Reports
Actions for Relocating Agencies to Regional Areas
Relocating Agencies to Regional Areas
Decisions to relocate government agencies to non-metropolitan areas are not made purely for cost reasons. They can also serve government policy objectives, such as promoting regional economic development. Regardless of the policy objectives that may exist, I would expect that decisions on individual agency relocations would be based on sound business cases. Those business cases would show how the relocation achieves any relevant government objectives, w
Actions for Implementing Asset Management Reforms
Implementing Asset Management Reforms
Hospitals, schools, public housing, roads, bridges, buses and trains are just some of the assets used by government in providing services to citizens. The NSW Government’s asset base is impressive in size - with a value of around $167 billion and with government plans to spend around $8 billion acquiring or replacing assets in the current year. Another $2 billion is spent each year on maintenance. Good asset management is very important to government;
Actions for In-year Monitoring of the State Budget
In-year Monitoring of the State Budget
The annual Budget is one of the most important and visible statements about a government’s financial intentions. Once a Budget is released, it is important to monitor variations from the projections it contains. This is done for two reasons - first, to ensure that individual agencies are properly managing their budget allocations and that any genuine emerging need for additional funding is met. second, to ensure that any changes to the State’s overa
Actions for Planning for Sydney's Water Needs
Planning for Sydney's Water Needs
Reliably supplying water to our State’s principal city, Sydney, is a major responsibility for the Government. The community has been made keenly aware in recent years that inflows have been decreasing, and that Sydney has been using more water than is available. In April 2005 the water in Sydney’s storages dropped to 41.5 per cent of their capacity – the lowest level since the construction of Warragamba dam in 1960. As Sydney continues to develop, it i
Actions for Managing Air Quality
Managing Air Quality
Air is fundamental to our existence. The quality of our air is a key issue for everyone. It directly affects our health. It also affects our environment, and can even affect our economy. And air pollution does not respect geo-political boundaries. Pollution produced locally may have regional and global implications. The substances which may pollute our air can interact in complex ways, which even the best scientists do not fully understand. Strategies
Actions for Follow-up of Performance Audit: Management of Intellectual Property
Follow-up of Performance Audit: Management of Intellectual Property
Periodically we review the extent to which agencies have implemented the recommendations they accept from our earlier audits. This gives Parliament and the public an update on the extent of progress made. Intellectual property (IP) can have value to the agency concerned and may have the potential for wider commercial use. Poor management of IP can impose risks, including the risk of lost opportunities. Because it is not ‘tangible’ like a building or pla
Actions for Fraud Control: Current Progress and Future Directions
Fraud Control: Current Progress and Future Directions
Periodically we review the extent to which agencies have implemented the recommendations they accept from our earlier audits. This gives Parliament and the public an update on the extent of progress made. Given the size of the NSW public sector, the potential for fraud could run into billions of dollars if not properly managed. It is an area of risk that warrants close and ongoing attention. Over the last decade, we have responded by issuing three perfo
Actions for Follow-up of Performance Audit: Environmental Impact Assessment of Major Projects
Follow-up of Performance Audit: Environmental Impact Assessment of Major Projects
Periodically we review the extent to which agencies have implemented the recommendations they accepted from our earlier audits. This gives Parliament and the public an update on the extent of progress made. Major development and infrastructure projects may have significant environmental, social and quality-of-life impacts. The purpose of environmental impact assessment is to ensure that major projects are environmentally and socially sustainable and int
Actions for Disposal of Sydney Harbour Foreshore Land
Disposal of Sydney Harbour Foreshore Land
Our view is that decisions need to be made on a more strategic basis, if the Government’s aspirations for Sydney Harbour’s foreshores are to be met. At present there are high-level ‘aspirations’, but there is no overarching strategy or plan for Sydney Harbour that can guide individual decisions. Decision-making appears to be triggered when a proposal is made to dispose of a particular property. Decisions to dispose of, retain, or change the use of indivi
Actions for Review of Eight Agencies' Annual Reports
Review of Eight Agencies' Annual Reports
Overall, we found there have been some improvements in the quality of annual reports since 2000. Most agencies now report key outcomes and results, provide performance data and trends and employ both qualitative and quantitative measures of performance. However, there was considerable variation in the quality of performance information in annual reports. Some agencies still focus on reporting activities and projects rather than outcomes and results. And