Chapter 3


Chapter 3

Annual Reports of Commonwealth Authorities, Companies and Agencies

3.1        For the financial year 2012-13, the annual reports of the following statutory bodies were referred to the committee for examination and report during the period 1 May to 31 October 2013:

Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Portfolio

  • Aged Care Commissioner;
  • Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Limited; and
  • Coordinator-General for Remote Indigenous Services.

Health and Ageing Portfolio

  • Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool;
  • Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care;
  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare;
  • Australian National Preventive Health Agency;
  • Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority;
  • Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency;
  • Australian Sports Commission;
  • Australian Sports Foundation Limited;
  • Cancer Australia;
  • Health Workforce Australia;
  • Independent Hospital Pricing Authority;
  • National Blood Authority;
  • National Health Funding Body National Health Performance Authority;
  • National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme;
  • National Mental Health Commission;
  • Office of the Gene Technology Regulator;
  • Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority;
  • Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee;
  • Private Health Insurance Ombudsman; and
  • Professional Services Review.

Human Services Portfolio

  • Australian Hearing

3.2        The committee chose selected reports on which to make more detailed comment. Examined in more detail are the annual reports of:

  • Anindilyakwa Land Council;
  • Northern Land Council;
  • Australian Hearing;
  • Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool;
  • Health Workforce Australia; and
  • Australian Sports Commission.

Anindilyakwa Land Council

3.1        The Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) formally commenced as an Australian Government Statutory Authority in 1991, undertaking the role previously carried out by the Northern Land Council. In the 2011–12 reporting period the ALC celebrated 20 years of operation. 

3.2        The committee commends the ALC on a well-presented and informative annual report. The committee is pleased to note that, following recommendations from the committee's Report on Annual Reports 2012(2),[1] the ALC has included a compliance index and further information about staff employed in this year's report.

3.3     The committee notes that future reports would benefit from including a general index and glossary, and ensuring that the compliance index is easy to locate, for instance by including its location in the table of contents.

Northern Land Council

3.4        The Northern Land Council was established in 1973, and became a statutory authority in 1976, following the enactment of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.[2] Achievements noted for this reporting period include the development of a new draft Strategic Plan for 2012–2017, and, alongside the Anindilyakwa Land Council, successfully lobbying the Northern Territory Government to introduce a three-year moratorium on exploration and seabed mining in the Territory's coastal waters.[3] 

3.5        The committee finds the Northern Land Council's Annual Report to be well presented, informative, and easy to navigate. The committee is pleased to note that the 2011–2012 report includes a compliance index. Future reports would also benefit from the inclusion of a general index.

Australian Hearing

3.6        Australian Hearing was established by the Australian Government in 1947 to provide hearing services to children affected by a series of rubella epidemics and to assist veterans who suffered hearing damage during World War Two. Australian Hearing is a statutory authority constituted under the
Australian Hearing Services Act 1991.[4] Highlights for Australian Hearing for the 2012—13 period included providing a total of 463,497 hearing services with 68,296 services being provided to children and young Australians up to the age of 26. A second Hearing Bus was launched during the year, providing improved access to hearing services in regional areas.[5]

3.7        The Committee finds Australian Hearing Annual Report to be well presented and easy to navigate and complies with the CAC Act reporting requirements.

Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool

3.8        The National Health Funding Pool and the position of Administrator was established following the signing of the National Health Reform Agreement by all Australian Governments in August 2011. The Pool commenced operations on 1 July 2012 after the passage of the Commonwealth National Health Reform Act 2011 and related national health reform legislation in all state and territory parliaments. The key objectives are providing transparency and sustainability in funding of Australia's health and hospital system.[6]

3.9        The Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool is an independent statutory office holder and is not subject to the control or direction of any Commonwealth Minister.[7]  

3.10      The committee congratulates the Administrator of the National Health Funding Pool on the presentation of his inaugural report. The committee notes that the Annual Report meets the requirements set out under sections 241 to 243 of the Commonwealth National Health Reform Act 2011.[8]  The Annual Report is well presented and the committee notes the value of the disclosure index on page 210 that outlines the requirements that must be included in the report.[9]

Health Workforce Australia

3.11      Health Workforce Australia (HWA) was established as a national health workforce agency by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). It was established through the 2008 National Partnership Agreement on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform.  Operations began in January 2010 with the enactment of the Health Workforce Australia Act 2009.[10] HWA is a Commonwealth statutory authority that takes direction from the Standing Council of Health, which comprises of Health Ministers of Commonwealth, territory and state governments.  HWA's goal is to build a sustainable health workforce for Australia.[11]

3.12      The committee notes the index of Annual Report requirements at the end of the report.  For future reports the committee would benefit by having the compliance index in a table against the regulatory requirements that are currently laid out in the middle of the report.

Australian Sports Commission

3.13      Under the Administrative Arrangement Order on 18 September 2013, the Australian Sports Commission became a part of the Health Portfolio, moving from the Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport portfolio.[12]

3.14      The Australian Sports Commission is an Australian Government agency that was established in 1985 and operates under the
Australian Sports Commission Act 1989.[13]  The agency develops, supports and invests in sport at all levels. The Commission's national leadership is achieved through three operation areas; The Australian Institute of Sport, Participation and Sustainable Sports and Corporate Operations.[14]

The committee notes that the Australian Sports Foundation's activities, governance and financial statements are included in the Australian Sports Commission's report.[15] The committee also notes the well laid out and easy to find information in the Annual Report.

Senator Dean Smith
Interim Chair

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