The overal objective of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) audit was to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the conversion to digital broadcasting by the national broadcasters. This encompasses, among other things, addressing the request from the former Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (the Minister) for an audit of the actual cost of digital conversion, the sources of funds applied and the efficiency of funds utilisation. It also involved an examination of the broadcasters' management processes to deliver their Strategies and to 'minimise the call on the Budget'.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the administration of the Smart Grid, Smart City Program, including the establishment, implementation and ongoing management of the program.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the ATO’s compliance management approach in the SME market.

The audit objective was to assess the adequacy of the Commonwealth's administration of three key components of the Agriculture - Advancing Australia package: the FarmBis II program, the Farm Help program and the Farm Management Deposits scheme. Broadly, the audit examined the areas of strategic management, managing compliance, program promotion, performance monitoring and evaluation, and performance results.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Scheme is being administered effectively by the department. The ANAO focussed on Program Year 1 of the Scheme, 2005–06, and examined DIISR's arrangements for:

• assessing the eligibility of entities to receive grants;
• assessing entities' claims for eligible expenditure;
• adhering to the funding limits for the Scheme when calculating and paying claims, and managing any debts that arise;
• and evaluating and reporting on whether the statutory objective of the Scheme is being met.

The audit did not examine the other components of the 2005–2015 industry assistance package; nor did it examine any of the programs delivered under the previous assistance package (2000–2005).

The objective of the audit was to assess whether selected regulatory agencies have cost recovery procedures and practices which comply with the Government's guidelines. To address this objective, the audit assessed the management of cost recovery against the following criteria:

• regulatory agencies have clear and consistent cost recovery procedures to identify their activities and costs, and set fees and levies;
• regulatory agencies have effectively implemented their cost recovery procedures;
• regulatory agencies regularly monitor and review their cost recovery activities; and
• regulatory agencies regularly report on their cost recovery.

The audit objective was to examine if ACMA is, in respect of commercial broadcasting services, effectively discharging its regulatory responsibilities under the BSA. The audit examined ACMA's:

• monitoring of commercial broadcasters' compliance with the BSA;
• addressing non compliance with, and enforcement of, the BSA;
• collection of broadcast licence fees; and
• monitoring and reporting of its regulatory performance in respect of commercial broadcasting.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether entities properly accounted for software assets, and adopted an integrated planning approach to inform software asset investment decisions.

The main focus of the audit was on whether entities accounted for software costs in accordance with relevant accounting standards and the FMOs, paying particular attention to the standard elements of an internal control framework and accounting practices. In addition, in the context of software asset planning, the audit considered whether entities assessed the risks associated with software assets, used life-cycle costing approaches, and aligned ICT and capital management plans, to inform decision-making on software asset investments.

The Australian Political Parties for Democracy Programme is administered by Finance. The programme aims to strengthen democracy internationally by providing support for the international activities of Australia's major political parties. Funding of up to $1 million is provided annually under the programme to each of the Australian Labor Party and to the Liberal Party of Australia. Guidelines for the programme provide for the parties to re-apply for funding each year and set out the criteria against which applications for funding are assessed. The proposed audit would examine the administration of the program by Finance, including the adequacy of assessment of acquittal documentation and requests to roll over funding.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Industry's administration of the Commercialisation Australia Program.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the management of the Australian Public Service (APS) workforce in implementing the Australian Government’s COVID-19 priorities.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages from a series of ANAO performance audits assessing performance evaluation frameworks and success measures. It discusses the importance of both in keeping entities accountable and their performance transparent.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages for all Australian Government entities from a series of recent Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audits assessing the planning and implementation of regulation activities. It discusses the importance of using available data and intelligence information to develop and execute risk-based regulatory activities targeted in proportion to the impacts of non-compliance.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the OneSKY tender was conducted so as to provide value with public resources and achieve required timeframes for the effective replacement of the existing air traffic management platforms.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the transition of the Remote Jobs and Communities Programme to the Community Development Programme, including whether the Community Development Programme is well designed and administered effectively and efficiently.

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 the implementation and administration of the movement limit and the Slot Management Scheme at Sydney Airport.

