Reports
Actions for Effectiveness of SafeWork NSW in exercising its compliance functions
Effectiveness of SafeWork NSW in exercising its compliance functions
What this report is about This report assesses how effectively SafeWork NSW, a part of the Department of Customer Service (DCS), has performed its regulatory compliance functions for work health and safety in New South Wales. The report includes a case study examining SafeWork NSW's management of a project to develop a realtime monitoring device for airborne silica in workplaces. Findings There is limited transparency about SafeWork
Actions for State heritage assets
State heritage assets
This audit assessed how effectively the Department of Planning and Environment (Heritage NSW) is overseeing and administering heritage assets of state significance. Heritage that is rare, exceptional or outstanding to New South Wales may be listed on the State Heritage Register under the Heritage Act 1977. This provides assets with legal recognition and protection. Places, buildings, works, relics, objects and precincts ca
Actions for Regulation of public native forestry
Regulation of public native forestry
What this report is about The Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) is a state-owned corporation that manages over two million hectares of public native forests and plantations supplying timber to sawmills across NSW. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible for regulating the native forestry industry in NSW. FCNSW must comply with Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOAs), which set out rules for how timber harvesting may oc
Actions for Regulation and monitoring of local government
Regulation and monitoring of local government
The Office of Local Government (OLG) in the Department of Planning and Environment is responsible for strengthening the local government sector, including through its regulatory functions. This audit assessed whether the OLG is effectively monitoring and regulating the sector under the Local Government Act 1993. The audit covered: the effectiveness of departmental arrangements for the OLG to undertake its regulatory function
Actions for Managing the affairs of people under financial management and/or guardianship orders
Managing the affairs of people under financial management and/or guardianship orders
Click here for the Easy English version of the report highlights The Easy English version of the report highlights is intended to meet the needs of some people with lower literacy skills, some people with an intellectual disability, and some people from different cultural backgrounds. The Easy English document is not the final audit report that has been prepared and tabled in NSW Parliament under s.38EB and s.38EC of the Government Sector Audit Act 198
Actions for Planning and managing bushfire equipment
Planning and managing bushfire equipment
This audit assessed the effectiveness of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and local councils in planning and managing equipment for bushfire prevention, mitigation, and suppression. What we found The RFS has focused its fleet development activity on modernising and improving the safety of its firefighting fleet, and on the purchase of new firefighting aircraft. There is limited evidence that the RFS has undertaken strategic f
Actions for Effectiveness of the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme
Effectiveness of the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme
This audit examined whether the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) have effectively designed and implemented the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (‘the Scheme’) to compensate for the loss of biodiversity due to development. Under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, the Scheme enables landholders to establish in-perpetuity Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements on sites to gene
Actions for Building regulation: combustible external cladding
Building regulation: combustible external cladding
The report focuses on how effectively the Department of Customer Service (DCS) and Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) led reforms addressing the unsafe use of combustible external cladding on existing residential and public buildings. Nine local councils were included in the audit because they have responsibilities and powers needed to implement the NSW Government’s reforms. What we found After the June 2017 Grenfel
Actions for Water management and regulation
Water management and regulation
Water regulation aims to achieve sustainable environmental, economic and social outcomes from the management of water resources, consistent with the Water Management Act 2000. Following recommendations from reviews into water theft, reforms were made to strengthen water regulation, compliance and enforcement – including the establishment of the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) in 2018. The Department of Planning and Environment shares responsibi
Actions for Procurement management in Local Government
Procurement management in Local Government
The Auditor‑General for New South Wales, Margaret Crawford, released a report today examining procurement management in Local Government. The audit assessed the effectiveness of procurement management practices in six councils. All six councils had procurement management policies that were consistent with legislative requirements, but the audit found compliance gaps in some councils. The audit also identified opportunities for councils to add