The overall objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Refresh and, in particular:

• the extent to which Centrelink has used the funds invested by the Government to develop its IT capability and realise the anticipated service delivery, financial and other benefits; and
• how Centrelink's programme management approach and Refresh's oversight arrangements have contributed to the achievement of the outcomes of the programme.

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the NDIA’s management of claimant compliance with NDIS claim requirements.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of bilateral agreement arrangements between Services Australia and other entities.

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

Governance of Data is targeted at Australian Government officials in information governance roles and those who use data to achieve organisational objectives.

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 audit objective was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation's workforce planning to support key activities.

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 the establishment of the Workforce Australia Services panel.

Welcome to the last edition of Audit Matters for 2025. I’ve provided some insights in this edition which may help you to focus on a few areas of audit interest in the new year.

Audit work, as you know, is ongoing. We’ll start tabling reports again in mid-late January 2026. Next year you’ll also see some shorter performance audit reports, as part of a trial we’re undertaking to bring reports to the Parliament more quickly. Thanks to those agencies who have worked with us as we trial this new approach. We’re also doing some important work on how we approach performance statements audits in the 21 entities subject to this process. Watch out for our summary report on performance statements early in 2026 — you can subscribe to be notified of release on our website.

I wish you and your teams a restful break over the holiday season after a big year in the public sector. I look forward to seeing you in 2026.

Rona Mellor PSM, Deputy Auditor-General

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 objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Home Affairs' management of family-related visas.

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 the effectiveness of Services Australia’s arrangements for the management of contractors.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Australian Federal Police in managing employee mental health.

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.

An Audit Committee Chairs Forum was held on Friday, 3 December 2021. It was both an in-person and virtual event.

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

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the MinterEllison Seminar Series

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

The objective of this audit was to examine whether the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post) is meetings its Community Service and International obligations efficiently and the effectiveness of Commonwealth shareholders in monitoring value for money.

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 the selected entities’ implementation of arrangements for managing cyber security incidents in accordance with the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) and relevant ASD Cyber Security Guidelines.

The audit objective was to examine whether the Office of Parliamentary Counsel’s procurement and contract management of the new Federal Register of Legislation project complied with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and demonstrated the achievement of value for money.

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.

The objective of this audit is to assess the effectiveness of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's (DCCEEW) corporate plan as its primary planning document in accordance with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Risk Management in the Public Sector Seminar

The audit objective was to determine whether DIAC's biometrics program had appropriate:

• business review processes (including a business case);
• authorisation;
• business and IT governance arrangements; and
• IT project management and systems development arrangements.

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 29 November 2024 are now available.

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

The audit objective was to examine the effectiveness to date of the Department of Defence’s administration of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) program, with a focus on ERP Tranche 1 activities.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Public Sector Risk Management Conference