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

The Olympic Coordination Authority (OCA) has made a concerted and commendable effort in preparing the Games Budget within the definition of expenditure for the Games approved by the Government. OCA has also effectively used the definition of cost to control claims made by government agencies against the estimates to host the Games.

However, because the Games Budget was prepared in accordance with that definition, the Games Budget arguably does not capture the overall expenditure associated with the Games, as required by the Olympic Co-Ordination Authority Act. Accordingly, the taxpayers of NSW do not have a complete picture of the costs for hosting the Games.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #62 - released 14 January 1999

The Audit Office is of the opinion that:

• the sale was delivered with reasonable efficiency and effectiveness

• the sale yielded a satisfactory return to the NSW Government. The possibility for a higher return was limited to about 2% to 4% on gross proceeds of $936m. It would have required setting a higher share price for all investors and adopting a more flexible approach to share allocation

• the Government’s objective to promote community and investor support was achieved. The scale of the demand for script added to costs and was not fully translated into higher proceeds  

• generally satisfactory accountability frameworks were put in place for the sale and no probity concerns were identified

• the frameworks to achieve the Government’s wider reforms of the racing and wagering industries have substantially been implemented.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #61 - released 23 December 1998

The decision to seek development of Walsh Bay without a Master Plan and/or detailed study as to the state of the precinct presented significant problems throughout the life of the project. Now, four years later, negotiations still continue on the details of the final scheme. Based on the latest estimates, it will not provide a financial return as was originally expected. The audit found no evidence to indicate why the former Government wished to expedite Walsh Bay, but it is aware that there was an election due. Many of the problems which have been encountered could have been avoided with more careful and more extensive consideration at the start, particularly in the light of Property Services Group's recommendations.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #58 - released 17 December 1998

The Audit Office is of the view that:

• there is no system wide plan for the location of emergency departments. This function is undertaken by each Area Health Service

• coordination between the Department and the NSW Ambulance Service could be improved in aspects such as the collocation of facilities and direct communications between ambulances and emergency departments

• there is no policy framework that recognises the increasing role and impact of private providers

• the Department’s guidelines do not take into account demographic factors, the number of patients treated or the acuity of presentations as criteria for determining the size of an emergency department or the level and scope of emergency services that should be available at that location.

• the Department has introduced a range of initiatives over a period of time to improve the performance of emergency departments such as the establishment of the Integrated Bed Management Committee. Some have been quite effective, whilst others have had mixed success. There has been an overall improvement in emergency department waiting times for urgent cases. However, there has been little improvement in waiting times for less urgent cases and a decline in performance for access block (the time taken to be admitted to a hospital ward from the emergency department after a decision has been made that this is required).

Parliamentary reference - Report number #54 - released 21 October 1998

Land tax has a significantly higher cost to collection ratio than other State taxes. In part this is because of its design. But there are opportunities to reduce collection costs within current policy constraints. The Office of State Revenue (OSR) has been actively pursuing better practice initiatives for some time and a substantial range of improvements has been made. OSR is continuing these efforts. However, inadequate systems and continued difficulties with the quality of land information remains as an impediment to efforts to increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce collection costs.

Improvements canvassed in this Report (a number of which OSR had already been addressing before the audit commenced) would provide reduced collection costs (through greater efficiency) and improved collection results (through better education of taxpayers and better use of penalties and incentives). Notwithstanding these improvements, the long standing issues of land information standards and land ownership data compatibility between NSW agencies (largely outside OSR’s control) remain to be satisfactorily resolved.

Parliamentary reference - Report number #51 - released 5 August 1998