The objective of this audit was to assess whether Human Services has an effective high-level compliance strategy for administered payments made under the Centrelink and Medicare programs. 

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Creative Australia’s fraud and corruption control arrangements.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) designed and is implementing its property investment strategy in a way that is delivering the intended benefits, and how any lessons learned are being reflected in a new strategy that is being developed.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of the mandatory minimum requirements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in major government procurements in achieving policy objectives. 

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of procedures and processes used by DEST and the ATO to record HECS–HELP student loans. To achieve this, the ANAO assessed the performance of DEST and the ATO against three criteria as follows:

• DEST monitored student contributions set by higher education providers for consistency with Australian Government policy;
• DEST paid HECS–HELP advance payments to higher education providers based on sound estimates, and recorded, reconciled and reported these payments; and
• the ATO has established procedures and processes to correctly record HECS–HELP loans against student tax records.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office's processes for estimating and monitoring the costs, savings and benefits associated with the Reinventing the ATO program.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the contractual arrangements that have been put in place for the delivery of the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal (MIT) will provide value for money and achieve the Australian Government’s policy objectives for the project.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of Finance’s administration of travel entitlements provided to Parliamentarians.

Mr Ian McPhee - Deputy Auditor-General, presented at the CPA Australia Seminar

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s administration of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency functions including the National Bushfire Recovery Fund.

The objective of the audit was to assess the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s effectiveness in responding to non-compliance with plant and animal biosecurity requirements.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the implementation and award of funding for Round 1 of the Growing Regions Program.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Clean Energy Regulator’s administration of the Renewable Energy Target scheme. 

The objective of the audit was to assess whether appropriate steps were taken to protect the Commonwealth’s interests and obtain value for money in respect to the:

• approval of $1.5 billion in Commonwealth funding for stage one of the East West Link project, and the June 2014 payment of $500 million of this funding; and
• approval of $1.5 billion in Commonwealth funding for stage two of the East West Link project, and the June 2014 payment of $1 billion of this funding.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Energy Regulator’s regulation of energy markets.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the opening Presentation to Workshop on ANAO Year 2000 Discussion Paper

The objective of the audit was to examine whether the National Capital Authority’s procurement activities are complying with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and demonstrating the achievement of value for money.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Defence’s implementation of the First Principles Review.

The objective of the audit was to examine whether the design and early delivery of the Australian Government's $443.3 million partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has been effective.

The audit objective was to examine the selected entities’ effectiveness in implementing entity-wide fraud control arrangements, including compliance with the requirements of the 2011 Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines (2011 Guidelines), and the overall administration of the fraud control framework by the Attorney-General’s Department.

The audit objective was to determine whether selected grant programs are being administered efficiently by the Australia Council in relation to suitable comparators. The selected grant programs are collectively known as the Australia Council Grants Program.

The purpose of this follow-up audit was to report on action taken by the Department of Social Security and Centrelink in addressing the recommendations of Audit Report No.23 1993-94 Protection of Confidential Client Information from Unauthorised Disclosure. The objectives were to:

• ascertain the extent to which the recommendations of the original audit have been implemented;
• identify other changes made in relation to data confidentiality within the Social Security portfolio since 1993;
• assess the impact of the changes made; and
• identify any scope for further improvement.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness to date of the Department of Defence’s procurement of six evolved Cape class patrol boats.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design process for the Energy Price Relief Plan.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Education’s design and governance of the Child Care Package.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s personnel security arrangements for mitigating insider threats.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of DEWR's administration of the JSKA in ensuring its optimal usage in achieving job seeker outcomes. The ANAO examined the following aspects of the JSKA: guidance provided to Job Network Members on its operation; identification and assessment of contract risks; management of contract risks and Job Network Member performance; claims and payments; encouraging economy; and performance information.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the design and early implementation of the National Soil Strategy and the supporting National Soil Action Plan.

The objective of this audit was to examine whether the Department of Finance (Finance) has implemented a selection of agreed parliamentary committee and Auditor-General recommendations.

