Refine search Expand filter

Reports

Published

Actions for Cost of Alcohol Abuse to the NSW Government

Cost of Alcohol Abuse to the NSW Government

Treasury
Justice
Health
Premier and Cabinet
Management and administration
Regulation

The NSW Government does not estimate or report the total cost of alcohol abuse. The Audit Office of New South Wales’ sponsored research estimates it costs the government over $1 billion a year, or around $416 from each NSW household.   Parliamentary reference - Report number #235 - released 6 August 2013

Published

Actions for Making the Best Use of Public Housing

Making the Best Use of Public Housing

Community Services
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Regulation

There are 55,000 eligible applicants on the social housing waiting list, with some people waiting for more than ten years to get a house. The waiting list could be more than 86,000 by 2016 unless things change.   Social housing only meets about 44 per cent of need in New South Wales even though we have the largest social housing portfolio in Australia. Social housing falls into three groups. About 80 per cent is public housing which is owned and ope

Published

Actions for Sick Leave

Sick Leave

Premier and Cabinet
Whole of Government
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

NSW public sector sick leave is higher than other States. The NSW public sector has the highest reported public sector sick leave in Australia. Public sector efforts to reduce sick leave over the last five years has seen a fall of a quarter of a day since 2004-05, less than its target of one day. On average, public sector workers take just over eight days sick leave annually. Recent surveys of public and private sector organisations show that sick leave

Published

Actions for Volume Ten 2010 focus on Education and Communities

Volume Ten 2010 focus on Education and Communities

Education
Community Services
Asset valuation
Compliance
Financial reporting
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Workforce and capability

The report includes a review on the Building the Education Revolution and outcomes of his financial audits on NSW Government agencies for Education and Communities 2009-10. Whilst the Department of Education appears to have achieved its key objective of rapidly constructing school facilities, costs were higher than business as usual and the preferences of local communities were not always met.

Published

Actions for Severance Payments to Special Temporary Employees

Severance Payments to Special Temporary Employees

Premier and Cabinet
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

In reviewing both the severance pay guidelines and a sample of payments, we found the guidelines to be clear and all except two payments were made in accordance with them. In these two cases the severance payment was stipulated in the employment contract guaranteeing the STE a minimum of six months pay on termination, irrespective of the length of service.   Parliamentary reference - Report number #201 - released 16 June 2010

Published

Actions for Access to Overnight Centre-Based Disability Respite

Access to Overnight Centre-Based Disability Respite

Community Services
Management and administration
Service delivery

We found that ADHC is providing and funding more respite to help people with disabilities and their carers. The number of people using respite centres increased by 20 per cent between 2006-07 and 2008-09 from 2,769 to 3,326. Both NGOs and carer organisations told us that ADHC had improved the management of respite.   Parliamentary reference - Report number #200 - released 5 May 2010

Published

Actions for Injury Management in the NSW Public Sector

Injury Management in the NSW Public Sector

Premier and Cabinet
Treasury
Finance
Management and administration
Workforce and capability

We found that during Working Together, agencies reduced the impact of workplace injuries. Most of the results have been positive in both our sample agencies and the public sector, and savings have been achieved. Between 2005 and 2008, while the number of claims in the sample agencies remained at around 15,000, the average cost of claims reduced by around 22 per cent from $22,349 to $17,360. The incidence rate of claims for the sample agencies also decrea

Published

Actions for Working With Children Check

Working With Children Check

Community Services
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Regulation
Risk
Workforce and capability

To be effective the WWCC has to be thorough. Gaps in the checking process such as employers not checking everyone they should mean that people who may pose a risk to children are not identified. We found that the WWCC does not reliably identify all those who may pose a risk to children. Audit conclusion and recommendations Working With Children Check 3 In addition, we found the Commission does not monitor the compliance of employers, the self-employed or

Published

Actions for Helping older people access a residential aged care facility

Helping older people access a residential aged care facility

Health
Community Services
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Risk
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

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 clea

Published

Actions for The Cross City Tunnel Project

The Cross City Tunnel Project

Transport
Treasury
Premier and Cabinet
Planning
Environment
Infrastructure
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Risk

In our opinion the Government’s ‘no net cost to government’ requirement was a legitimate (but not the only possible) basis for the tunnel bid process. The Government was entitled to decide that tunnel users meet the tunnel costs. Structuring the bid process on the basis of an upfront reimbursement of costs incurred (or to be incurred) by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) was therefore appropriate. In our opinion, however, the Government, Treasu