The audit examined the effectiveness and efficiency of the FAO's management of overpayments, within the FTB Programme. In particular, the ANAO considered the FAO's activities in relation to FTB debt prevention, identification, raising and recovery. The audit also compared the FAO's policy documentation and guidance material for staff, against relevant sections of Family Assistance legislation.

The audit examined the process of identifying the ADC Weston Creek property for sale and leaseback and the management of the sale process. The objective of the performance audit was to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the management of the sale process by Defence, including assessing whether the sale and long term leaseback arrangements adequately protect the Commonwealth's interests.

The Australian Customs Service (Customs) is responsible for managing the integrity of Australia's border. The Australian maritime border is the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Australia's 37 000 kilometre coastline. The National Marine Unit (NMU) contributes to customs' Civil Maritime Surveillance and Response program. It has eight 35 - metre Bay Class vessels (known as Australian Customs Vessels or ACVs) that are capable of maintaining a strategic presence around the Australian coast. The audit examined the administrative effectiveness of the NMU's surveillance and response operations. Particular emphasis was given to the following areas:

• strategic and tactical taskings;
• crew operations;
• crew training;
• asset management; and
• governance arrangements.

The objectives of the audit were to determine whether: citizenship services were planned based on a risk assessment, especially in relation to fraud; and were monitored and reported on appropriately; decision-making was accurate, consistent and in line with relevent laws and policies and was supported by appropriate training and quality assurance (QA) mechanisms; client and outsourced services were managed effectively; and promotion strategies were effective and have been evaluated appropriately.

The objectives of the audit were to: examine the efficiency and administrative effectiveness of grant programs administered in the APS; and identify any specific problem areas and evidence of better practice in both program administration and agency guidelines not already included in the ANAO's 1994 Better Practice Guide on the Administration of Grants. The ANAO also sought to incorporate in the revision of the better practice guide the lessons learned through the audit to help ensure its continued relevance in public sector administration at all levels of government.

The objective of the audit was to assess whether the APVMA is performing its key regulatory functions effectively. In particular, the audit examined the APVMA's arrangements for:

• planning and overseeing the delivery of regulatory functions;
• registering pesticides and veterinary medicines in a timely manner;
• obtaining external scientific advice to support the registration function;
• monitoring the quality of pesticides and veterinary medicines approved for sale in Australia; and
• administering its cost recovery framework.

Mr P.J. Barrett (AM) - Auditor-General for Australia, addressed the Senior Executive Leadership 20. Canberra.

The objective of the audit was to assess the extent to which entities were meeting their recordkeeping responsibilities. In particular, the audit examined how effectively the entities were managing records that were created and stored electronically in corporate recordkeeping systems and in other electronic systems in accordance with recordkeeping requirements.

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, address to the Risk Management Institution of Australasia -ACT Chapter Conference 'Building on Experience'

Mr Ian McPhee - Auditor-General for Australia, presented at the Queensland Regional Heads Forum