The objective of this audit was to examine whether the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications exercised appropriate due diligence in its acquisition of the ‘Leppington Triangle’ land for the future development of the Western Sydney Airport.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department of Health effectively procured services to operate a National Cancer Screening Register.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Australian Skills Quality Authority’s fraud control arrangements as the national regulator of the vocational education and training sector.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the framework in place to have a regulatory Ministerial Statement of Expectations and a responding Statement of Intent in place.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the establishment, implementation and operation of the Early Years Quality Fund against the requirements of the Early Years Quality Fund Special Account Act 2013 and the Commonwealth grants administration framework.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s regulation of permits and approvals within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s administration of referrals, assessments and approvals of controlled actions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The objective of the audit was to examine the efficiency of the processing of applications for citizenship by conferral by the Department of Home Affairs.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s administration of funding for remote housing in the Northern Territory.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health’s and the Department of Human Services’ management and administration of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office's activities to promote employer compliance with Superannuation Guarantee obligations.

The Australian National Audit Office Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027 was approved by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) on 22 March 2024 and operates from 29 March 2024. The agreement will nominally expire on 28 February 2027. The signatories page of this agreement is available on the FWC website.

The ANAO Corporate Plan 2019–20 is the ANAO’s key strategic planning document. It guides our operating environment and sets out how we will deliver on our purpose. This Quality Assurance Framework and Plan complements the Corporate Plan. It describes the ANAO Quality Assurance Framework and reflects the ANAO’s quality assurance strategy and deliverables for the coming year.

The objective of the audit was to assess how effectively and efficiently the Australian Taxation Office managed contact centres as part of its overall service delivery.

The objective of this audit was to examine whether procurements of office furniture have been consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and are achieved value for money.

The audit assessed whether the Streamlining Government Grants Administration Program improved the effective and efficient delivery of grants administration.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness to date of the implementation of the Tourism 2020 strategy by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and Tourism Australia.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Home Affairs’ regulation of migration agents.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the award of a $443.3 million grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation was informed by appropriate departmental advice and through processes that complied with the grants administration framework.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the governance arrangements for the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS).

The objective of the audit was to assess the appropriateness of the use and reporting of confidentiality provisions in a sample of Australian Government contracts.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of the Treasury’s design and implementation of the Measuring What Matters framework.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design and administration of the VET FEE-HELP scheme.

The ANAO confirms its commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the development and implementation of this Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO's) Gift to the Science and Industry Endowment Fund.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation targets in intergovernmental funding agreements in achieving policy objectives.

The objective of the audit is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s implementation of food security initiatives for remote Indigenous communities.

The audit examined whether the COVID-19 National Medical Stockpile (NMS) procurement requirement was met through effective planning and governance arrangements.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of planning and delivery of the security upgrade capital works program at Parliament House by the Department of Parliamentary Services.

The ANAO’s primary relationship is with the Australian Parliament, particularly the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA).

The ANAO also has an important relationship with the accountable authorities of Commonwealth entities, who have primary responsibility for and control over public sector entities’ operations. This relationship is supported by the ongoing engagement undertaken with officials of audited entities and audit committees.

Further, the ANAO invests in a number of relationships to support its ability to be a learning organisation through the two-way exchange and sharing of information and practices, and to support other nations through peer-to-peer institutional capacity development. These relationships include the Australasian auditing community as a member of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General (ACAG). The ANAO also has close links with the international and regional auditing community through the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and its regional working groups, and contributes to the delivery of the Australian Government’s aid program in the Indo-Pacific region. The ANAO values its relationships with the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), in their roles of setting and maintaining professional and ethical standards for the accounting and auditing professions, which underpin the delivery of quality audit services.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the governance board in Old Parliament House.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health’s administration of the Community Health and Hospitals Program.

The objective of the audit was to assess the appropriateness of the use and reporting of confidentiality provisions in a sample of Australian Government contracts.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether appropriate steps were taken to protect the Commonwealth's interests and obtain value for money in respect to the $3.5 billion in Commonwealth funding committed to the NSW Government for the WestConnex project.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Human Services’ implementation of myGov as at November 2016.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s regulation of unsolicited communications.

The objective of this audit was to examine the efficiency of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s (ATSB’s) investigation of transport accidents and safety occurrences.

The audit objective is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture’s administration of the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the award of funding under the Safer Communities Fund was effective and consistent with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines.

The Australian Public Service Employee Census is an annual survey administered by the Australian Public Service Commission. The survey is used to collect confidential attitude and opinion information from APS employees on issues in the workplace. The survey provides an opportunity for ANAO employees to share their experiences of working within our organisation and the public service. This census action plan outlines the key focus areas for the ANAO in responding to the feedback.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans' Affairs and Department of Defence's administration of rehabilitation services under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the award of funding under the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages program was informed by appropriate departmental advice and that processes complied with the grants administration framework.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office in achieving revenue commitments established under specific Budget-funded compliance measures.

