On 3 April 2020, the government announced the planning system acceleration program, designed to ‘cut red-tape and fast-track planning processes to keep people in jobs and the construction industry moving throughout the COVID-19 crisis.’  Between April and October 2020, the government selected 101 projects and planning proposals in six tranches and fast-tracked assessment so that determination could be achieved in four weeks.  An audit into this area will

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning assists organisations to prepare for and ensure they can respond to an incident or crisis. This includes natural disasters and pandemic events like COVID-19. Ideally, business continuity plans would ensure organisations are prepared to respond effectively to the impact of incidents or crises on a wide range of areas including service delivery, safety and availability of staff, availability of IT and othe

In February 2019 the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation launched the NSW Cyber Security Policy to ensure all NSW Government Departments and Public Service Agencies are managing cyber security risks to their information and systems. The policy mandates a number of requirements that are a minimum that all agencies must implement. In addition agencies must assess their level of cyber maturity. This audit will examine whether agencies are complyi

In 2017, the NSW Government announced a Regional Development Framework which provides a scaffold for better coordination, decision making and effort on the ground. The NSW Government recognised the need to be more strategic and better coordinated if it is to make a difference, particularly in addressing some of the serious issues facing regional NSW such as pockets of youth unemployment, social disadvantage, changing economic opportunities and increased

In response to the 2019-20 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSW Government released significant funds for a range of grant programs aimed at providing emergency support, recovery and economic stimulus across NSW. In 2020, the $750 million dollar Small Business Support Fund was set up to support small businesses and a number of grants rounds have been implemented. This audit will assess whether grants administered under the Small Business Support

Water regulation, including licensing and water use plans, aim to achieve sustainable environmental, economic and social outcomes from the management of water resources. Reforms have been made to strengthen regulation, compliance and enforcement. This audit may examine how well the responsible agencies have responded to and implemented the recommendations from the Matthews reports (interim and final), and other external reviews, into water licencing, re

We will conduct at least one compliance review to confirm that specific legislation, directions and regulations have been adhered to.

The department coordinates with other entities to develop and deliver precinct plans. These plans aim to deliver ‘a planned approach to growth in Sydney, with new homes and jobs located close to public transport, shops and services, while retaining and enhancing a community’s character’. New priority precincts were announced in July 2017. This audit will consider how effectively the department coordinates other responsible government entities to deliver