The scope of the audit included the development and administration of the SADM Act. The scope also included the development and administration of the relevant legislative instruments and determinations, particularly those which put in place the monitoring and compliance frameworks that support the legislation.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's governance arrangements supporting the implementation of the Australian Government’s climate change commitments.

The audit objective was to assess whether Defence achieves value for money in the procurement of fuels.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) administration of national standards and frameworks.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the design and administration of the Adult Migrant English Program was effective.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages for all Australian Government entities from a series of recent Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audits assessing the delivery of key components of the Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the importance of planning, good governance and sound risk management in managing an emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The audit objective was to examine the appropriateness of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts’ approach to acquiring, managing, and leasing Australian contemporary art in the Artbank collection.

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 this audit was to assess whether the Australian War Memorial is effectively managing the development project.

The ANAO responded to the emerging sector-wide risks for public administration by developing a strategy for a program of audits examining the delivery of the Australian Government’s COVID-19 pandemic response (COVID-19 audit strategy). The purpose of this information report was to summarise and consolidate the learnings from the audits and reviews conducted by the ANAO under the COVID-19 audit strategy.

The objective of this audit is to assess the effectiveness of the design and implementation of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s cultural reform program prior to the July 2022 Machinery of Government changes.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Bureau of Meteorology is effectively managing assets in its observing network.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages from Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audits about the management of conflicts of interest by Australian Government entities in relation to procurement activity and grants programs.

This edition of Audit Insights summarises key messages for all Australian government entities from a series of Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) performance audits that have examined service delivery through other entities. It discusses the importance of establishing appropriate service delivery governance arrangements between entities, understanding risk tolerances and managing service delivery risks, and establishing performance monitoring and measurement arrangements.

The audit objective was to assess whether the Department of Employment effectively designed and monitors the progress of the jobactive program.

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

This edition of audit insights focuses on quality in the public sector. Quality is an important concept that can be applied to all areas of government business. Quality applied through policy, services, regulations and program design and delivery supports community trust in government. A positive approach to quality, implemented through a quality framework that is embedded into the organisational culture at all levels of a government agency, is essential to meeting community and parliamentary expectations.

Grant Hehir, Auditor-General for Australia, attended the XXIII Commonwealth Auditors-General Conference in New Delhi, India, and presented a keynote speech on 22 March 2017 titled Environmental Audit: A Commonwealth Perspective.

The audit objective was to assess the Department of Social Services and the Department of Human Services’ administration of Disability Support Pension eligibility and review processes.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday 8 December 2023. The text on this page is the communique from the forum.

This edition of audit insights outlines key messages from a series of performance audits which examined the effectiveness of fraud control arrangements in three Australian Government departments. In addition to assessing compliance with the mandatory requirements of the 2017 Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework, the audits examined the application of the government’s better practice fraud guidance, and steps taken by the entities to promote a fraud aware culture. The key messages may be relevant for the operations of other Commonwealth entities, as fraud control is a key responsibility in Australian Government administration.

The Auditor-General responded on 29 October 2019 to correspondence from the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP dated 1 October 2019, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an examination of Federal Government drought funding measures. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP on 24 July 2020.

This edition of audit insights outlines key messages from a series of recent audits examining the effectiveness of governance boards in four corporate Commonwealth entities. The audit observations from this series of audits relate primarily to the ‘soft’ attributes of effective governance such as relationships, behaviours and culture, while also recognising the important interplay with the ‘hard’ attributes of governance such as board composition, appointment processes and independence. The key messages may be relevant for the operations of other Commonwealth boards as well as broader governance arrangements in Commonwealth entities.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Parliamentary Services’ management of assets and contracts to support the operations of Parliament House.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ended on 30 June 2019. 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 2018–19 and the ANAO Corporate Plan 2018–19, and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the department's administration of general recurrent grants for non-government schools. The audit examined key processes in the department's administration ofgeneral recurrent grants for non-government schools for 2005–08 in accordance with the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs' (DVA's) planning and management of the Veteran Centric Reform (VCR) program.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ended 30 June 2020. 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 2019–20 and the ANAO Corporate Plan 2019–20; and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ended 30 June 2021. 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 2020–21 and the ANAO Corporate Plan 2020–21; and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

