Browse our range of reports and publications including performance and financial statement audit reports, assurance review reports, information reports and annual reports.
The audit reviewed management of the Commonwealth's role in preparing for, and managing, pest and disease emergencies requiring a rapid response. The audit focused on the role of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry -Australia (AFFA), which is the Commonwealth Department with primary portfolio responsibility for coordinating the national and international response to an emergency. The audit did not address preventative measures such as quarantine and border controls; controlled release of exotic diseases or pests; or emergencies associated with previously known endemic diseases, food safety or chemical residue issues.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the governance of the Northern Land Council under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, the Native Title Act 1993 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
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The audit objective was to assess whether all agencies compiled Internet listings as required by the Senate Order, and to examine the appropriateness of the use, by selected agencies, of confidentiality provisions.
The Auditor-General responded on 22 August 2016 to correspondence from Senator Nick Xenophon on 20 May 2016 requesting a performance audit of the Command and Control System selection for the SEA 1000 Future Submarine Project.
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The audit objective was to assess the administrative effectiveness of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations(DEEWR), Department of Human Services (DHS) partnership arrangement in supporting the delivery of employment programs.
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The audit surveyed a wide range of Commonwealth agencies' Year 2000 preparedness, their management of the problem and their application of core corporate governance principles, including risk management disciplines. The scope of the audit reflected the wide ranging ramifications of the Year 2000 problem for agencies' overall functions (whole-of-business) internally as well as in terms of external interactions. The audit objectives were to:
- assess the adequacy of agencies' planning in relation to achieving Year 2000 compliance;
- review and assess agencies' implementation, management and monitoring of Year 2000 compliance strategies;
- review agencies' strategic risk assessments in relation to the Year 2000 changeover; and
- raise surveyed agencies' and other Commonwealth agencies' awareness of the various aspects of the Year 2000 problem.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of AusAID’s management of tertiary training assistance.
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.
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The audit objective was to assess how four key departments: Education, Science and Training (DEST); Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR); Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA); and Health and Ageing (DoHA) are implementing the Government's policy objective for Indigenous service delivery.
The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Department of Defence has complied with gifts, benefits and hospitality requirements.
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Meaningful performance information and reporting is essential to good management and the effective stewardship of public resources. Appropriate and meaningful performance information can show that the entity is committed to long-term proper use and management of public resources, which would include effectively achieving results to create long lasting positive impacts for Australians (and other people who interact with the Australian Government).
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The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) had complied with gifts, benefits and hospitality requirements.
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The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 24 September 2015 to correspondence from Senator Glenn Lazarus on 10 September 2015 regarding National Stronger Regions Fund.
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The objectives for the audit were to examine Commonwealth guarantees, indemnities and letters of comfort in relation to:
- the potential size of the Commonwealth's exposure to these instruments;
- the extent to which the overall exposures of the Commonwealth are managed and monitored;
- the adequacy of administrative reporting arrangements;
- areas of better administrative practice relating to their management; and
- to raise agencies' awareness of appropriate risk management and accountability practices in relation to these instruments.
The audit set out to quantify the Commonwealth's exposure to guarantees, indemnities and letters of comfort.
The objective of the audit was to assess whether Services Australia has effective arrangements to comply with domestic and international travel requirements.
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This is a report of an audit by the ANAO of the Australian Taxation Office's Income Matching System (IMS). The IMS is a computer-based system which identifies discrepancies between information in tax returns and external data. The main income types covered are dividends, interest, wages and salaries, pensions and benefits and prescribed payments. It also generates unmatched data and cases where assessments have not yet been issued.
The objective of the audit was to form an opinion on ATSIS' management of the Law and Justice Program, having particular regard to the relative needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The audit focused primarily on how effectively ATSIS manages and delivers the provision of legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The audit was desgined to compelement but not to reproduce previous audit and other evaluation activity relevant to the Program.
Response completed as a limited scope assurance review.
