A development application (DA) is a formal application for development that requires consent under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. It is usually lodged with the local council for processing and determination, and consists of standard application forms, supporting technical reports and plans.  The NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE)’s ‘Development Assessment Best Practice Guide' describes the development assessment pr

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is responsible for preventing, mitigating, and suppressing fires in rural fire districts and is the lead combat agency for bush and grass fires in the State. The NSW RFS works alongside local councils, government agencies, and other statutory fire authorities to coordinate and oversee bushfire prevention. Local councils are responsible for establishing rural fire brigades, preparing bushfire risk managemen

This audit will assess the effectiveness and efficiency of NSW Health’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. It will have a particular focus on whether NSW Health: set vaccination targets, supported by evidence effectively and efficiently managed the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine effectively and efficiently managed demand.

A series of reports will have regard to COVID-19 by considering the financial implications and trends at the State sector level, and the delivery of new or expanded projects, programs, or services.

The ePlanning program is an initiative of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) to deliver an end-to-end digital planning service for the State through the NSW Planning Portal.  The NSW Government established the ePlanning program in 2013 and the functionality of the NSW Planning Portal has expanded since this date. To date, DPIE has spent approximately $95 million on the development and implementation of the portal. The system cont

The NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme is intended to offset impacts on biodiversity due to development (for example: roads, buildings, and other infrastructure) that cannot otherwise be avoided. It aims to do this through in-perpetuity stewardship agreements with landholders to better manage biodiversity, generating credits that offset obligations created by development. This audit will assess whether the Department of Planning and Environment and the Bio

Following the 2019-20 bushfires, the NSW Government established the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package (BLER) to support job creation and retention in bushfire impacted areas, strengthen community resilience and reduce the impact of future disasters. Over $500 million is available through the BLER, which is co-funded with the Commonwealth. Stage one of the BLER distributed $180 million, split between 22 identified fast-tracked infrastructure proje

This report will analyse the key findings and recommendations from performance audits tabled in the New South Wales Parliament between July 2018 and June 2021, spanning varied areas of government activity. The report will present common findings and lessons from the past three years of performance audits with particular focus on issues relating to the integrity and transparency of decision making and processes, as well as the fundamentals of good governa

NSW Trustee and Guardian is appointed to provide financial management and guardianship advice and services to over 18,000 clients who are unable to manage their own affairs. This involves making ‘substitute decisions’ for clients to manage their health, lifestyle and financial affairs. This audit will consider whether NSW Trustee and Guardian effectively provides financial management and guardianship services in line with legislative principles which req

Poor attendance at school is related to poor student outcomes, particularly once patterns of non-attendance have been established. It is important that schools have reliable procedures and systems that record student attendance accurately to enable schools to identify whether any interventions or additional support is required. Poor attendance is a particular issue for Aboriginal students. In Semester 1 2021, there was a gap in attendance rates between