The Audit Office is of the opinion that while planning, surveillance and response issues remain unresolved, the State is at significant risk from large-scale emergencies such as might occur with foot-and-mouth disease. Actions by NSW Agriculture since the Newcastle disease emergency at Mangrove Mountain in 1999 have positioned the State to manage better emergency animal diseases. Many of these actions have been pursued within the context of national agreements and programs.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #96 - released 8 May 2002

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has taken positive steps towards continuous improvement in managing the environment. It is also one of the very few Government agencies to produce a separate Environmental Report. RTA is to be commended for its actions and the Audit Office considers that other Government agencies should follow suit. The RTA has implemented a structured process by which its environmental policy can be advanced. Whilst the process is comprehensive, especially at the project level, a more systematic approach in a number of areas would assist the RTA to achieve its stated objective and be at the forefront of environmental practices.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #95 - released 29 April 2002

Over 96 per cent of the audit recommendations made were accepted by the agencies. And more than half of these recommendations have been implemented. In addition, many of the problems identified in the 1999 audits have been addressed. For over 90 per cent of recommendations there has been some measurable change in practices or performance.

In general, the approach taken by the agencies to monitor and report on the progress of implementation could be improved. Agencies should establish arrangements, like an audit committee, to follow up on the progress of implementation of the recommendations and report on the progress of the implementation of recommendations in their annual report to Parliament.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #86 - released 14 September 2001

This performance audit indicates that the Service has considerable work to do to reach its aspirations of being recognised amongst leading examples of best practice services. The commitment of the Service to serving the community and the professionalism of the Service's officers is not in question. It is, however, apparent that a number of barriers to performance will need to be overcome for the Service to perform as well as it would wish.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #80 - released 7 March 2001

The Audit Office recognises that TAFE NSW has undergone significant change in the last decade in order to improve service delivery. Whilst the focus of change has been TAFE NSW's core educational role, administration has also benefited. The Quality Management Systems introduced by the Institutes are an example.

The Audit Office is of the opinion that TAFE NSW needs a means by which the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative functions can be assessed notwithstanding initiatives by certain Institutes to introduce monitoring, benchmarking and reporting of administration. In the interests of accountability, TAFE NSW requires the establishment of a common performance reporting framework for administration in each Institute and across Institutes. Along with other key result areas of TAFE NSW’s operations, a reporting framework would better able the TAFE Commission Board (the Board) to inform the Minister for Education, in compliance with the Act, of the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative functions.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #79 - released 6 February 2001

The Audit Office is of the opinion that whilst agencies have taken steps to combat fare evasion, the current arrangements are not adequate and improvement is required. A significant number of passengers travel without paying the due fare, resulting in many millions of dollars in revenue foregone. Even when infringed, the majority does not pay the fine. To some extent it would appear to be due to the lack of a provision requiring evaders to produce valid identification.

There is a need for the State Rail Authority and the State Transit Authority to estimate more reliably the extent of fare evasion. Only with more accurate estimates can the most appropriate response to fare evasion be developed.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #78 - released 5 December 2000

The Audit Office is of the opinion that the Department’s levels of regulatory activity in respect of road passenger transport regulation may have exceeded optimum levels. The Department’s current focus on processing activity limits the Department in achieving all of its desired outcomes. The Audit Office considers that a change in the approach to undertaking and managing road passenger transport regulatory activities would achieve better outcomes for the community and a better use of resources within the Department.

The Audit Office believes that while there is scope to make some improvements from procedural changes, such changes would not be sufficient to generate significant improvements.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #75 - released 6 September 2000

Realisation of the Government’s objectives for integrating computers into the school environment is a major change that will take some time to achieve. The logistics of equipping schools with computers and making them operational have been approached energetically by the Department. Four years into the Computers in Schools Program, student and teacher access to computer hardware, software and the Internet is now substantially greater and teachers are now better placed to integrate computers into teaching and learning. But while much has been achieved there are significant challenges that still remain.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #73 - released 7 June 2000

There have been notable changes in the provision of emergency department services over the last decade, principally by increasing the number, seniority and training of staff and upgrading facilities. More recently, programs have focussed on achieving improvements in emergency department waiting times (the time taken to see a doctor) and access block (delay in accessing a hospital bed). However, these programs have had limited effect. Although waiting times for seriously ill patients have decreased, waiting times for around 95% of emergency department patients have increased or remain unchanged and performance against benchmarks for access block has declined each year.

Although The Audit Office identified opportunities to improve patient flow in the emergency department, benefits will be limited by access block and the congestion caused by being unable to move patients to a ward. Only a better balance of resources between inpatient access programs (that is booked and emergency department patients) will bring about improvements in access block.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #72 - released 15 March 2000

The Audit Office is of the opinion that the RTA is taking positive steps in planning for road maintenance and in many instances follows better practice. There are, however, some important improvements which need to be implemented in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of that function.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #69 - released 1 December 1999