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 Three 2013 focusing on New South Wales State Finances
Volume Three 2013 focusing on New South Wales State Finances
The Total State Sector Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2013 received an unqualified independent auditor’s opinion. This is the first time in over a decade the Total State Sector Accounts have not been qualified.
In looking into the resolution of qualifications:
- We obtained enough evidence supporting the value of education buildings and their depreciation expense
- Sufficent evidence has been obtained to support the existence and value of the State archives
- We obtained enough evidence supporting the completeness of land and infrastructure holdings recognised
- Improvements are still needed in the accuracy of information used to record the State’s land holdings.
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 Volume One 2013 focusing on themes from 2012
Volume One 2013 focusing on themes from 2012
This overview summarises the significant findings included in my 2012 financial audit report, volumes three to eleven, and highlights NSW agencies’ overall achievements and challenges. The overview summarises key themes and messages arising from these audits to help readers understand common findings. Agencies and their audit and risk committees can use the overview to self-assess and identify issues that may be relevant to their organisations.
It found more than 85 per cent of the recommendations in my 2011 financial audit reports to Parliament were implemented in 2012. Whilst this is less than 100 per cent, NSW government agencies clearly acted on my significant recommendations. However, NSW government agencies need to do more to follow up more detailed recommendations that are made directly to management.
Actions for Government Advertising 2009
Government Advertising 2009
We found that the two NSW Health campaigns had followed the required approval processes and were appropriate. We had some concerns with the two Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) campaigns. The revised Guidelines, which incorporate recommendations from earlier audit reports, are a positive step towards reducing the risk that publicly funded advertising could be used inappropriately. But there are still parts of the Guidelines that require a subjective judgement and therefore do little to help manage this risk. While we did not have any concerns with the two NSW Health campaigns, the two DPC campaigns highlighted these risks.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #194 - released 9 December 2009
Actions for Grants Administration
Grants Administration
We found no significant difference in the funding of government and opposition electorates. However, more money was given to electorates that were safely held by the major parties. These seats received $1.29 for every dollar given to marginal and independent seats with government marginals getting the least. Electorates also receive different levels of funding according to which region they are in. Such variations may reflect valid agency objectives such as meeting State Plan targets or addressing socio-economic disadvantage.
But while agencies publish who gets what, they do not adequately evaluate or explain what grant programs have achieved. As a result, there is a risk that New South Wales may not get the best value for its spending. We recommend that agencies regularly evaluate their grant programs and publish the results.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #186 - released 6 May 2009
Actions for Fraud control improvement kit: Meeting your fraud control obligations
Fraud control improvement kit: Meeting your fraud control obligations
Fraud risks, and fraud control obligations, are growing at a rate which demands that more be done. Our 2005 report showed that still only 50 per cent of NSW public sector organisations had achieved an adequate level of performance in developing and implementing a fraud control strategy. In response to this, our 2005 report provided a range of recommendations for improving fraud control and urged that fraud control become a key item for attention by audit committees.
We recognise that organisations need a simple and effective way to review and monitor how effectively they are implementing fraud control strategies. This kit has been developed for precisely that purpose. Its development reflects an extended period of consultation, focus-group review and pilot-testing to ensure that that the kit is simple to use, practical and flexible. The kit assists organisations to meet their fraud control obligations in a cost-effective manner, tailored to their situation and based on risk.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #156 - released 20 July 2006
Actions for Agency use of performance information to manage services
Agency use of performance information to manage services
Overall the results were mixed. There is some good news but this is such a basic and vital issue that we must conclude that a good deal more needs to be done. Three agencies did not have sufficient information to provide a balanced view of services. And two of these agencies could not tell us whether their services actually made a difference to customers. Across the ten programs we found many examples of good practice, but some variation in the quality and coverage of performance measures. Agencies that we identified as not having sufficient information to judge services were either unaware of its importance, collected data on activities but not results or reported system limitations.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #153 - released 21 June 2006
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 Outsourcing Information Technology
Outsourcing Information Technology
Agencies have managed the planning of outsourcing in a competent way. All agencies satisfactorily managed the contractual aspects of outsourcing. The Audit Office is of the opinion, however, that there is no objective evidence to demonstrate that agencies have achieved their goals in outsourcing IT. Most agencies had identified the current and expected costs and risks of outsourcing. Agencies were not able to demonstrate that the actual costs of outsourcing matched the expected costs.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #103 - released 23 October 2002