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Reports

Published

Actions for Handback of the M4 Tollway

Handback of the M4 Tollway

Transport
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management

This audit focuses on the M4 handback. It looks at whether the road will be in good condition when the State gets it back, and whether it will cope with the extra traffic after the toll is removed. These are critical issues for taxpayers and motorists. Taxpayers don’t want to be responsible for a large repair bill and motorists don’t want to be stuck in traffic jams. To ensure that future private sector partnerships (PPP) deal adequately with handb

Published

Actions for Administering Domestic Waterfront Tenancies

Administering Domestic Waterfront Tenancies

Planning
Transport
Management and administration
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration

The audit’s overall conclusion is that Lands and Maritime are broadly achieving outcomes consistent with the IPART report on administering domestic waterfront tenancies. But a lack of collaboration between the agencies is contributing to poor customer service. Inconsistencies with the IPART report recommendations and operational differences between the two agencies result in different rents and conditions for tenants in the two agencies. The differences

Published

Actions for Improving Road Safety: Heavy Vehicles

Improving Road Safety: Heavy Vehicles

Transport
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Regulation
Risk

The RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) approach to detecting and enforcing heavy vehicle safety has produced mixed results. There have been overall decreases in the number of crashes and people killed and injured in crashes involving heavy vehicles between 2002 and 2007. However, the number of crashes and the number of people injured have increased between 2006 and 2007. We recognise that the RTA is unable to prevent all crashes. However, we conside

Published

Actions for Sustaining Native Forest Operations

Sustaining Native Forest Operations

Industry
Management and administration
Procurement
Risk

We found that Forests NSW has adequate estimates of how much timber is available from native forests, now and into the future. It uses an industry accepted process to develop estimates, but more could be done to improve reliability. For instance, yield estimates for the South coast, Eden and Tumut are well overdue for review. We also found that Forests NSW should have sufficient timber to meet its wood supply commitments which are fixed for periods up t

Published

Actions for Managing Grants

Managing Grants

Community Services
Industry
Planning
Management and administration
Service delivery

In our view, the agencies we studied cannot be sure that the grants they allocate align with their corporate objectives, and that program outcomes are achieved. This is mainly due to problems with grant selection and the evaluation of results. It was good to see that most of the grants programs had funding objectives which were fairly clear. But we found problems across most programs which could affect the fair and equitable selection of grants, such as,

Published

Actions for Managing Risk in the NSW Public Sector

Managing Risk in the NSW Public Sector

Transport
Management and administration
Risk

The Audit Office is of the opinion that, while agencies are aware of the need to manage risk, their risk management falls short of better practice. Many agencies do not consider their risk management to be adequate. The survey suggests that some agencies, mainly those in the Public Trading Enterprise Sector have approached risk management in a systematic way and in accordance with the principles of better practice standards. Others, mainly departments no

Published

Actions for Bus Maintenance and Bus Contracts

Bus Maintenance and Bus Contracts

Transport
Management and administration
Procurement
Service delivery

State Transit has developed fleet management plans and maintenance standards that meet its regulatory and contractual obligations as a bus operator and are consistent with vehicle manufacturers’ standards and best practice. However, assumptions used in fleet management plans to forecast fleet growth may not result in the most efficient and effective outcome for State Transit. Forecasts fail to take account of opportunities to redesign or reduce services

Published

Actions for Managing Animal Disease Emergencies

Managing Animal Disease Emergencies

Industry
Management and administration
Risk
Shared services and collaboration

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 agre

Published

Actions for Managing Environmental Issues

Managing Environmental Issues

Transport
Management and administration

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 c

Published

Actions for TAFE NSW: Review of Administration

TAFE NSW: Review of Administration

Industry
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Shared services and collaboration

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 asse