In February 2021, the NSW Government tabled the report of a statutory review of the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2013. The report titled 'The 11th hour solving Sydney's cemetery crisis' found that Greater Sydney is running out of burial space, posing significant financial risk to the State’s finances with unfunded liabilities of the Crown sector in excess of $300 million and required capital for new cemeteries of approximately $200–300 million. As part of a response to these risks, this report recommended the consolidation of Crown Cemetery Land Managers into a new body. The NSW Government has adopted a two-operator model and formed Metropolitan Memorial Parks on 1 July 2023 to amalgamate three Crown Cemetery Land Managers into a new body.

An audit of this topic could look at how effectively the NSW Government is planning and implementing a response to the issues set out in this report. The audit may also consider the operations of Metropolitan Memorial Parks.

This report will analyse the results of the financial statement audits of the ten NSW universities and their controlled entities for the year ended 31 December 2023. It will comment on financial reporting and performance, internal controls and governance, and areas of interest that are in focus during the conduct of our audits. 

New South Wales has over 180,000 km of roads across its network. Local councils manage over 85% of these roads.

This audit will consider how effectively three councils are managing their road assets. The audit will examine whether the selected councils have a strategic framework in place for road assets, have effective data and systems for managing road assets and whether they manage their road assets in line with planned service levels and quality outcomes.  

The councils selected for this audit are Gwydir Shire Council, Wollondilly Shire Council and Clarence Valley Council.

The audit will also consider relevant guidance and support provided to councils by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

Around one in five New South Wales public school students have a disability (183,000 students in 2022). Eighty-six per cent of students with disability learn in mainstream classes in mainstream schools, 11% learn in support classes in mainstream schools, and 3% in schools for specific purposes (SSPs). The Department of Education’s Disability Strategy (2019) committed to build a more inclusive education system and identified actions across four key reform areas:

• Strengthen support: investing in teachers and other support staff
• Increase resources and flexibility: enabling schools to operate with more flexibility
• Improve the family experience: making experiences better and easier
• Track outcomes: building an evidence base to measure progress. 

This audit will assess whether the department is effectively supporting students with disability in NSW public schools. 

If you have experiences or views on support for students with disability in NSW public schools, you can share them with the Audit Office. This can be done anonymously if you wish.

We will consider all feedback provided as we audit the NSW Department of Education.

However, please note that: 

• we will not examine individual matters 
• we will not share feedback with the Department or any other party, nor publish it on our website. For more information on our confidentiality obligations, please visit Our confidentiality and reporting obligations for contributions page
• audits focus on assessing whether NSW Government activities undertaken by government authorities are efficient, effective, economical and in compliance with the law. Under section 27B(6) of the Government Sector Audit Act 1983, the Auditor-General cannot question the merits of government policy objectives. 

To provide feedback, click on ‘Contribute to this audit’ or the message icon at the top right.

Feedback will be accepted until close of business Monday 3 June 2024.

If you have questions or feedback about individual matters, you can:

• contact the NSW Department of Education through the website
• make a complaint to the NSW Ombudsman online or by calling 1800 451 524.
   

The NSW corrective system comprises both public and private prison operators, with approximately three quarters of the inmate population in publicly operated prisons, and the remaining quarter in privately managed prisons. In 2018, Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) commenced a project to use consistent measures to monitor and benchmark service delivery outcomes across the NSW prison system.

This audit may examine whether the benchmarking project is achieving its objectives to enhance performance and service delivery outcomes in the prisons operated by CSNSW and three privately managed prisons in NSW (Clarence Correction Centre, Junee Correctional Centre, and Parklea Correctional Centre). The audit could use 'follow the dollar' powers to directly engage with and request information from the private prison operators.

Most Australian state and territory governments have trade and investment offices located overseas, which operate alongside the Australian government's international Austrade offices. The NSW Government has an international network, with offices and staff located in the Americas, Greater China, India, the Middle East, North Asia, ASEAN, and the UK, Europe and Israel. These offices aim to attract international businesses to NSW and assist NSW-based businesses to operate internationally.

This audit may examine areas including the effectiveness of international offices in achieving the NSW Government's trade and investment goals, and the accountability and governance of the offices.

Local Health Districts in New South Wales create, collect and maintain patient data, including sensitive personal information. Cyber security incidents can harm service delivery and may include the theft of information, denial of access to critical technology, or even the hijacking of systems for profit or malicious intent.

This audit may examine the effectiveness of Local Health Districts in safeguarding patient data and ensuring data security, including how well LHDs ensure they have effective cyber security measures in place.

Audit background 

There are 1073 species and 110 ecological communities that are listed as threatened in New South Wales under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, including 72 declared extinct. Threatened species include terrestrial plants and animals, reptiles, marine mammals and freshwater plants. The Department of Planning and Environment is implementing a range of activities to support threatened species. This includes a statutory biodiversity conservation program (‘Saving our Species’), as well as implementing the NSW Koala Strategy and a range of conservation and restoration activities across private and public land including National Parks, and funding grants to support threatened species conservation.   

The department has been delivering the Saving our Species program since 2016 with a commitment to its delivery until 2026. Saving our Species aims to maximise the security of threatened species and ecological communities and minimise the impacts of key threatening processes.   

Audit objective 

This audit will assess whether the Department of Planning and Environment has effectively delivered outcomes to support threatened species and ecological communities across NSW. The audit will examine the department’s planning and coordination of activities to support threatened species, as well as the contribution of the Saving our Species program to the delivery of positive outcomes for threatened species and ecological communities. 

Estimated tabling period 

July 2024 

Agencies audited 

Department of Planning and Environment 

Audit background

According to the Department of Regional NSW, approximately $500 million dollars has been committed to the Regional Digital Connectivity Program (RDCP) through the Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund. The RDCP aims to improve mobile, internet and digital services for rural and regional areas of NSW. Of this funding, over $300 million was allocated to improving mobile phone coverage in regional NSW through investment in shared and multi-carrier mobile infrastructure. A further $100 million in funding was allocated to internet connectivity which aims to provide fast and reliable internet connectivity for rural and regional communities, prioritising areas currently on a satellite internet service.

Audit objective

This audit will assess if the Department of Regional NSW is effectively administering the Regional Digital Connectivity Program (RDCP) to meet program objectives. The includes considering how effectively the Department of Regional NSW identifies priority areas, distributes funding in line with program objectives, and measures the performance of the RDCP.

Estimated tabling period

June 2024

Agencies audited

Department of Regional NSW

Objective

This audit will assess the efficiency and effectiveness of ambulance services in regional New South Wales.  

Estimated tabling period

June 2024

Agencies audited

• Ministry of Health
• NSW Ambulance
• Murrumbidgee Local Health District
• Southern NSW Local Health District