Audit background WestInvest is a $5 billion funding program that was announced in September 2021. It provided funding for infrastructure projects that would 'improve the liveability of communities and support economic recovery' in the Western Sydney area. $2 billion in funding was allocated via a community projects stream and $3 billion was allocated to projects delivered by NSW government agencies. Audit objective The objective of the audit is to ass

Around one in five New South Wales public school students have a disability (183,000 students in 2022). Eighty-six per cent of students with disability learn in mainstream classes in mainstream schools, 11% learn in support classes in mainstream schools, and 3% in schools for specific purposes (SSPs). The Department of Education’s Disability Strategy (2019) committed to build a more inclusive education system and identified actions across four key reform

Aboriginal children are over-represented in the child protection system. According to Department of Communities and Justice data, approximately 50% of the children in out of home care are Aboriginal. The Aboriginal Case Management Policy (ACMP) and the Aboriginal Child Placement Principles (ACPP) are designed to ensure that when Aboriginal children encounter the child protection system their connections to family, kin, community, culture and country are

According to Department of Communities and Justice data, the number of children and young people reported to be at ‘risk of significant harm’ of abuse and neglect in NSW has been increasing in recent years. The Department of Communities and Justice has primary responsibility to provide support and a safe living environment for children and young people who are not able to live safely in the family home. Non-government agencies are also funded by the NSW

Audit background  Extreme rainfall across Eastern Australia throughout 2021 and 2022 led to a series of major flooding events that were declared emergencies in New South Wales. These events damaged houses and left many people homeless, particularly in the Northern Rivers, and the state’s Central West. In response, the government provided emergency accommodation to address the immediate housing needs of people during the flood events, and then temporary