The shared content volume of the ANAO Audit Manual applies to all assurance activity performed by the ANAO, including financial statements and performance auditing. The shared volume addresses key matters affecting compliance with the Auditor-General Act 1997 and other aspects of the ANAO’s legislative framework. It sets out the main requirements of the ANAO’s overall system of quality control in accordance with ASQC1 Quality Control for Firms that Perform Audits and Reviews of Financial Reports and Other Financial Information, Other Assurance Engagements and Related Services Engagements.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ending on 30 June 2018. The report addresses all applicable obligations under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act); the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule); the Auditor-General Act 1997; the performance measures set out in the outcome and programs framework in the ANAO’s 2017–18 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) and the ANAO 2017–18 Corporate Plan and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday 12 July 2024. The text on this page is the communique from the forum.

The Auditor-General is assisted by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in delivering against the mandate established by the Auditor-General Act 1997. Under the Act, the ANAO consists of the Auditor-General and staff.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ arrangements for the management of contractors.

The Auditor-General responded on Thursday 13 July 2023 to correspondence from Senator Jacqui Lambie dated 16 June 2023, requesting that the Auditor-General consider an audit of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to Senator Lambie on 4 October 2023.

The Auditor-General received further correspondence from Senator Lambie on 6 October 2023 and 3 November 2023. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to Senator Lambie on 15 November 2023.

The Auditor-General received further follow-up correspondence from Senator Lambie on 18 October 2024. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to Senator Lambie on 31 October 2024.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Phoenix Taskforce to combat illegal phoenix activities.

The Auditor-General responded on 10 May 2018 to correspondence from Senators Patrick, Griff, Hanson-Young and Bernardi, Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP and the Hon. Tony Burke MP dated 24 April 2018, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the purchases of water for environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response on 29 April 2019. 

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ended 30 June 2024. 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 2023–24 and in the ANAO Corporate Plan 2023–24; and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ending on 30 June 2017. The report addresses all applicable obligations under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act); the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule); the Auditor-General Act 1997; the performance measures set out in the outcome and programs framework in the ANAO’s 2016–17 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) and the ANAO 2016–20 Corporate Plan and annual reporting requirements set out in other relevant legislation.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held virtually on Friday, 15 July 2022. The text on this page is the communique from the forum.

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. 

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday, 3 July 2020. The forum was held virtually, keeping in line with COVID-19 social distancing rules.

The forum agenda and slides are available in the related documents sections of this events page. The text on this page is the communique from the forum. 

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the design and implementation of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM&C’s) evaluation framework for the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS), in achieving its purpose to ensure that evaluation is high quality, ethical, inclusive and focused on improving outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s management of the biosecurity workforce.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of Snowy Hydro Limited’s governance arrangements for early implementation of Snowy 2.0, the expansion to the Snowy Hydro Scheme.

Grant Hehir, Auditor-General for Australia, attended the Institute of Internal Auditors-Australia ‘Public Sector Internal Audit Conference’ on 31 July 2018, and presented an opening keynote session titled Strategic governance of risk: Lessons learnt from public sector audit. The accompanying paper to the speech, which was delivered against a conference theme of ‘internal auditor as a trusted advisor’, is available here.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of Defence’s sustainment arrangements for Navy’s Canberra class fleet of amphibious assault ships (or LHDs).

The ANAO’s performance audit program is one of the main assurance functions of the Auditor-General. The purpose of this information report was to provide analysis of 2023–24 performance audits.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday 14 July 2023. The communique from the forum is now available here.

The ANAO, provided a country paper to the 8th ASOSAI Symposium held virtually on 8 September 2021. The paper was titled Responding to disaster and pandemic issues.

The audit examined the effectiveness of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s management of assets involved in the manufacture, production and distribution of nuclear medicines.

The ANAO was invited to prepare a paper for an international conference on the role of supreme audit Institutions in combatting corruption for the advancement of transparency, public integrity, and good governance. The international conference formed part of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the State Audit Office of Viet Nam and was held from 8-12 July 2024,

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the National Indigenous Australians Agency’s (NIAA’s) processes to design and transition to a new remote employment program.

