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Annual reports (No. 1 of 2003)

March 2003

© Commonwealth of Australia 2003

ISBN 0 642 71225 5

Download this report as a single file (PDF 350KB)

Contents

Membership of the Legislation Committee
Report to the Senate
Introduction
Annual reporting requirements
Evaluation of annual reports
Reports referred to the Committee
Departments and executive agencies
Statutory authorities
Statutory agency
Non-statutory bodies
Government business enterprises
Commonwealth companies
Reports on the operation of Trusts
Reports presented pursuant to statute
General comment
Summary
Appendix 1 - Annual reports referred to the Committee

Membership of the Legislation Committee

Members
Senator Alan Eggleston, Chair (LP, WA)
Senator Sue Mackay, Deputy Chair (ALP, TAS)
Senator Andrew Bartlett (AD, QLD)
Senate Kate Lundy (ALP, ACT)
Senator Santo Santoro (LP, QLD)
Senator Tsebin Tchen (LP, VIC)

Substitute Members
Senator Brian Greig (AD, WA) to replace Senator Bartlett for matters relating to the Information Technology portfolio
Senator Aden Ridgeway (AD, NSW) to replace Senator Bartlett for matters relating to the Arts portfolio

Participating Members
Senator the Hon Eric Abetz (LP, TAS)
Senator the Hon Nick Bolkus (ALP, SA)
Senator the Hon Ron Boswell (NPA, QLD)
Senator Bob Brown (AG, TAS)
Senator George Campbell (ALP, NSW)
Senator Kim Carr (ALP, VIC)
Senator Grant Chapman (LP, SA)
Senator Stephen Conroy (ALP, VIC)
Senator the Hon Helen Coonan (LP, NSW)
Senator Christopher Evans (ALP, WA)
Senator the Hon John Faulkner (ALP, NSW)
Senator Alan Ferguson (LP, SA)
Senator Jeannie Ferris (LP, SA)
Senator Brian Harradine (Ind, TAS)
Senator Leonard Harris (PHON, QLD)
Senator Susan Knowles (LP, WA)
Senator Meg Lees (Ind, SA)
Senator Ross Lightfoot (LP, WA)
Senator Jan McLucas (ALP, QLD)
Senator Brett Mason (LP, QLD)
Senator Julian McGauran (NPA, VIC)
Senator Shayne Murphy (Ind, TAS)
Senator Kerry Nettle (AG, NSW)
Senator Robert Ray (ALP, VIC)
Senator John Watson (LP, TAS)
Senator Penny Wong (ALP, SA)
Senator John Cherry (AD, QLD) for matters relating to the Communications portfolio

Committee Secretariat
Mr Michael McLean, Secretary
Ms Jacquie Hawkins, Research Officer

Committee Address
Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee
S1.57, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Tel: 02 6277 3526
Fax: 02 6277 5818
Email: ecita.sen@aph.gov.au
Internet: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ecita_ctte/index.htm

Report to the Senate

Introduction

By virtue of the operations of standing order 25(21) and a resolution of continuing effect adopted on 13 February 2002, the Senate refers to this Committee for examination and report the annual reports of departments and agencies of the following two portfolios:

• Communications, Information Technology and the Arts; and
• Environment and Heritage.

This report deals with reports tabled in the Senate during the period from 1 May 2002 to 31 October 2002 as required by standing order 25(21)(f).

Standing order 25(21) requires that the Committee shall:

(a) examine each annual report referred to it and report to the Senate whether the report is apparently satisfactory;

(b) consider in more detail, and report to the Senate on, each annual report which is not apparently satisfactory, and on the other annual reports which it selects for more detailed consideration;

(c) investigate and report to the Senate on any lateness in the presentation of annual reports;

(d) in considering an annual report, take into account any relevant remarks about the report made in debate in the Senate;

(e) if the committee so determines, consider annual reports of departments and budget-related agencies in conjunction with examination of estimates;

(f) report on annual reports tabled by 31 October each year by the tenth sitting day of the following year, and on annual reports tabled by 30 April each year by the tenth sitting day after 30 June of that year;

(g) draw to the attention of the Senate any significant matters relating to the operations and performance of the bodies furnishing the annual reports;

(h) report to the Senate each year whether there are any bodies which do not present annual reports to the Senate and which should present such reports.

Annual reporting requirements

Revised Requirements for Departmental Annual Reports were put forward by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and were agreed to by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) on 27 June 2002. The Requirements are pursuant to subsections 63(2) and 70(2) of the Public Service Act 1999.

Under the Requirements, the annual reports of departments and executive and prescribed agencies must be tabled by 31 October. If a department is unable to meet this deadline, the secretary is to advise the responsible minister of the reasons for the slippage, the expected tabling date and what action is proposed so that the deadline will be met for the following year’s annual report. The responsible minister is to table this explanation in the Parliament on the next available sitting day.[1]

Under section 48 of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) the Minister for Finance outlines the annual reporting requirements for Commonwealth authorities and companies in the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Orders 1998. Section 9 of the CAC Act applies to Commonwealth authorities and specifies the deadline for the presentation of an annual report to the responsible Minister. Section 36 of the CAC Act outlines the reporting obligations of Commonwealth companies.

