The ANAO could assess the delivery of the National Firearms Register (NFR) Program. On 1 July 2024, the NFR Program commenced. This followed National Cabinet’s agreement on 6 December 2023 to deliver the most significant firearms reforms in Australia in 30 years (the NFR delivers on an outstanding reform from the 1996 Port Arthur response). The NFR is to be a federated operating model to achieve near real-time tracking of registered firearms and licence holders. Enabled by policy and legislative change, NFR is to collect and share information from Commonwealth, state and territory firearms registers, portals and management systems. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is responsible for leading the national program to establish the NFR. The ACIC is to upgrade existing national systems to enable the near real-time sharing of firearms and licence holder information; to include data from existing Home Affairs, Australian Border Force and Defence systems to enable tracing of firearms imports and exports.

The ANAO could assess the Australian Government’s planning and use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence on core processes including governance, human resource management and fraud detection/prevention (internal controls).

The ANAO could assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) arrangements for reducing and assessing the fringe benefits tax (FBT) gap. The tax gap is a measure used by the ATO to estimate the difference between the tax it expects to collect and the amount that would have been collected if every taxpayer was fully compliant with the relevant taxation law. The ATO estimates the FBT gap in 2022–23 was $1.8 billion or 30.4 per cent. This has consistently been the largest tax gap as a proportion of the potential tax base reported by the ATO since 2019–20.

The ANAO could assess the Regional Investment Corporation’s (RIC’s) management of loans to meet policy objectives and regulatory requirements in providing loans. The RIC administers concessional loans for farmers and farm-related small businesses to recover and rebuild after significant financial disruption from events such as drought, natural disasters, biosecurity and cumulative events. In October 2023, RIC insourced the provision and management of loans.

The ANAO could assess the planning and delivery of the renovation of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s headquarters, including examining the adequacy of the planning and delivery processes for the project, whether value-for-money is being achieved in the planning and delivery of the project, and compliance with requirements (legislation, procurement rules).

The ANAO could examine Services Australia’s management of physical and personnel security risks across its national service centre network. Services Australia is responsible for delivering high quality, accessible services and payments on behalf of government, including for social security, child support, emergency and health programs. To facilitate face to face contact with customers it maintains a national footprint; in 2024–25, this included 318 service centres, 568 agents and access points and 4 mobile service centres. Under the Protective Security Policy Framework, Services Australia is required to implement specific measures to identify and mitigate security risks and vulnerabilities to protect people, information and resources. A security risk management review published in July 2023 found risks in Services Australia’s security and safety practices, providing 44 recommendations for improvement. In response, the Australian Government allocated $361 million (from 2023–24 to 2025–26) to strengthen Services Australia’s security and support the implementation of these recommendations.

The ANAO could assess the management of a number of key registers, such as the Tax File Number register by the Australian Taxation Office, the Charities Register by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, or registers within the RegistryConnect program administered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

The ANAO could assess the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and Outback Stores’ administration of the Low-cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme (LESS). Nutrition related ill-health is significantly higher in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, due in part to limited access to healthy food and higher rates of food insecurity. The aims of the LESS are to support remote First Nations households’ access to affordable essential items and remote community stores’ capability to meet the needs of their communities. In February 2025, the Australian Government committed $50 million in funding over four years for the LESS. In February 2026, the government committed an additional $27.4 million to support an additional 75 stores to participate in the LESS. The NIAA has published a National Code of Practice for Remote Store Operations that sets out governance, operations and health standards. Outback Stores delivers the scheme, with subsidies for freight and logistics costs. NIAA is responsible for receiving and assessing applications and managing compliance with requirements and better practice.

The ANAO could assess whether the Department of Defence (Defence) is effectively managing the rapid acquisition and integration of counter-small uncrewed aerial systems capability. Project LAND 156 — Counter-Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems has been established to rapidly introduce and continuously modernise counter-drone capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The capability is intended to support the detection, tracking, identification and neutralisation of small uncrewed aerial threats. This work aligns with the 2026 National Defence Strategy emphasis on emerging technologies, sovereign industrial capability and lessons from recent conflicts, and sits within a broader expansion of investment in counter-drone capability, including the government’s April 2026 announcement of up to $7 billion under the Integrated Investment Program over the next decade. The ANAO could examine whether Defence’s acquisition and delivery approach is supported by effective planning, assurance and risk management arrangements.

