Reports
Actions for Volume Eight 2011 Focus on Transport and Ports
Volume Eight 2011 Focus on Transport and Ports
The report includes comments on financial audits of government agencies in the Transport and Ports sectors. The audit of corporations’ financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2011 resulted in unmodified audit opinions within the Independent Auditor’s Reports. A key recommendation from the report is that Sydney Ports Corporation should continue working with other government authorities and industry stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of program initiatives for increasing container freight movements by rail. The Corporation should review the underlying causes hindering growth in the rail mode and develop and implement strategies to address the unfavourable trend.
Actions for Improving road safety: Young drivers
Improving road safety: Young drivers
The audit concluded that the RTA’s licence testing and regulation has been generally effective in ensuring the safety of young drivers. There has been a significant reduction in crash and fatality rates involving young drivers over the last decade, more so than for drivers 26 years and older. This has coincided with the introduction by the RTA of an enhanced GLS. International and national research has demonstrated graduated licensing systems to be effective in reducing crashes and saving lives. Despite these improvements, young drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than other drivers.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #217 - released 19 October 2011
Actions for Improving Road Safety: Speed Cameras
Improving Road Safety: Speed Cameras
We found that fixed speed cameras were generally located in areas with high road safety risk. Likewise, safety cameras that enforced speed limits were initially placed at high risk sites. However as all safety cameras will now enforce speed, RTA no longer uses evidence of a speeding problem to select these sites. Overall, total crashes and injuries each fell 26 per cent, and fatalities fell by more than two-thirds, in the three years after the installation of fixed speed camera. Long term trends show that these reductions have been maintained, the average number of speeding fines per fixed and safety cameras declines over time and fixed and safety speed cameras were located in areas with high road safety risk.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #215 - released 27 July 2011
Actions for Government expenditure and transport planning in relation to implementing Barangaroo
Government expenditure and transport planning in relation to implementing Barangaroo
Barangaroo is an ambitious and significant development on Government-owned Sydney Harbour foreshore. Construction on the 22 hectare CBD site is expected to take 12 years to 2023. Developer contributions to Government of $1 billion are to provide for public domain and other Government development costs, including a six hectare Headland Park. When completed the precinct is to service an anticipated 26,000 workers and residents and up to 33,000 visitors a day. The Auditor-General concluded that while there was extensive transport planning and extensive documentation supporting Government financial forecasts, considerable risks remain for the implementation of the Barangaroo project.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #214 - released 15 June 2011
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 contribute to a better understanding of the lessons learnt from this first project, and so to future transitways providing better value for money.
But this audit also raises broader issues.
It highlights the importance of accurately projecting the total cost of major infrastructure projects before governments lock in their decisions. It also highlights the need for sound decision-making processes when government agencies compete with the private sector. The principles and recommendations flowing from these issues are ones I would draw to the attention of all agencies, and to the Government.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #146 - released 5 December 2005
Actions for Managing Disruptions to Cityrail Passenger Services
Managing Disruptions to Cityrail Passenger Services
About one in every twelve Sydney people travels by train each weekday.
Unplanned disruptions to services are inevitable, even on the best-run railways.
Because of the complexities of Sydney’s rail network, a single event can disrupt many services.
From a passenger’s perspective, three issues are important –
- how quickly the disruption is fixed (“When will my train arrive?”)
- the accuracy of information provided about the disruption (“Should I change my travel/meeting/other arrangements?”)
- how often the disruptions occur (“Should I give up on rail travel?”).
In this audit, we looked at how well RailCorp responds when there are routine disruptions to its CityRail passenger services. We focused on how RailCorp manages passenger journeys and informs passengers.
This report informs Parliament and the community about the limitations of the current system, and what more needs to be done in order to minimise the impact of disruptions on passengers.
It should also help passengers judge the extent to which they can rely on the information they receive, and to better understand some of the obstacles faced by staff.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #139 - released 22 June 2005
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.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #138 - released 14 June 2005
Actions for Planning for road maintenance
Planning for road maintenance
The Audit Office is of the opinion that the RTA is taking positive steps in planning for road maintenance and in many instances follows better practice. There are, however, some important improvements which need to be implemented in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of that function.
Parliamentary reference - Report number #69 - released 1 December 1999