Welcome to the latest edition of Audit Matters. In this edition, we reflect on the 125th anniversary of the legislation that established the position of the Commonwealth Auditor-General, and share lessons from our latest reports and insights products, including the importance of integrity and ethical behaviour in auditing. We also outline developments in our strategic planning and look more closely at what makes performance information meaningful.

This is my first edition of Audit Matters since being appointed Deputy Auditor-General in July. Having spent more than 28 years working across public sector auditing, governance and organisational leadership, including leading both the ANAO’s financial statements and performance audit services groups, it is a privilege to take on this role. I look forward to continuing to work with entities across the Australian Government sector to support transparency, accountability and improved public sector performance.

I’d also like to acknowledge my predecessor, Rona Mellor, for her leadership and contribution to the ANAO and the wider public sector. I was fortunate to work closely with Rona and wish her all the best in retirement.

Audit Matters provides an important opportunity for us to share practical lessons from our work and highlight issues that may warrant attention across the sector. I hope you find this edition useful.

Carla Jago
Deputy Auditor-General

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Strategic Commissioning Framework.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ended 30 June 2026. The report addresses all applicable obligations under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014; the Auditor-General Act 1997; the performance measures set out in the outcome and programs framework in the ANAO’s Portfolio Budget Statements 2025–26 and in the ANAO Corporate Plan 2025–26; and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s management of Artificial Intelligence use in supporting health provider compliance.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is effectively administering its biosecurity cost recovery arrangements.

The ANAO Corporate Plan 2026–27 updates the previous corporate plan and outlines how we intend to deliver against our purpose over the next four years (2026–27 to 2029–30). The corporate plan is the ANAO’s primary planning document — it outlines our purpose; our strategic priorities; our operating context; and the priorities, activities and performance measures by which we will be held to account.

Quality in the delivery of the ANAO’s audit services is critical in supporting the integrity of our audit reports and maintaining the confidence of the Parliament and public sector entities. The ANAO Corporate Plan 2026–27 is the ANAO’s primary planning document. It outlines our purpose; the dynamic environment in which we operate; our commitment to building capability; and the activities and performance measures by which we will be held to account.

This Quality Management Framework and Plan complements the Corporate Plan. It describes the ANAO’s system of quality management and reflects the ANAO’s responses to quality risks for the coming year.

The ANAO Quality Management Framework is the ANAO’s established system of quality management to provide the Auditor-General with:

• reasonable assurance that the ANAO complies with the ANAO Auditing Standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and
• reports issued by the ANAO are appropriate in the circumstances.

The Quality Management Strategy and Deliverables component of this document identifies the ANAO’s quality objectives and key responses to quality risks. It also supports the Auditor-General’s confidence that those responses are implemented and operating effectively.

The ANAO reports on the audit quality indicators that measure the ANAO’s performance against target benchmarks in the annual Audit Quality Report published on the ANAO website. The Audit Quality Report provides transparency about the implementation and operation of the responses to address quality risks for each component of the ANAO’s system of quality management.

The ANAO regards integrity as a core value of the organisation — critical in sustaining the confidence of Parliament, strengthening public trust in government and delivering quality audit products. Maintaining strong institutional integrity is critical to the operations and reputation of the ANAO.

The ANAO Integrity Framework provides an overarching structure to the integrity control system, supporting our institution’s integrity. The framework serves to assist in ethical decision-making and risk, fraud and misconduct management.

Beyond its control system, the ANAO maintains an enduring focus on promoting integrity as a value that is embedded in our work and culture. The ANAO recognises that integrity demands quality not only in our products, but also in the behaviours of our people and those we contract to deliver work.

The ANAO Integrity Advisor supports the effective and ongoing application of the Integrity Framework by providing advice to staff regarding integrity matters. The Integrity Advisor is responsible for increasing integrity awareness across the organisation and for reporting annually to the ANAO Executive Board of Management on actions taken under the Framework.