The ANAO could assess whether the Department of Defence (Defence) has appropriate administrative and reporting arrangements for rapid acquisitions and urgent operational procurements. Defence undertakes large and complex procurement activities to acquire goods and services in support of military capability and operations. Previous ANAO work has identified potential risks relating to rapid or urgent procurements. The Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) set out circumstances in which the rules do not apply, where this is considered necessary for specified purposes. Paragraph 2.6 of the CPRs also indicates that procurements undertaken under that provision are generally not required to be reported on AusTender. The ANAO could examine whether Defence has clear guidance and approval arrangements for these pathways, and whether selected procurements were identified, approved and reported in a manner consistent with requirements.

The ANAO could assess whether workforce planning and deployment in the Australian Taxation Office effectively supports delivery of its key activities.

The ANAO could assess the design and delivery of programs to improve employment outcomes in remote Australia. In 2024 the Australian Government committed to replace the Community Development Program (CDP), with two new programs. The Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) aims to subsidise 6,000 jobs in remote communities. RJED has been allocated $1.006 billion over four years with grant rounds commencing in December 2024. The Remote Australian Employment Service (RAES) commenced on 1 November 2025 and aims to build skills and address barriers to employment for around 40,000 job seekers across 1,200 remote communities. The RAES has been allocated $1.9 billion over five years.

The ANAO could assess the Department of Defence’s (Defence) procurement of the MC-55A Peregrine aircraft through a United States Foreign Military Sales arrangement. The project, AIR555 Phase 1, is a first-of-type acquisition to deliver airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare (ISREW) capability, based on a modified Gulfstream G550 aircraft. Second pass approval occurred in September 2017 for $1.9 billion to deliver four aircraft and supporting IT and training systems. The project’s approved budget was $2.4 billion as at 30 June 2025. AIR555 has been reported in the ANAO’s Major Projects Report since 2021–22 and was elevated to a ‘project of interest’ in September 2023 due to schedule delays. The ANAO could provide independent assurance to Parliament on Defence’s acquisition and project management of AIR555, including Defence’s management of cost, schedule, scope and integration risks.

The ANAO could assess the implementation of REDSPICE to expand the range and sophistication of the Australian Signals Directorate’s intelligence and cyber capabilities. The 2024 National Defence Strategy highlighted that space and cyber capabilities play a significant role in safeguarding national security and listed the continued investment in the Australian Signals Directorate through REDSPICE as a capability investment priority. The REDSPICE program was announced in 2022 with $9.9 billion in funding over ten years. The REDSPICE program includes growing the workforce with 1900 new roles, a three-fold increase in offensive cyber capability, improved foundational technologies (including artificial intelligence) and an increased national and international footprint. The ANAO could examine the objectives of the program and the extent to which those objectives have been achieved.

The ANAO could assess the Department of Defence’s (Defence) planning of the Henderson Defence Precinct. The precinct is a major infrastructure initiative intended to support continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment, including facilities for larger and more complex surface vessels and for contingency docking and maintenance of Australia’s future conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines. Government announced an initial commitment of $127 million over three years in October 2024 for planning and enabling activities, followed by $12 billion in September 2025 to commence early works while detailed planning and design are finalised. Defence has estimated the precinct will require infrastructure investment in the order of $25 billion over the next decade. The ANAO could examine whether Defence has established effective arrangements to plan and manage the precinct’s scope, cost, schedule, risks, dependencies and stakeholder engagement.

The ANAO could assess establishment of the Defence Delivery Agency to support the delivery of the Australian Government’s future capability requirements. On 1 December 2025, the Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Industry announced the Government’s intention to establish a new Defence Delivery Agency, led by a National Armaments Director, to strengthen the acquisition and sustainment of defence capability. The new agency will consolidate existing groups within the department – Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Group, and Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group. The ANAO could provide independent assurance on the establishment and governance arrangements of the Defence Delivery Agency including oversight, planning and staffing, business risk management and performance measurement and reporting.