The Performance Audit Services Group (PASG) volume of the ANAO Audit Manual applies to the performance audit activity performed by PASG in collaboration with the Systems Assurance and Data Analytics (SADA) group. Relevant policies and guidance from the PASG volume are also applied to assurance reviews performed by PASG. Policies and guidance in the PASG volume address the planning, execution and reporting stages of the performance audit process.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of Comcare’s administration of claims for Australian Government entities under its workers’ compensation scheme.

The ANAO provided a case study to SAI Russia, as a follow-up to the Moscow Declaration SAI Russia is publishing a collection of case studies and best practices of strategic approach to public auditing. The case study was titled Using data analytics for risk-based performance audit planning.

The Auditor-General responded on 14 January 2020 to correspondence from the Hon Catherine King MP, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine programs supporting regional development and jobs growth. The Auditor-General also responded on 2 April 2020 to follow-up correspondence from the Hon Catherine King MP dated 3 March 2020, alerting the Auditor-General to evidence given in Senate estimates that relates to the original correspondence. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to the Hon Catherine King MP on 24 July 2020. 

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 coordination arrangements of key Australian Government entities operating in Torres Strait.

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Defence's administration of the Future Submarine Program to date.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of Services Australia’s arrangements for the management of contractors.

This edition of Audit Insights considers the approaches entities are taking to implement parliamentary and ANAO recommendations to improve public administration practices and outcomes. It updates and replaces the edition published in November 2019 and draws on audit reports released since then.

Parliamentary committee inquiries and ANAO performance audits identify risks to the successful delivery of outcomes and generally provide recommendations to address them. Tabling an agreed response to a parliamentary committee recommendation formalises government or entity commitment to the Parliament to implement the agreed action. Similarly, ANAO performance audit reports are prepared for presentation to Parliament and agreement to implement a recommendation made in an ANAO report is therefore a commitment to the Parliament.

This edition of audit insights focuses on efficiency in the public sector. Find out more about what we think efficiency looks like, why we think efficiency is important in ensuring that public sector agencies remain sustainable, and some examples from recently tabled audits of what we can learn from others.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday, 9 July 2021. It was both an in-person and virtual event. 

The text on this page is the communique from the forum. 

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Attorney-General’s Department’s administration of the terms of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements Ministerial determination.

The speech delivered by the Acting Deputy Auditor-General and the presentations by ANAO speakers at the Financial and Performance Reporting Forum held on Friday 5 July 2024 are now available.

If you would like a copy of the video recording please contact External.Relations@anao.gov.au

The Auditor-General, Grant Hehir, delivered a presentation to the 15th Biennial Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees (ACPAC) Conference held at Parliament House, Canberra, on 7 November 2019. The presentation was titled Maintaining Trust in the Parliamentary Process — PACs and Officers of the Parliament.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether effective arrangements have been established by Finance to achieve value for money outcomes for Commonwealth leased office property.

The audit objective was to review the effectiveness of the Department of Defence’s (Defence) arrangements for delivering selected non-platform sustainment.

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 this audit was to examine whether value for money is being delivered by the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s (ARTC’s) management of the Inland Rail pre‑construction program.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Defence’s arrangements for the management of contractors.

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 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 objective of the audit was to examine whether the procurements that Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade conducts through its Australian Passport Office are complying with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and demonstrating the achievement of value for money.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of DAFF’s administration of the Digital Services to Take Farmers to Markets (TFTM) program.

The Auditor-General responded on 20 April 2018 to correspondence from Mr Stephen Jones MP dated 26 March 2018, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the awarding of a grant under the Regional Jobs and Investment Package program in Tropical North Queensland. The Acting Auditor-General followed-up on 23 January 2019 to advise Mr Jones that an audit of the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages has now commenced.

The Auditor-General responded on 20 April 2018 to correspondence from the Hon. Dr Mike Kelly MP dated 6 April 2018, requesting an audit of the administration of the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages (RJIP) program, specifically as it relates to the allocation of grant funding between electorates. The Acting Auditor-General followed-up on 23 January 2019 to advise Dr Kelly that an audit of the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages has now commenced.

