The objective of this audit is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Social Services’ (DSS) and Services Australia’s management of age pension.

The Auditor-General responded on 24 August 2018 to a request from Mr Ross Vasta MP dated 30 July 2018, asking that the Auditor-General consider correspondence from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Brisbane) dated 12 July 2018. The association is requesting an audit of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Spectrum Management & Analysis Section project that installed radio monitoring infrastructure on Mount Petrie. 

This audit would assess the effectiveness of Services Australia’s management of automated decision making. Automation can support timely, efficient and consistent decision making. The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s 2019 Better Practice Guide on Automated Decision-Making and the Australian Government’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics Principles provide entities with guidance on key principles for the design, implementation and monitoring of automated decision-making processes.

The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme report of 7 July 2023 highlighted risks relating to automation, particularly where the automated processes remove any element of human decision-making and limit citizen’s ability to challenge the decision. The Australian Government accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation relating to introducing a consistent legal framework for automated decision-making. In the response to the Privacy Act Review Report released on 28 September 2023, the Australian Government agreed to increase the transparency and integrity of decisions made using automated decision-making that uses personal information.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the management of cyber risks by the Department of the Treasury, National Archives of Australia and Geoscience Australia.

This audit would review the progress of the Digital Identity System implementation, design and functionality, including the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and the allocation and expenditure of funding, including contract management.

The Digital Identity program is delivered by Services Australia, Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Department of Home Affairs and Department of Finance. Components of the program include the Trusted Digital Identity Framework, the Identity Exchanges (delivered by Services Australia), myGovID (the Commonwealth’s Identity Provider, delivered by ATO) and connected services to the system.

The Digital ID Act 2024 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act will commence on 1 December 2024 and support the expansion of the Australian Government Digital ID System and introduce a voluntary accreditation scheme for digital ID services providers.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) - Australia SOPAC ?98 The IIA - Australia, South Pacific and Asia Conference

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the CPA Australia

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of administration of physical security in the revised Protective Security Policy Framework.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Institute of Public Administration Australia