Airservices Australia delivers safety-critical air navigation services and aviation rescue firefighting across the national network, functions that depend on a highly specialised workforce operating under multiple industrial agreements and certification regimes. Shortfalls or mismatches in skills, numbers, locations, or rostering of this workforce can materially affect the service continuity, cost efficiency, and safety assurance or air transportation. The ANAO could examine workforce management in Airservices Australia, including whether its workforce is strategically planned, sustainably resourced, and effectively deployed.

The ANAO could assess the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s (NDIS Commission) and the National Disability Insurance Agency’s management of critical incidents. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) it is the responsibility of the NDISQSC to receive reports of and manage reportable incidents in relation to NDIS providers and workers. Reportable incidents include the death of, serious injury to, abuse or neglect of, unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault of, sexual misconduct committed against or the use of a restrictive practice against a person with a disability. Responding to reportable incidents may involve investigating serious and alleged incidents by NDIS providers, and where there are breaches of the NDIS Act and Rules managing any necessary action. The NDIS Commission shares reportable incident data with police, state and territory worker screening units, consumer affairs agencies and other regulatory bodies to support the identification of systematic issues and to respond to incidents. In 2024–25 there were 24,566 reportable incidents of which 6,369 were reported to the police.

The ANAO could assess the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA’s) debt management and recovery processes, and its administration of compensation recovery and reduction amounts. A debt can arise and be recovered where a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) payment is made to a person or organisation not entitled to it. For example, where a NDIS participant or provider makes a mistake in their claim or makes a false claim. In 2024–25 the NDIA reported a historical scheme debt provision of $6.3 million. In August 2025, the NDIA completed a review of its debt management policies and practices and found errors in the way it handled some historical participant and provider debts, which it revoked or refunded. The NDIA is progressing system and policy improvements through its Crack Down on Fraud and Payment Integrity programs. Amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 made in October 2024 allow the NDIA to apply more flexible debt waivers to protect participants.

For some participants entitled to NDIS payments, separate compensation is also payable for the cost of supports they need due to personal injury causing their impairment. The NDIA may recover specific compensation amounts from participants, compensation payers or insurers to avoid duplication in support funding. In 2024–25 the NDIA reported compensation receipts of $69.2 million. The NDIA may separately apply a compensation reduction amount (CRA) to a participant’s plan, reducing their entitlement to future NDIS support funding. A CRA is not a debt owed to the NDIA. In relation to compensation recovery, NDIS legislation allows the NDIA to seek compensation on a participant’s behalf and allows it to decide not to recover compensation in special circumstances.

The ANAO could assess the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) policies and practices for procuring goods and services — including planning, market engagement, risk management, probity arrangements, tender evaluation, contract management and transparency. As a non-prescribed corporate Commonwealth entity, the NDIA is not required to comply with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. A March 2023 Independent Review of Services Australia and NDIA Procurement and Contracting identified deficiencies and deviations from good practice in relation to NDIA’s procurement practices, and made recommendations to improve documentation, probity, competition, reporting, and value-for-money assessments. In 2024–25, the NDIA reported 40 contracts with an original value of over $1 million, the combined value of which was over $484 million.

The ANAO could assess selected entities’ success in meeting one or more Australian Government requirements related to climate change and may assess the effectiveness of policy owners with respect to supporting entities to meet requirements.

The Australian Government has developed policies and requirements aimed at supporting the public service to respond to climate change. These include APS Net Zero Emissions by 2030; the Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program; and the Commonwealth Climate Disclosure policy.

• APS Net Zero Emissions by 2030 aims to support the achievement of net zero in government operations by 2030. It includes the requirement for non-corporate Commonwealth entities to develop emissions reductions plans.
• The Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program aims to support entities to consider climate risk and opportunities as part of decision-making processes and enterprise risk management.
• The Commonwealth Climate Disclosure policy is the Government’s policy for Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies to publicly report on their exposure to climate risks and opportunities, as well as their actions to manage them, delivering transparent and consistent climate disclosures to the Australian public.