The audit objective was to assess whether the Regional Partnerships Programme has been effectively managed by DOTARS, including the processes by which:

• applications are sought, received and assessed;
• Funding Agreements with grant recipients are developed and managed; and
• the achievement of project and programme outcomes is monitored and assessed.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in delivering high quality interpreting services to its clients.

The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's implementation of the National Waste Policy Action Plan 2019.

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.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday 6 December 2024. The text on this page is the communique from the forum.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of NBN Co’s service continuity operations relating to the migration of telecommunication services to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness to date of the management of the approach to transition the disability services market to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) market arrangements.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Thursday 4 July 2025. The text on this page is the communique from the forum.

The objective of the audit was to examine whether WSA Co Limited’s procurement framework and procurement activities are achieving value for money.

The Auditor-General responded on 11 March 2020 to follow-up correspondence from Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, requesting an audit into the Federal and South Australian governments’ agreement to reduce SA’s Murray-Darling river water allocation by 100GL and Commonwealth funding provided to increase the use of the state’s desalination plant to replace the water. The Auditor-General responded to the original correspondence from Senator Hanson-Young on 19 December 2019. The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to Senator Hanson-Young on 24 July 2020. 

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 2024–25 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 Plan component of this document identifies the ANAO’s quality objectives and key responses to address identified quality risks and to provide the Auditor-General with 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 also provides transparency with respect to the implementation and operation of the responses to address quality risks for each component of the ANAO’s system of quality management.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO’s) management of small business tax debt arising from compliance activities.

The Auditor-General responded on 17 June 2021 to correspondence from the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC, MP dated 21 May 2021, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine how part-time members of the Social Services and Child Support Division and “sessional part-time members” in the Migration and Refugee Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal are being remunerated. 

The Auditor-General provided a follow-up response to the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC, MP on 17 December 2021. 

The Auditor-General responded on 2 August 2021 to correspondence from the Hon Catherine King MP and Mr Andrew Giles MP dated 7 July 2021, requesting an audit into the entirety of the Morrison Government's $4.8 billion Urban Congestion Fund.

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 ANAO Corporate Plan 2024–25 updates the previous corporate plan and outlines how we intend to deliver against our purpose over the next four years (2024–25 to 2027–28). The corporate plan 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 priorities, activities and performance measures by which we will be held to account.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of cyber security risk mitigation strategies implemented by selected non-corporate Commonwealth entities to meet mandatory requirements under the Protective Security Policy Framework, and the support provided by the responsible cyber policy and operational entities.

The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of Defence’s design and implementation of arrangements to select a preferred Strategic Partner for the Future Submarines Program.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department of Human Services’ management of Smart Centres’ Centrelink telephone services.

The Auditor-General responded on 13 April 2022 to correspondence from Mr Adam Bandt MP dated 24 March 2022, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the integrity of carbon credit methodology determinations made under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011, and the administration of the Act by the Clean Energy Regulator. 

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s (DIBP) management of compliance with visa conditions. To form a conclusion against this objective, the ANAO assessed whether DIBP:

• effectively manages risk and intelligence related to visa holders’ non-compliance with their visa conditions;
• promotes voluntary compliance through targeted campaigns and services that are appropriate and accessible to the community;
• conducts onshore compliance activities that are effective and appropriately targeted; and
• has effective administrative arrangements to support visa holders’ compliance with their visa conditions.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the management and oversight of compliance activities within the Child Care Subsidy program.

The objective of this audit was to assess whether the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and the Australian War Memorial (the Memorial) have implemented effective collections management practices.

The audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Employment and the Department of Education and Training's administration of the Shared Services Centre to achieve efficiencies and deliver value to its customers.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s (APVMA’s) implementation of reforms to agvet regulation and the extent to which the authority has achieved operational efficiencies and reduced the cost burden on regulated entities.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Wednesday, 14 June 2019 from 10am until 12:30pm. The venue was the Galambany Centre, Department of Finance, One Canberra Avenue, Forrest ACT. The agenda, slides and communique from the forum are available on this events page.