The Navy Operational Readiness audit examined the systems that Navy uses to manage readiness and concludes coverage of Navy: readiness organisation and management structures (as well as the interface between these systems and Defence enabling operations); management and maintenance of operational readiness (covering personnel, collective training and other components of operational readiness); and readiness performance information processes. The objective of the audit was to provide assurance to Parliament concerning the progress that Navy has made in the development of operational readiness management and evaluation systems and to identify areas for improvement in these systems.

The objective of this audit was to examine the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT’s) achievement of value for money objectives in the delivery of Official Development Assistance (aid) through facility arrangements.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the award of funding under the Disaster Ready Fund was effective and consistent with the published guidelines.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Social Services’ role in implementing the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010–2022 (the National Plan).

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Defence’s planning, budgeting and implementation of an electronic health records solution for Defence personnel.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Defence’s preparations for the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter into Australian service and its subsequent sustainment. 

The audit objective was to assess whether the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has effectively established and implemented the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to achieve the outcomes desired by government.

Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images of deceased people.

The audit reviewed the operations of the Bureau of Meteorology. The Bureau's functions include the taking and recording of meteorological observations and other observations required for the purposes of meteorology; the forecasting of weather and of the state of the atmosphere; the issue of warnings of weather conditions likely to endanger life or property; the supply, publication and promotion of meteorological information; and cooperation with international meteorological agencies in relation to the functions just listed. The objectives of the audit were to:

• use national and international benchmarks to evaluate the Bureau's performance in terms of timeliness, cost and quality of weather services to meet the needs of clients; and
• assess how well the Bureau is placed in measuring its outputs/outcomes within the context of the Accrual Budgeting Framework.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the award of funding under the Building Better Regions Fund was effective as well as being consistent with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the management of community intelligence by the Tax Office.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s administration of health services in onshore immigration detention.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Department of Home Affairs’ procurement process for the Permissions Capability employed open and effective competition and achieved value for money, consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design of the Growing Regions Program.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the governance of the Board of the National Disability Insurance Agency.

This audit was a follow-on to Audit Report No.21 1997-98 Protective Security, which reviewed, among other things, information security other than computer and communications security, against the policy and procedures outlined in the 1991 PSM. That audit found inconsistencies in the identification and marking of classified information and weaknesses in the handling and storage of classified information, as well as other breakdowns impacting on information security.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of the commuter car park projects within the Urban Congestion Fund.

This follow-up audit examined the actions taken by the Department of Veterans' Affairs to address the ANAO's recommendations made in Audit Report No.28 1993-94 regarding the use of private hospitals on behalf of the Repatriation Commission. The recommendations from that audit were aimed at improving the basis and consistency of contracts with the private sector for the use of private hospitals and providing added assurance that quality care was available to the veteran community.

The Auditor-General responded on 18 November 2019 to correspondence from Mr Andrew Giles MP, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the effectiveness of the procurement to deliver a new global visa processing system.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the design and governance of the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness and value for money to date of the Department of Defence’s acquisition of combat reconnaissance vehicles under project Land 400 Phase 2.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development's regulation of passenger security screening at Australian domestic airports.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of DEEWR's administration of Job Network service fees. The ANAO examined DEEWR's arrangements to:

• specify the nature and level of services to be supplied by JNMs and to communicate this to the JNMS;
• calculate and pay service fees in accordance with the Employment Services Contract (ESC) 2006–2009 it has with JNMs; and
• obtain assurance that JNMs have delivered services in accordance with the contract.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness and value for money of Defence’s acquisition of light protected vehicles, under Defence project Land 121 Phase 4.

The audit objective was to assess whether the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science has effectively and efficiently administered the collection of North West Shelf royalty revenues.

The audit reviewed the efficiency and effectiveness of Defence's management of Naval Aviation Force (NAF) in achieving its required capability within budgeted resources. The objectives of the audit were to assess whether planning, management and resource allocation mechanisms and practices for NAF were conducive to achieving the latter's objectives in a cost-effective manner.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the award of funding under the first round of the Safer Streets programme.

The audit reviewed the effectiveness and probity of the policy development processes and implementation of improved access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging services. The objective of the audit was to examine and report on the effectiveness and probity of the processes involved in:

(a) the development and announcement of the proposal to improve access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services announced in the 1998 Budget, including negotiation with the diagnostic imaging profession; and

(b) the registration of 'eligible providers' and 'eligible equipment' to enable the payment of claims for MRI services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Finance’s and selected entities’ implementation of the Australian Government’s campaign advertising framework.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ and the Department of Defence’s administration of the Australian Government’s $55 million support package announced in the May 2010 Budget for former F-111 fuel tank maintenance workers and their families. The audit examined the implementation of the 14 agreed recommendations in the Government Response to the 2009 Parliamentary Inquiry into the F-111 deseal/reseal issues, which formed the basis of the May 2010, F-111 support package.