The Deputy Auditor-General responded on 5 January 2017 to correspondence from the Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC MP on 4 November 2016 requesting the Auditor-General investigate if grants awarded under the Apprenticeship Training Alternative Delivery Pilots program represented value for money for the Australian taxpayer.

The Auditor-General undertook a limited assurance engagement of the Department of Finance’s management of the lease between the Commonwealth of Australia and the New South Wales Rifle Association over the Malabar Headland. The limited assurance engagement examined whether the management was, in all material respects, in accordance with the Commonwealth Property Management Framework.

The Auditor-General responded on 27 February 2017 to correspondence from Dr Jim Chalmers MP dated 29 December 2016, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an audit of aspects of the lease arrangements for the rifle range at Malabar Headland in New South Wales (NSW).

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 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 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s management of initiatives to supply low aromatic fuel to Indigenous communities.

The Defence Force Recruitment Campaign is designed to attract the right people to sustain and enhance Defence capability by generating enough enquiries to successfully meet Australian Defence Force's (ADF) recruitment target. The Navy Brand advertising is intended to convey the key messages associated with the Navy.

This campaign aims to attract the right people to sustain and enhance Defence capability by generating enough enquiries to successfully meet Australian Defence Force's (ADF) recruitment target. The cut down versions of the Navy television commercials are intended to provide greater flexibility in placing the advertisements and without loss of impact.

This campaign aims to attract the appropriate people to sustain and enhance Defence capability by generating enough enquiries to successfully meet Australian Defence Force's (ADF) recruitment target. The campaign is designed to create a greater level of awareness, among Australia's Indian and Arabic populations, of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as an employer of culturally diverse Australians.

The campaign objectives are to raise awareness of undergraduate and graduate health positions in the ADF and to communicate that the roles provide the opportunity for intelligent, everyday people to do extraordinary and worthwhile jobs

The campaign aims to encourage nurses and midwives who are currently outside the nursing workforce to return to nursing by providing cash bonuses of up to $6,000 to eligible nurses and $1,000 to the employers as retraining contribution.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

This campaign was designed to educate Australians about the importance of protecting themselves against avoidable blindness and vision loss.

The aim of the campaign is to contribute to a reduction in the uptake of methamphetamines and other illicit drugs among young Australians, by raising awareness of the harms associated with drug use and by encouraging and supporting decisions not to use. It is also intended to encourage young people using methamphetamines to reconsider their use and direct them to relevant support, counselling and treatment services.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people, for whom English is not a convenient language, to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people, for whom English is not a convenient language, to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The campaign's objectives are to encourage people to lodge an 07/08 tax return and to update their address and direct deposit details with the ATO, to manage expectations about the arrival date for the payments and provide information about what to do if the payments are not received.

The campaign is a community awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of Australia's quarantine laws and of the particular risks of bringing foreign items into Australia.

The Digital Switchover campaign aims to provide all Australians with a smooth transition from analogue to digital television by 31 December 2013. The first phase of this campaign aims to raise awareness and provide general information to people about the Digital Switchover. This phase includes the introduction of a labelling scheme, to identify whether TVs are digital ready or require a set top box.

The campaign's objective is to inform Centrelink customers who are in or commence a same sex relationship about changes to their entitlements and obligations as a result of the Same Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws - General Law Reform) Act 2008.

The campaign's objective is to promote the National Security Hotline (NSH) and remind Australians to be vigilant and report possible signs of terrorism to the NSH.

The Australian Government has identified cancer as one of the seven National Health Priority Areas. The campaign targets young Australians 13-24 years of age and young adults 18-24 years of age as they have the worst sun protection behaviours and the highest frequency of sunburn. The campaign aims to educate young Australians about the importance of protecting themselves from skin cancer in five ways (hat, shade, sunscreen, sunglasses and sun protective clothing).

The purpose of the campaign is to:

• raise traveller awareness of SmartGate (an automated passenger processing system utilising ePassports);
• encourage travellers to choose to use SmartGate;
• increase current usage; and
• guide travellers how to use it before they arrive at the Customs border.