The Auditor-General responded on 26 April 2016 to correspondence from Mr Pat Conroy MP on 16 February 2016 regarding the government advertising campaign Welcome to the Ideas Boom.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the ATO’s administration of external debt collection arrangements.
The objective of the audit was to assess the appropriateness of the use and reporting of confidentiality provisions in Australian Government contracts for 2011.
Response completed as a limited scope assurance review.
The Auditor-General responded on 14 January 2016 to correspondence from the Hon Catherine King MP on 22 October 2015, on the project agreement for the Health and Hospitals Fund – 2010 Regional Priority Round Project in Palmerston.
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Mr P.J. Barrett (AO) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the UN Results Based Management Seminar
The objective of the audit was to assess whether Defence effectively managed the procurement process for services related to the recruitment of personnel to the ADF and the introduction of a new service provider.
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.
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This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ending 30 June 2016. It addresses all applicable obligations under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Auditor-General Act 1997, the performance measures set out in the outcome and programs framework in the ANAO’s 2015–16 Portfolio Budget Statements and the ANAO’s 2015–19 Corporate Plan and annual reporting requirements set out in other legislation.
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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.
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This annual report documents the performance of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in the financial year ending on 30 June 2010. It includes a foreword by the Auditor-General, an overview including the role and responsibilities and vision of the Office, a report on performance, details about management and accountability, and the financial results.
The audit objective was to form an opinion on the administrative effectiveness of the arrangements between DEEWR (previously DEWR) and Centrelink for the delivery of working age employment services under the Business Partnership Agreement (BPA).
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s fraud control arrangements.
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The objective of this audit was to examine the design and conduct of the award of funding under the Community Development Grants Program (CDGP).
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The objective of this audit was to assess the extent to which PV applications in Australia are processed in accordance with relevant laws and policies, and whether DIMIA employs appropoiate mechanisms to ensure compliance with those laws and policies.
The objective of the audit was to examine the effectiveness of the administration of the Gateway review process by Finance and FMA Act agencies. The audit also examined the extent to which those Gateway reviews that have been conducted have contributed to improvements in the delivery of major projects undertaken by FMA Act agencies.
The objective of this audit was to assess whether the Productivity Commission is effectively managing the use of corporate credit cards for official purposes in accordance with legislative and entity requirements.
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The Commonwealth has significant involvement in national emergency management arrangements through its roles in planning, coordination between agencies, operational response, financial support, education and training, public awareness and research activities. The objectives of this performance audit were to identify the Commonwealth's current emergency management arrangements; to provide assurance to Parliament concerning the adequacy of the arrangements; and to highlight areas for improvement.
The objective of the follow up audit was to assess the extent to which Customs has implemented seven of the previous audit's recommendations; the two recommendations relating to strategic and tactical taskings and dissemination of intelligence will be considered in the context of the planned performance audit of Illegal Foreign Fishing in Australia's Northern Waters.
The objective of this follow-up audit was to assess the extent to which DVA had implemented the recommendations from the original audit during the period 2002–06, including in its preparation of the IT outsourcing contract which will operate from 2007.
The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 15 September 2015 to correspondence from the Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP on 11 September 2015 regarding Murray-Darling Basin Authority's (MDBA) implementation of the Basin Plan.
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The audit reviewed the ATO's collection and management of activity statement information. The audit paid particular regard to:
- the environment into which activity statements were introduced;
- taxpayer concerns with activity statement administration;
- the mechanisms the ATO uses to capture and process activity statements;
- the change processes the ATO uses to change and test activity statement IT systems; and
- the management methodology used to report on, and assess the performance of, activity statement related systems and processes.
The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Energy Regulator’s regulation of energy markets.
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The objective of the audit was to examine the Department of Defence’s (Defence's) implementation of agreed recommendations made in Auditor-General Report No. 38 of 2017–18 Mitigating Insider Threats through Personnel Security and the related report provided to ministers under section 37(5) of the Auditor-General Act 1997, and by the Parliament’s Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) in Report 479 of 2019 Australian Government Security Arrangements.