The objective was to examine whether the award of funding under the Supporting Reliable Energy Infrastructure Program was informed by an appropriate assessment process and sound advice that complied with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency’s (TEQSA’s) regulation of higher education.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design of, and award of funding under, the Living Safe Together grants programme.

The audit objective was to assess Health's administration of primary care funding, with a focus on the administrative practices of the Primary Care Division and Health's State and Territory Offices. In forming an opinion on the audit objective, the ANAO reviewed 41 agreements, with a combined value of $252 million. The ANAO also reviewed relevant documentation and files, interviewed programme officers and met with a number of stakeholders. The audit comments on a range of issues, including the utility of funding agreements, monitoring, payments, and support for administrators.

The audit theme was financial management and accountability. The audit concluded that six of the eight organisations had satisfactory payment of accounts processes and that GST administration control frameworks had been implemented. Payment of accounts processes could be improved by greater use of information technology whereas using risk management; formalising the BAS preparation procedures; and increasing monitoring and review procedures could improve GST administration.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office’s administration of the personal services income regime.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of ASIC's implementation of Australian financial services licences. In particular, the audit examined ASIC's planning for the introduction of financial services licences; the roles of the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and ASIC in defining the effective scope of licensing; ASIC's assessment and processing of licence applications; and ASIC's supervision of licensees.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the design and award of funding for Round 6 of the Mobile Black Spot Program.

The objective of the audit was to examine whether strategic water procurements by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment were conducted consistent with government policy, were supported by appropriate program design, were planned and executed appropriately, and achieved value for money.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the design and early implementation of the Australian Government’s response to Recommendation 86 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has been effective.

The audit objective was to assess the Tax Office's effectiveness in administering the tax obligations of non-residents.

The audit assessed the effectiveness of the governance framework for the management of the transition from the existing red meat industry structures to new structures which increased industry's role in self determination and self regulation and minimised the involvement of Government. Matters considered included the effectiveness of:

• planning for the implementation of the new arrangements;
• management of the risks associated with the implementation of the new arrangements;
• management structures used in the transition arrangements; and
• accountability arrangements for ongoing Commonwealth involvement.

The audit reviewed the Amphibious Transport Ship Project, involving the acquisition and modification of two second-hand US Navy ships . The objective of the audit was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of Defence's management of the project, focusing on the capability development process, costs and schedule issues, contract issues, the management of project risks and project review processes.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ administration of residential care payments.

The purpose of the audit was to examine how efficiently and effectively the ATO managed its collection of outstanding tax debt. A framework for analysing the ATO's approach to collecting outstanding debt was established by the ANAO. This framework reflected five key criteria in the collection process as they apply to managing outstanding debt, namely:

• initiatives to promote timely payment;
• identification of outstanding debt;
• setting priorities for collecting outstanding debt;
• management of collection practices; and
• collection results.

The audit was structured to provide an overview of the administration of Commonwealth assistance to the agrifood industry. In particular, the ANAO sought to form a view on the extent to which four key agencies (Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Transport and Regional Services and Austrade) are able to demonstrate their success in achieving the Government's objectives for the Australian agrifood industry by assessing agencies' agrifood-related: planned outcomes; performance information; and reporting.

The audit objectives were:

• to assess the effectiveness of the revised certification process in promoting compliance of government advertising campaigns (campaigns) with the March 2010 Guidelines on Information and Advertising Campaigns by Australian Government Departments and Agencies (2010 Guidelines);
• to assess the effectiveness of agency administration in developing campaigns and implementing key processes against the requirements of the campaign advertising framework;
• to assess the effectiveness of Finance’s administration of the campaign advertising framework; and
• to assess the effect on campaigns of an exemption from the 2010 Guidelines.

The overall objective of the audit was to determine whether Health's management and operation of selected IT systems:

• met industry better practice;
• met quality and service delivery parameters set by Health and, if applicable, by the Government; and
• operate effectively, efficiently and economically.

The audit applied selected processes from CobiT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology) to assist with the assessment of key aspects of Health's management and operation of IT. The audit builds on ANAO's earlier IT audits using CobiT.