Some statutory authorities are required to follow the departmental guidelines if their head has the powers of a secretary as defined under the Public Service Act 1999.

Requirements for the annual reports of non-statutory bodies are set out in the Government Response to recommendations of the then Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Government Operations in its report entitled, Reporting Requirements for the Annual Reports of Non-Statutory Bodies. The response was incorporated into the Senate Hansard of 8 December 1987.[2]

Evaluation of annual reports

This report reviews forty annual reports of departments and agencies within the portfolios of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, and of Environment and Heritage, which were tabled in the Senate or presented to the President between 1 May and 31 October 2002.

Appendix 1 provides a record of:

• the departments or agencies whose annual reports have been referred to the Committee for consideration;

• the basis under which the organisation operates, eg department or statutory authority;

• dates indicating the progressive stages in presentation of the annual report; and

• the date the report was tabled in, or deemed to be presented to, the Senate.

Reports referred to the Committee

The following reports have been referred to the Committee for examination and report:

Departments and executive agencies

• Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts - Annual Report 2001-02

• Department of the Environment and Heritage - Annual Report 2001-02
  including the annual report of the Supervising Scientist pursuant to the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978 and reports on the operation of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Ozone Protection Act 1989, the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989 and the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986

• Australian Greenhouse Office - Annual Report 2001-02

• Bureau of Meteorology - Annual Report 2001-2002

• National Archives of Australia and National Archives of Australia Advisory Council - Annual Report 2001-02

• National Oceans Office - Annual Report 2001-02

• National Office for the Information Economy - Annual Report 2001-02

Statutory authorities

• Australia Council - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Broadcasting Authority - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Communications Authority - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Film Commission - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Film Television and Radio School - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Heritage Commission - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian National Maritime Museum - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australian Sports Commission - Annual Report for 2001-02

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Annual Report 2001-02

• National Gallery of Australia - Annual Report 2001-02

• National Library of Australia - Annual Report 2001-02

• National Museum of Australia - Annual Report 2001-02

• Special Broadcasting Service Corporation - Annual Report 2001-02

Statutory agency

• Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator - Annual Report 2001

Non-statutory body

• Public Lending Right Committee - Annual Report 2001-02

Government business enterprises

• Australia Postal Corporation - Annual Report 2001-02

• Australia Post - Equal Employment Opportunity Report 2001-02

• Australia Post - Statement of Corporate Intent 2002/03-2004/05

• Telstra Corporation - Annual Report 2002

• Telstra Corporation -Equal Employment Opportunity Annual Report 2001-02

Commonwealth companies

• Australia Business Arts Foundation Ltd - Financial Report for Year Ended 30 June 2002

• Bundanon Trust - Annual Report 2001-02

• Film Australia - Annual Report 2001-02

• Film Finance Australia Corporation- Annual Report 2001-02

• NetAlert - Annual Report 2001-02

Reports on the operation of Trusts

• Natural Heritage Trust - Annual Report 2000-01

• Sydney Harbour Federation Trust - Annual report 2001-02

Reports presented pursuant to statute

• ACCC - Telecommunications reports 2000-01

Report 1. Telecommunications competitive safeguards;

Report 2. Changes in the prices paid for telecommunications services in Australia

Report 3. Telstra’s compliance with the price control arrangements

• Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts -
  Six-Month Report on the Online Content Co-Regulatory Scheme, July-December 2001

• Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts -
  The Future of Community Television - Clause 60C(3) of schedule 4 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, June 2002

• Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts - Telecommunications Carrier Industry Development Plans Progress Report

2000-01

• Environment Australia - Annual Report on the Protection of Moveable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 - Annual Report 2000-01

General comment

The Committee notes that the June 2002 Requirements for Departmental Annual Reports no longer require a compliance index as well as an alphabetical index to be included in departmental and agency reports. However, the Committee also notes that a number of annual reports examined in this report have continued to include both indexes. The Committee commends those agencies as it considers a compliance index to be a useful tool for accountability purposes.

Summary

The Committee finds that the 2001-02 annual reports referred to it have provided an appropriately comprehensive description of the activities of the reporting bodies and were of a commendably high standard of presentation. They generally met the requirements of the various guidelines that apply to them and were timely in their presentation to the Parliament. The Auditor-General did not qualify any of the agency's financial statements. Accordingly, the Committee is pleased to report its finding that the annual reports referred to it for examination and tabled in the period under examination were apparently satisfactory.

Senator Alan Eggleston
Chairman

Appendix 1

Annual reports referred to the Committee between 1 May 2002 and 31 October 2002

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