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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.
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The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's probity management.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the economy, efficiency and administrative effectiveness, including accountability, of the management of boat people by the Department and the providers of major related services to DIMA such as: the Coastwatch Service within the Australian Customs Service and the Australian Protective Service within the Attorney-General's portfolio. The audit examined key issues in the management of boat people largely from a risk management perspective. The audit conclusions are presented in terms of: the economy, efficiency and administrative effectiveness, including the accountability, of operations; and the administrative functions which support the management of boat people, such as detection, reception of boats and costs.
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.
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The audit reviewed the application by the Department of Finance and the portfolio departments of the 1993 Accountability and Ministerial Oversight Arrangements for Government Business Enterprises and any statutory monitoring and reporting requirements applying to the selected GBEs provided under their own establishing legislation. The objectives of the audit were to examine:
- the effectiveness of the GBE monitoring arrangements in providing appropriate performance information to the Government;
- the extent to which agencies and the selected GBEs comply with the monitoring arrangements and legislative requirements; and
- whether the GBE monitoring system provides an effective level of accountability to Ministers and to the Parliament.
Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, presented to the Queensland Commonwealth Regional Heads Forum 15th Annual Government Business Conference
Integrity is a core value of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) — critical in sustaining the confidence of Parliament, strengthening public trust in government and delivering quality audit products. Maintaining strong institutional integrity is essential 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.
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 Report to provide increased transparency of the measures we undertake to maintain a high-integrity culture in the ANAO.
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The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 24 September 2015 to correspondence from the Hon Warren Truss MP on 18 September 2015 regarding probity and conflict of interest arrangements in place for the OneSKY Australia programme being led by Airservices Australia.
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The objective of this follow-up audit was to assess the extent to which APRA has implemented recommendations regarding the supervisory framework and cross-border banking made in ANAO's 2001 audit of bank prudential supervision.
The objective of this audit was to assess whether the WSA program has been administered effectively by the NWC/DEWHA, as relevant, and is achieving its stated program objective. Specifically, the ANAO examined whether:
- funding proposals have been assessed and approved in a fair, consistent manner and in accordance with applicable criteria, program guidelines and better practice;
- appropriate funding arrangements have been established with proponents, having regard to the size of the grant, the type of entity involved and the nature of the project; and
- DEWHA (and previously the NWC) is actively monitoring whether proponents are complying with their obligations, and grant payments are made only in accordance with funding agreements.
More broadly, the audit examined DEWHA's strategy for evaluating and reporting on the long-term benefits of the program.
Mr Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presentation to the Global Working Group of Auditors-General
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.
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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.
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 annual Integrity Report to provide increased transparency of the measures we undertake to maintain a high-integrity culture in the ANAO.
Please direct enquiries through our contact page.
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.
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 annual Integrity Report to provide increased transparency of the measures we undertake to maintain a high-integrity culture in the ANAO.
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of Creative Australia’s fraud and corruption control arrangements.
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The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 23 September 2015 to correspondence from Mr Tim Watts MP on 28 August 2015 regarding Liberal Party misappropriation of parliamentary entitlements.
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The Auditor-General responded on 8 March 2016 to correspondence from the Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP on 18 February 2016 regarding Goulburn Murray Water Connections Project 2 (GMWCP2).
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The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Federal Police’s framework to ensure the lawful exercise of powers in accordance with applicable legislation.
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The objective of the audit was to assess progress in implementing the corporate plan requirement under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
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The Auditor-General responded on 29 July 2021 to correspondence from Ms Michelle Rowland MP and Senator Kimberley Kitching dated 9 July 2021, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine NBN Co Limited executive bonuses for the 2019–2020 financial year and the legitimacy of the underlying targets to which the bonuses were linked.
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