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Reports

Published

Actions for Planning, Industry and Environment 2019

Planning, Industry and Environment 2019

Planning
Industry
Environment
Asset valuation
Cyber security
Financial reporting
Information technology
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

This report outlines the results of audits of the financial statements of agencies now grouped in the NSW Planning, Industry and Environment cluster. Unqualified audit opinions were issued for 56 of the 66 cluster agencies’ 30 June 2019 financial statements. Ten audits remain incomplete. The cluster agencies need to improve the timeliness of financial reporting.  The Audit Office continued to identify issues regarding unprocessed Aboriginal l

Published

Actions for Internal Controls and Governance 2019

Internal Controls and Governance 2019

Education
Community Services
Finance
Health
Industry
Justice
Planning
Premier and Cabinet
Transport
Treasury
Whole of Government
Compliance
Cyber security
Fraud
Information technology
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management

This report covers the findings and recommendations from the 2018–19 financial audits that relate to internal controls and governance at 40 of the largest agencies in the NSW public sector. The 40 agencies selected for this report constitute around 84 per cent of total expenditure for all NSW public sector agencies. The report provides insights into the effectiveness of controls and governance processes across the NSW public sector. It ev

Published

Actions for Managing native vegetation

Managing native vegetation

Environment
Management and administration
Project management
Regulation
Service delivery

The report found the clearing of native vegetation on rural land is not effectively regulated and managed. The processes supporting the regulatory framework are weak and there is no evidence-based assurance that clearing of native vegetation is carried out in accordance with approvals.  In 2014 an expert panel completed a review of biodiversity legislation in NSW. The panel’s recommendat

Published

Actions for Agency compliance with NSW Government travel policies

Agency compliance with NSW Government travel policies

Education
Community Services
Finance
Health
Industry
Justice
Local Government
Planning
Premier and Cabinet
Transport
Treasury
Universities
Whole of Government
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Procurement

Overall, agencies materially complied with NSW Government travel policies. However, the Auditor-General found some agencies: did not always book official travel through the approved supplier had weaknesses in their travel approval processes had travel policies that were inconsistent with the NSW Government policy did not adequately manage their travel records.    Last year

Published

Actions for Government Advertising: Campaigns for 2015–16 and 2016–17

Government Advertising: Campaigns for 2015–16 and 2016–17

Premier and Cabinet
Justice
Local Government
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement

The 'Stronger Councils, Stronger Communities' and the 'Dogs deserve better' government advertising campaigns complied with the Government Advertising Act and most elements of the Government Advertising Guidelines. However, some advertisements were designed to build support for government policy and used subjective or emotive messages. This is inconsistent with the requirement in the Government Advertising Guidelines for 'objective presentation in a fair

Published

Actions for Office of Strategic Lands

Office of Strategic Lands

Planning
Environment
Management and administration
Procurement

The Office of Strategic Lands effectively fulfils most aspects of its defined role, however, it could do more to support strategic land planning by identifying and acquiring land for future public use proactively rather than waiting for agencies or landholders to approach it. It may also have greater impact if it expanded its activities beyond greater Sydney. The Office of Strategic Lands (OS

Published

Actions for NorthConnex

NorthConnex

Premier and Cabinet
Treasury
Transport
Compliance
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement

The processes used to assess NorthConnex adequately considered value for money for taxpayers.This report also found that the impact of tolling concessions on road users and the motorway network was consistent with policy objectives described in the 2012 NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan. NorthConnex is a nine-kilometre tolled motorway tunnel be

Published

Actions for 2016 - An overview

2016 - An overview

Education
Community Services
Finance
Health
Industry
Justice
Local Government
Planning
Premier and Cabinet
Transport
Treasury
Universities
Whole of Government
Environment
Asset valuation
Compliance
Cyber security
Financial reporting
Fraud
Information technology
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Regulation
Risk
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

This report focuses on key observations and findings from 2016 audits and highlights key areas of focus for financial and performance audits in 2017. The quality and timeliness of financial reporting continued to improve across the NSW public sector in 2016. Only one qualified audit opinion was issued and most agencies signed their financial statements on time. We found the Government’s cluster governance arrangements were unclear and inconsisten

Published

Actions for NSW Senior Executive Service: Professionalism and Integrity Volume 1 Part 1 Summary and Research Report

NSW Senior Executive Service: Professionalism and Integrity Volume 1 Part 1 Summary and Research Report

Premier and Cabinet
Internal controls and governance
Workforce and capability

The Audit Office is of the opinion that there are several features of the current Senior Executive Service (SES) model, or its application, which hinder the capacity of the SES to operate effectively in line with the Government’s stated objectives. The ultimate effect of these features is to reduce the capacity or perceived capacity of the SES to meet the Government’s objectives for the operation of the SES. Taken overall, difficulties in the SES i

Published

Actions for NSW Senior Executive Service: Professionalism and Integrity Volume 1 Part 2 SES Research

NSW Senior Executive Service: Professionalism and Integrity Volume 1 Part 2 SES Research

Premier and Cabinet
Internal controls and governance
Workforce and capability

This Performance Audit Report, prepared by the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) on behalf of The Audit Office of New South Wales (NSW), is a study of the NSW Senior Executive Service (SES). It found the dissonance between where optimal executive performance might take place on a performance spectrum, encompassing the formal SES and less formal political arenas, is canvassed. The critical point here is that this arena, between the informal politica