Transport, Education, Health sectors fall short on probity policies
Three agencies have failed to comply with the NSW Procurement Board’s Direction for engaging probity practitioners, the NSW Auditor-General has found. Read More
Audit Office of New South Wales
Cost of state fraud growing by the millions as agencies miss red flags
Agencies' passive approach to fraud is allowing the cost to taxpayers to grow, says one state auditor. It's possible to build a profile of the typical perpetrator and a list of red flags to watch for. Read More
NSW auditor general calls for stronger powers
Tony Whitfield Acting New South Wales auditor general Tony Whitfield has reiterated his predecessor Grant Hehir's call for his office to gain "follow the dollar" powers already in place in other states, as well as the ability to audit local councils. Whitfield used the Audit Office of New South Wales annual report to "encourage" the NSW government to act on previous recommendations to bolster the agency's strength: "The Public Accounts Committee in 2013 recommended that I have 'follow the dollar' powers. These powers will allow me to go beyond government agencies and examine the increasing number of non-government organisations and other external service providers that spend public money. The Commonwealth and several other State Auditors-General already have these powers." Read More
Productivity measurement rethink in NSW to be led by Treasury
NSW Treasury will soon help agencies improve productivity and efficiency reporting, but the Department of Education and Communities has pushed back on narrow audit office productivity measures. Read More
Hospital orthodoxy challenged as strategies fail to free up beds
Patch 'em up and get 'em out — Making hospital length of stay an efficiency metric has missed the unintended effect: unplanned readmissions. Managers at local health districts aren't watching the rate of unplanned readmissions and the result is no increase in available beds. Read More