance and in many instances follows better practice. There are, however, some important improvements which need to be implemented in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of that function.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #69 - released 1 December 1999
Actions for Review of Walsh Bay
Review of Walsh Bay
The decision to seek development of Walsh Bay without a Master Plan and/or detailed study as to the state of the precinct presented significant problems throughout the life of the project. Now, four years later, negotiations still continue on the details of the final scheme. Based on the latest estimates, it will not provide a financial return as was originally expected. The audit found no evidence to indicate why the former Government wished to expedite Walsh Bay, but it is aware that there was an election due. Many of the problems which have been encountered could have been avoided with more careful and more extensive consideration at the start, particularly in the light of Property Services Group's recommendations.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #58 - released 17 December 1998