Reports
Actions for Department of state and regional development: Provision of industry assistance
Department of state and regional development: Provision of industry assistance
Guidelines for staff are available for each of the three schemes, but they do not yet provide staff with sufficient information on how to attract proposals, undertake assessments, negotiate agreements and monitor assistance. Some training of staff responsible for assessing proposals, negotiating agreements and monitoring outcomes has been provided, but needs to be enhanced. In particular, The Audit Office believes that there is insufficient guidance for
Actions for Review of Walsh Bay
Review of Walsh Bay
The decision to seek development of Walsh Bay without a Master Plan and/or detailed study as to the state of the precinct presented significant problems throughout the life of the project. Now, four years later, negotiations still continue on the details of the final scheme. Based on the latest estimates, it will not provide a financial return as was originally expected. The audit found no evidence to indicate why the former Government wished to expedite
Actions for The coordination of bushfire fighting activities
The coordination of bushfire fighting activities
The NSW model of rural fire fighting is complex, and requires an extensive amount of coordination and cooperation to function properly. This has inherent risks. In general, the model has been made to work quite well and much improvement in rural fire fighting has been achieved over the past decade. The efforts of all concerned should be recognised and applauded especially since any change must be developed cooperatively between a number of agencies and g
Actions for Management of research - NSW Health: Infrastructure Grants Program
Management of research - NSW Health: Infrastructure Grants Program
NSW Health has progressed in identifying and addressing key R&D issues in a complex and difficult environment. The Infrastructure Grants Program (IGP) is an innovative program and reflects a commitment by Government to support research infrastructure. The IGP has as its aims the provision of significant funding accompanied by clear research objectives and criteria for accountability and introduces a rational basis for the allocation of infrastructure
Actions for Follow-up of performance audits: 1995-1997
Follow-up of performance audits: 1995-1997
The Audit Office carries out periodically a follow-up audit on previously tabled performance audit reports. These follow-up audits help to ascertain the extent to which recommendations made in those tabled reports have been considered and implemented by agencies concerned; the extent to which “across-the-board” audits benefited agencies; and the extent to which performance audit reports served and assisted Parliamentarians. This second follow-up audit c
Actions for Planning statewide services
Planning statewide services
The Audit Office is of the view that: there is no system wide plan for the location of emergency departments. This function is undertaken by each Area Health Service coordination between the Department and the NSW Ambulance Service could be improved in aspects such as the collocation of facilities and direct communications between ambulances and emergency departments there is no policy framework that recognises the increasing role and impa
Actions for Police response to fraud
Police response to fraud
This audit was initiated following concerns expressed by the Department of Agriculture about the Police’s handling of a suspected fraud that it had first reported in 1996. The Department’s main concern related to the long delays before a full Police investigation took place. Nevertheless, the current review highlighted a number of areas that, in the opinion of The Audit Office, require closer examination and resolution by the Police Service in implement
Actions for Management of sickness absence NSW public sector volume 1
Management of sickness absence NSW public sector volume 1
Information relating to the NSW public sector wide sickness absence levels, unlike in some other states, are presently not maintained or monitored centrally. The salaries and wages paid to individuals whilst on sickness absence on a public sector wide basis in 1996-97 was estimated to be $368.3m. This estimate does not take into account any flow -on effect resulting from sickness absence, eg overtime or other replacement cost. Improved management o
Actions for Management of sickness absence NSW Public Sector: Volume Two, The Survey - Detailed findings
Management of sickness absence NSW Public Sector: Volume Two, The Survey - Detailed findings
This Volume, Volume Two: The Survey - Detailed Findings, is the second of a two part Performance Audit Report on Management of Sickness Absence New South Wales Public Sector. The first volume, Volume One: Executive Briefing, identifies the main issues of sickness absenteeism identified during the audit. This Report Volume, Volume Two: The Survey - Detailed Findings, presents the more detailed findings of the audit which were gathered from: the revi
Actions for The levying and collection of Land Tax
The levying and collection of Land Tax
Land tax has a significantly higher cost to collection ratio than other State taxes. In part this is because of its design. But there are opportunities to reduce collection costs within current policy constraints. The Office of State Revenue (OSR) has been actively pursuing better practice initiatives for some time and a substantial range of improvements has been made. OSR is continuing these efforts. However, inadequate systems and continued difficultie