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Western Division Conference 2019 Auditing Local Government

Learn about the local government audit mandate, the impacts of the new mandate, insights from the first two years, and the upcoming sector report to Parliament.

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Western Division Conference 2019 Auditing Local Government

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  1. Western Division Conference 2019Auditing Local Government Margaret Crawford, Auditor-General 26 February 2019

  2. About Us Our vision: Our insights inform and challenge government to improve outcomes for citizens. Our mission: To help parliament hold government accountable for its use of public resources Margaret Crawford, Auditor-General of NSW and the Audit Office Exec Team.

  3. Local Government Audit mandate* -at a glance • Financial audit of all NSW Councils • Performance audit – sector wide or individual Councils • Sector report to Parliament – annual report on the results of all audits * Under the Local Government Amendment (Governance and Planning) Act 2016

  4. Immediate Impacts of new mandate Sector Impact • Increased cost • Increased expectations Audit Office Impact • 30% increase in workload • Understand new sector • New partnerships • New business model

  5. Insights from first two years Strengths • unique and diverse • close to people they represent • commitment to community outcomes Challenges • financial sustainability • capability – staff and elected officials • relationship with state and commonwealth governments • integrity/trust

  6. Value Add? • Consistency • Benchmarking • Improved standards • Audits focused on key risks and performance gaps • Recommendations to councils and to state government • Best practice guidance

  7. Sector Report to Parliament • Expect to table 28 February 2019 • Results of 2017-18 audits • Highlights improvements across the sector, but more work to do • Topics include: • Financial Reporting • Governance and Internal Controls • Information technology • Asset Management • Financial Performance and Sustainability • Data Visualisation • Video

  8. Changes to arrangements in 2018-19 • Bring in-house an additional 16 audits • Open tender process • Cost of audit set through a competitive process • Longer term contracts

  9. Performance auditing – the basics • Examines efficiency, effectiveness, economy and compliance • Identifies trends, good practices and performance improvement opportunities • Supports continuous improvement across the sector • Funded by NSW Government

  10. Local Government Performance Audit

  11. Annual work program Planned audits to 30 June 2019 • Waste Management in Local Government • Amalgamation: Managing staff implications • Development applications Future program is subject to change as more input received.

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