The Auditor-General publishes the ANAO Integrity Framework and an annual Integrity Report to provide increased transparency of the measures we undertake to maintain a high-integrity culture in the ANAO.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of the Treasury’s design and delivery of the Housing Australia Future Fund.

The audit objective was to assess whether the expected benefits from the Security Enhancements Program and Hardening the Diplomatic Network have been realised.

The audit objective was to examine whether the Department of Defence has achieved value for money through its management of the Strategic Domestic Munitions Manufacturing.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office’s management of small business collectable debt.

Audit Practice: Information-gathering, confidentiality and reporting is intended for officials within government entities responsible for activity that may be the subject of an ANAO audit. It outlines the operation of legislative provisions relating to information-gathering, access and confidentiality. It also explains the ANAO’s reporting processes.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design and delivery of the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program in support of achievement of program outcomes.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether IP Australia’s use of artificial intelligence in the patent rights process is effective.

The ANAO prepares two reports annually that provide insights at a point in time to the financial statements risks, governance arrangements and internal control frameworks of Commonwealth entities, drawing on information collected during our audits.

This report is the first of the two reports and focuses on the results of the interim financial statements audits, including an assessment of entities’ key internal controls, supporting the 2025–26 financial statements audits. This report examines 27 of the largest Australian Government entities, including all: departments of state; the Department of Parliamentary Services; and other Commonwealth entities that significantly contribute to the revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities within the 2024–25 Australian Government Consolidated Financial Statements (CFS). The National Indigenous Australians Agency is also included in this report given the role it plays working across government with indigenous communities and stakeholders.

The audit objective was to assess the Department of the Treasury’s readiness to implement the Scams Prevention Framework.

Audit Lessons — Official Travel is aimed at officials who undertake, manage or oversee domestic and international travel arrangements in Australian Government entities.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department of Defence has complied with gifts, benefits and hospitality requirements.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Snowy Hydro Limited’s management of the delivery of Snowy 2.0 in support of achieving value for money.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department of Parliamentary Services has an effective baseline of cyber security controls.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether Indigenous corporations are being effectively supported and regulated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).

This report, tabled under section 25 of the Auditor-General Act 1997, consolidates independent analysis that provides transparency to the Parliament with respect to ANU’s financial management, and makes findings and recommendations where appropriate.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Defence’s administration of investigations and inquiries.

The objective of the audit was to assess the readiness of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ cyber security arrangements for the 2026 Census.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of Defence’s planning and implementation of the Life of Type Extension for the Collins class submarine fleet.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the selected entities’ administration of Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) requests is effective in giving the community access to Australian Government information.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Commonwealth Home Support Program.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Education’s administration of National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy in achieving the outcomes of the program.

Welcome to the first edition of Audit Matters for 2026. This edition covers findings from the 2024–25 performance statements audit program, and our series of performance audits on compliance with domestic and international travel requirements. It also outlines key messages from our performance audit examining three outcome areas of the Closing the Gap national agreement — specifically, areas in schooling and early childhood development. You’ll also find updates on our latest insights product and on the development of our upcoming annual audit work program, including the future of the major projects report and auditing in the Defence space.

Across this work, a consistent theme continues to emerge: the importance of getting the basics right. In a constrained environment, our audits continue to identify gaps in foundational practices such as record keeping, procurement and grants administration. These are not new issues, but they remain central to effective public administration and to maintaining trust in the use of public resources, particularly with the public sector’s focus on delivery. Getting the basics right, and knowing that you are, is a key issue to keep an eye on.

Related to this is the importance of lawfulness as a core governance principle. Our audit work continues to highlight that compliance with legislative and policy frameworks is not simply procedural — it underpins integrity, accountability and public confidence in government institutions.

This edition of Audit Matters will be my last as I prepare to retire from the APS on 1 May. I have been privileged to enjoy an expansive career across the public sector — in particular with many outstanding colleagues at the ANAO and beyond — and I wish the next Deputy Auditor-General all the best. Carla Jago will act as Deputy Auditor-General while the Auditor-General makes arrangements to fill the position.

Rona Mellor PSM, Deputy Auditor-General