The use of SmartGate is voluntary as eligible travellers have the option of being processed manually by a Customs Officer.

First Home Saver Accounts are a new initiative to assist eligible Australians to save for their first home through a combination of government contributions and low taxes, in superannuation style savings accounts with account providers. The campaign will set the context for the new initiative and raise awareness. The campaign elements are to articulate the eligibility criteria, individual obligations, entitlements and accessibility rules, as well as explain the respective roles and responsibilities of account providers and government administrators and regulators.

The campaign is a community awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of Australia's quarantine laws and of the particular risks of bringing foreign items into Australia.

The Auditor-General responded on 9 September 2016 to correspondence from the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP on 15 June 2016 regarding the appropriateness of arrangements concerning the Liberal Party of Australia entity Parakeelia Pty Ltd.

The aim of the May to July 2010 burst of campaign advertising for the National Security Campaign is to build upon previous phases of the campaign through continuing to remind Australians to remain vigilant and to report possible signs of terrorism related activity to the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00.

The campaign for the National STI Prevention Program is designed to inform young Australians aged 15-29 years about the transmission, symptoms, treatment and prevention of STIs, and encourage safe sexual behaviour to contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of sexually transmissible infections among this age group.

The overall aim of the National Drugs Campaign is to contribute to a reduction in the uptake of illicit drugs among young Australians, by raising awareness of the harms associated with drug use and encouraging and supporting decisions not to use. It is also intended to encourage young people using methamphetamines to reconsider their use and direct them to relevant support, counselling and treatment services.

The Digital Switchover campaign aims to provide all Australians with a smooth transition from analogue to digital television. The first region to switch over to digital television will be Mildura/Sunraysia on 30 June 2010 and the second region will be Regional South Australia & Broken Hill on 15 December 2010. Tailored local communications will be launched in Regional South Australia and Broken Hill from 28 March 2010, and they will include the date of digital switchover for that region.

The overall aim of the National Drugs Campaign is to contribute to a reduction in the uptake of illicit drugs among young Australians, by raising awareness of the harms associated with drug use and encouraging and supporting decisions not to use. It is also intended to encourage young people using methamphetamines to reconsider their use and direct them to relevant support, counselling and treatment services.

The overall aim of the campaign activity is to contribute to a reduction in the uptake and prevalence of smoking among young Australians.

The Digital Switchover campaign aims to provide all Australians with a smooth transition from analogue to digital television. Phase Two is a two-pronged approach of multi-regional communications targeting the broader Australian population, combined with further targeted communications in each switchover area prior to the analogue signals being switched off. The first region to switch over is the Mildura/Sunraysia region on the 30 June 2010.Tailored local communications including NESB materials will be targeted to this region from January 2010 untiltwo weeks past the switchover date.

This campaign aims to attract the right people to sustain and enhance Defence capability by generating enough enquiries to successfully meet Australian Defence Force's (ADF) recruitment target. The campaign has been developed to position the ADF as a preferred employer among the target audience by establishing the brand positions of each of the services and by advertising a range of positions offered in the ADF.

The Digital Switchover Campaign aim is to provide all Australians with a smooth transition from analogue to digital television by 31 December 2013. The second phase of the campaign aims to maintain awareness levels and drive conversion, especially in areas where the switchover is imminent, while also ensuring that that those households who have not yet converted to digital are aware of what will happen if they don't.

The National Binge Drinking Campaign's objectives are to raise awareness of the harms and costs to young people, their families, communities and society associated with drinking to intoxication, to encourage young people and their parents to question the acceptability and impact of intoxicated behaviour, to highlight the influence that parental attitudes to alcohol misuse and adult behaviour and drinking to intoxication can have on others and provide referral and support information for those who recognise a need to seek help.

This campaign forms part of the main Defence Force Recruitment (July-December 2009) Campaign and is intended to raise awareness of a diverse range of jobs available in the Air Force.

The campaign's objective is to raise awareness and understanding of the Secure and Sustainable Pension reforms announced in the 2009-10 Budget measures, and in particular how they relate to the individual circumstances of current pension recipients.