Reports
Actions for Volume Eight 2013 focusing on Transport and Ports
Volume Eight 2013 focusing on Transport and Ports
Unqualified audit opinions were issued on the above corporations’ 30 June 2013 financial statements. During the year, Treasury issued TC 13/01 ‘Mandatory early close procedures for 2013’. This Circular aimed to improve the quality and timeliness of agencies’ annual financial statements. In 2012-13, application of the circular was made mandatory for State owned corporations. As a result, the port corporations were required to perform the early close procedures. All the port corporations were successful in performing the procedures, which helped them submit financial statements by an earlier due date. The early close procedures also resulted in general improvements to the quality of most financial statements.
The report recommends all transport entities should do more to reduce excessive annual leave balances to ensure they will comply with new targets set by the Premier, RailCorp, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains should minimise the amount of overtime bonuses paid to train drivers and that Transport for NSW should set targets to measure the overall satisfaction of train users.
Actions for Government Advertising 2012-13
Government Advertising 2012-13
The following report assessed the activities of the two agencies in relation to their government advertising campaigns in 2012-13 and tested compliance by tracking a campaign through from development to dissemination.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #236 - released 23 September 2013
Actions for Managing Gifts and Benefits
Managing Gifts and Benefits
Overall, the audited entities are managing some aspects of gifts and benefits effectively but other aspects require improvement. We found that all five entities had gifts and benefits policies that addressed some but not all of the attributes of a sound policy. All five have communicated their gifts and benefits policies to staff and external stakeholders, although in each case we identified opportunities to better communicate their policies.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #228 - released 27 March 2013
Actions for Volume Nine 2012 focusing on Education and Communities
Volume Nine 2012 focusing on Education and Communities
In New South Wales in 2011, around 20 per cent of public school teachers were under 35 and less than 10 per cent were under 30. Nothing has changed during 2012. We need to do more to attract and retain young teachers to a profession that is essential for our children and our future prosperity.
Actions for Volume Eight 2012 focusing on Transport and Ports
Volume Eight 2012 focusing on Transport and Ports
We issued unqualified audit opinions on the transport entities’ 30 June 2012 financial statements.
Some of the findings of the report include:
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government funding to the public transport operators totalled $4.4 billion in 2011-12 ($3.7 billion in 2010-11)
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passenger services revenue only covered 20 per cent of RailCorp's operating costs
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Transport for NSW has formalised a protocol to mitigate the risk of potential conflicts of interests
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At present, no sustainability framework exists for the transport agencies around environment and sustainability. Transport for NSW should complete its Environment and Sustainability Policy Framework by June 2013 and should publicly report its results annually
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Transport patronage continued to grow with 510 million journeys on train, bus and ferry services
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CityRail had two peak hour periods where only 36 per cent and 39 per cent of services were on time
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On-time running performance for Sydney Ferries was above the NSW 2021 plan target of 98.5 per cent for most routes in 2011-12
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Customer surveys by transport agencies no longer specifically address crowding on public transport. Transport for NSW should observe and report on crowding on all transport modes
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Over 2,500 transport staff, or 8.3 per cent of the workforce, have excessive leave balances. All transport entities should do more to reduce excessive annual leave balances to ensure they will comply with new targets set by the Premier.
Actions for Volume Five 2012 focusing on superannuation, compensation and housing
Volume Five 2012 focusing on superannuation, compensation and housing
The NSW Government’s defined benefit superannuation funds have had positive returns for the last three years. However, the returns fell significantly in 2011-12. Global economic conditions led to substantial volatility and uncertainty in markets creating challenges for superannuation funds’ trustees.
Actions for Managing Overtime: RailCorp and Roads and Maritime Services
Managing Overtime: RailCorp and Roads and Maritime Services
Overtime is a significant cost for RailCorp and Roads and Maritime Services, adding about ten per cent to the cost of regular salaries. RailCorp’s overtime cost was $133.7 million in 2010–11, and at Roads and Maritime Services it cost $49.3 million.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #223 - released 20 June 2012
Actions for Volume One 2012 focusing on themes from 2011
Volume One 2012 focusing on themes from 2011
The following overview of audits from 2011 found agency restructures significantly impacted agency financial reporting processes, agencies are having difficulty establishing and enforcing compliance with their own policies and procedures, agencies experienced problems complying with regulations and providing adequate documentation to support their financial statements, the poor quality of some financial statements with 1,256 misstatements identified, 540 so significant they had to be corrected, deficiencies in information security exist across many agencies, computer system disaster recovery plans for financial systems not existing or outdated, do not align with agencies’ business recovery requirements, do not properly identify and assess critical systems and processes and testing is incomplete.
Actions for Helping older people access a residential aged care facility
Helping older people access a residential aged care facility
Assessment processes for older people needing to go to an Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) vary depending on the processes of the Aged Care Assessement Teams (ACAT) they see and whether or not they are in hospital. The data collected on ACAT performance was significantly revised during 2004 making comparisons with subsequent years problematic. ACATs have more responsibilities than assessing older people for residential care. It is not clear whether they have sufficient resources for this additional workload.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #160 - released 5 December 2006
Actions for Condition of State Roads
Condition of State Roads
The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has improved the overall surface condition of State Roads in the last decade. Country road surfaces are now generally much better. Ride quality has improved and cracking has been reduced. The RTA has also achieved a substantial reduction in the number of structurally deficient bridges over the same period.
Despite a significant increase in the State’s contribution to maintenance since 1999-2000, the RTA has deferred road rebuilding projects. The RTA is rebuilding at less than half its long term target, and has not met this target at any time this decade. The RTA has not identified how it will address deferred rebuilding, although it advises it is developing a new road network management plan which will address this.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #157 - released 16 August 2006