Reports
Actions for Improving Legal and Safe Driving Among Aboriginal People
Improving Legal and Safe Driving Among Aboriginal People
Government responses to improve legal and safe driving among Aboriginal people have had limited success reducing Aboriginal peoples’ over-representation in road accident fatalities, traffic-related offending and imprisonments.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #238 - released 19 December 2013
Actions for Volume Nine 2013 focusing on Environment, Water and Infrastructure
Volume Nine 2013 focusing on Environment, Water and Infrastructure
Volume Nine focuses on our financial audits of New South Wales government agencies in the environment, water, planning and infrastructure and family and community services. Some agencies in the Department of Premier and Cabinet are also included.
Actions for Volume Seven 2013 focusing on Superannuation and Insurance
Volume Seven 2013 focusing on Superannuation and Insurance
Unqualified audit opinions were issued on the NSW Government controlled insurance and compensation entities’ 30 June 2013 financial statements, except the NSW Self Insurance Corporation (SICorp). SICorp’s audit opinion was qualified due to non-compliance with Australian Accounting Standards applicable to general insurance contracts. The auditor’s reports drew attention to the significant uncertainty in estimating outstanding claims liabilities of $14.0 billion in the Workers’ Compensation Nominal Insurer and $2.1 billion in the Lifetime Care and Support Authority. The audit of the Building Insurers’ Guarantee Corporation was not complete at the time of this report and is excluded from this commentary.
Actions for Cost of Alcohol Abuse to the NSW Government
Cost of Alcohol Abuse to the NSW Government
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
Actions for Building Energy Use in NSW Public Hospitals
Building Energy Use in NSW Public Hospitals
NSW Health has reduced its energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by two per cent over the last four years. It is pleasing that annual emissions are now 15,000 tonnes less than they were four years ago. However, this was not sufficient to meet its target of an 11 per cent drop in emissions.
Despite a reduction in energy use, energy cost in NSW Health has increased by nearly 50 per cent over the last four years to $120 million per annum. This is expected to increase by another 50 per cent in the next five years.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #231 - released 4 June 2013
Actions for Management of Historic Heritage in National Parks and Reserves
Management of Historic Heritage in National Parks and Reserves
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is spreading its resources too thinly, running the risk that the heritage significance of important assets will eventually be lost.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #230 - released 29 May 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 The Cross City Tunnel Project
The Cross City Tunnel Project
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, Treasury and the RTA did not sufficiently consider the implications of an upfront payment involving more than simple project cost reimbursement (i.e. the ‘Business Consideration Fee’ component). In addition, the RTA was wrong to change the toll escalation factor late in 2002 to compensate the tunnel operator, Cross City Motorway Pty Ltd, for additional costs.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #152 - released 31 May 2006
Actions for Fare evasion on public transport: Follow-up audit
Fare evasion on public transport: Follow-up audit
The overall level of fare evasion is now lower, and the revenue forgone much less, than in 2000. The estimation of fare evasion, detection of fare evasion and management of fare compliance by RailCorp, State Transit and Sydney Ferries has improved, although Sydney Ferries needs to improve further.
However, only one in four fines for fare evasion are paid within 12 months. This is worse than in 2000. And the number of frequent fare evaders has almost trebled. State Debt Recovery Office and the transport agencies need to develop new and improved strategies to reduce the level of fine default and to better manage frequent fare evaders.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #150 - released 26 April 2006