Reports
Actions for Sharing school and community facilities
Sharing school and community facilities
Schools and the community would benefit if school facilities were shared more often. The Department of Education’s ‘Community Use of School Facilities Policy’ encourages but does not require schools to share facilities. Sharing depends heavily on the willingness of school principals and there are few incentives. There are many challenges in developing agreements with community users and there is only limited support available from the Department.
Actions for Information and Communication Technologies in schools for teaching and learning
Information and Communication Technologies in schools for teaching and learning
Several factors are reducing effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom. These are primarily: ageing ICT equipment and inadequate wireless networks variable student access to devices at school variable teacher access to centrally provided devices for use outside of the classroom. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are pervasive in
Actions for Sydney Road Maintenance Contracts
Sydney Road Maintenance Contracts
In November 2013, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) outsourced the maintenance of State roads in the Sydney region south and west zones using an innovative contracting approach called the Stewardship Maintenance Contract (SMC). The SMC links risk to reward, and uses a performance framework where outcomes should drive improved performance over time. RMS’ SMC contract management includes most elements of good practice, including governance and dispute re
Actions for NorthConnex
NorthConnex
The processes used to assess NorthConnex adequately considered value for money for taxpayers.This report also found that the impact of tolling concessions on road users and the motorway network was consistent with policy objectives described in the 2012 NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan. NorthConnex is a nine-kilometre tolled motorway tunnel be
Actions for Planning for school infrastructure
Planning for school infrastructure
The Department of Education proposes to fundamentally reform school infrastructure planning and delivery to meet the future demand for student places, and to overcome chronic under-investment for much of the last decade. To do this, it will need to spend much more than it has been receiving to date. The Department of Education (Department) must provide students with a place in a government s
Actions for Passenger Rail Punctuality
Passenger Rail Punctuality
Rail agencies are well placed to manage the forecast increase in passengers up to 2019, including joining the Sydney Metro Northwest to the network at Chatswood. Their plans and strategies are evidence-based, and mechanisms to assure effective implementation are sound. Based on forecast patronage increases, the rail agencies will find it hard to maintain punctuality after 2019 unless the capacity of the network to carry trains and people is increased s
Actions for 2016 - An overview
2016 - An overview
This report focuses on key observations and findings from 2016 audits and highlights key areas of focus for financial and performance audits in 2017. The quality and timeliness of financial reporting continued to improve across the NSW public sector in 2016. Only one qualified audit opinion was issued and most agencies signed their financial statements on time. We found the Government’s cluster governance arrangements were unclear and inconsisten
Actions for Liverpool to Parramatta Bus Transitway
Liverpool to Parramatta Bus Transitway
Several of my recent audits have identified a need to improve our public transport system – both for the benefit of travellers and to assist in achieving better air quality. Bus Transitways can provide a good public transport solution for lower density population areas, potentially at a relatively low capital cost. This audit examines the transitway running between Liverpool and Parramatta, the first of several planned for Sydney. This audit should cont
Actions for Implementing Asset Management Reforms
Implementing Asset Management Reforms
Hospitals, schools, public housing, roads, bridges, buses and trains are just some of the assets used by government in providing services to citizens. The NSW Government’s asset base is impressive in size - with a value of around $167 billion and with government plans to spend around $8 billion acquiring or replacing assets in the current year. Another $2 billion is spent each year on maintenance. Good asset management is very important to government;
Actions for Follow-up of Performance Audit: Bus Maintenance and Bus Contracts
Follow-up of Performance Audit: Bus Maintenance and Bus Contracts
Periodically we review the extent to which agencies have implemented the recommendations they accepted from our earlier audits. This gives Parliament and the public an update on the extent of progress made. In this follow-up audit, we examine changes following our May 2002 report on how well the: State Transit Authority maintained its buses Ministry of Transport administered contracts for the provision of regular passenger bus services. P