Chapter 3Annual reports of agencies
3.1Annual reports for the 2024-25 financial year (the reporting period) from agencies within the Attorney-General’s and Home Affairs portfolios were referred to the committee for examination and report between 1 May 2025 and 31 October 2025. These annual reports are set out in paragraph 1.12.
3.2On this occasion, the committee has examined in more detail the reports of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Commonwealth Ombudsman (Ombudsman).
Australian Human Rights Commission
Tabling of the report
3.3The Australian Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2024-25 (AHRC annual report) was presented out of session to the Senate on 3 October 2025 and tabled in the House of Representatives on 7 October 2025. The AHRC annual report was presented to the Attorney-General on 17 September 2025.
Review by the accountable authority
3.4The president of the AHRC, Mr Hugh de Kretser, noted the following initiatives in his review of the reporting period:
progress on the Racism@University study;
launch of the ‘Help way earlier!’ report;
work on 14,000 enquiries and 3,000 complaints of discrimination and human rights breaches; and
work as the regulator of the positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment, sex discrimination and other unlawful conduct in workplaces.
Performance reporting
3.5The AHRC’s reporting framework is set out in the Attorney-General’s Portfolio Budget Statements 2024-25 (AG PBS) and the Australian Human Rights Commission Corporate Plan 2024-25 (AHRC Corporate Plan). The AG PBS contains the AHRC’s one outcome as well as several performance measures.
3.6Outcome 1:
An Australian society in which human rights are respected, protected and promoted through independent investigation and resolution of complaints, exercise of regulatory functions, contributions to law and policy reforms, research, education, partnerships, and monitoring and reporting on human rights.
3.7The AHRC measures its performance through five ‘goals’ which are then separated into 11 ‘outcomes’. Each ‘outcome’ also corresponds to one or more ‘indicators’ which act as qualitative or quantitative measures for performance.
3.8The AHRC annual report contains detailed information on the achievements and activities conducted by the AHRC which contribute to fulfilling each outcome and its indicators. Much of this information is a qualitative assessment of the AHRC’s performance.
3.9Some performance reporting could be improved through the provision of more precise details of how indicators have been fulfilled. For example, outcome 1.2 includes indicators such as ‘increase in duty holders understanding of the positive duty obligation’ which corresponds to a survey result of 96 per cent of respondents claiming they improved their understanding of the positive duty. However, it is unclear what the increase is relative to.
3.10Similarly, one indicator for outcome 3.2 is ‘high rates of participants finding …[AHRC’s] events and campaigns engaging and relevant’, however, it is unclear what the threshold is for the rate to be classified as ‘high’. Without clear articulation of performance ratings it is difficult to determine the actual performance of an agency.
3.11The AHRC annual report provides substantial detail on performance related initiatives which helps to provide a comprehensive picture of the AHRC’s work. However, the report could benefit from a short summary detailing whether each indicator was achieved or not. Such a summary would provide an easily accessible insight into the AHRC’s performance.
Financial performance
3.12The AHRC reported a comprehensive income of $4.256 million compared to a comprehensive income of 1.794 million in the previous reporting period. AHRC reports that this differed from the budget as revenue from the government had included ‘provision for activities that were contingent upon law reform’ which remained unlegislated during 2024-25.
3.13The AHRC also states that its cash balance was higher than budgeted due to ‘an increase in revenue received in advance for contracts with customers’.
Other matters
3.14Section 17BE(taa)(v) of the PGPA Rule states that annual reports should include:
information about each of those members’ attendance at meetings of the audit committee during the period.
3.15The AHRC annual report includes dates of the meetings, however, does not include how many meetings were attended by each member of the audit committee.
Conclusion
3.16Noting the observations in the preceding paragraphs, on balance the committee considers the annual report to be ‘apparently satisfactory’.
Commonwealth Ombudsman
Tabling of the report
3.17The Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2024-25 (Ombudsman’s annual report) was tabled in the Senate and the House of Representatives on 27 October 2025. The annual report was presented to the Attorney-General on 7 October 2025, meeting the requirements under section 46 of the PGPA Act.
Review by the accountable authority
3.18The Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr Iain Anderson, noted the following initiatives in his review of the reporting period;
receipt of 22 720 complaints and finalisation of 21 890;
commencement of the National Student Ombudsman;
changes to complaint management systems;
work to adopt new powers received by the Ombudsman under the Ombudsman Act 1976;
the release of the report, Keeping myGov secure;
the release of a public statement on Aged Care Star Ratings;
the release of the report, Learning from Merits Review;
the release of the report, Weaponising Child Support; and
the release of the report, Automation in the Targeted Compliance Framework.
Performance reporting
3.19The Ombudsman’s reporting framework is set out in the AG PBS and the Commonwealth Ombudsman Corporate Plan 2024-25 (Ombudsman’s Corporate Plan). The AG PBS outlines the Ombudsman’s one outcome as well as several performance measures.
3.20Outcome 1:
Fair and accountable administrative action by Australian Government entities and prescribed private sector organisations, by investigating complaints, reviewing administrative action and statutory compliance inspections and reporting.
3.21The Ombudsman measures its performance through four performance criteria which is made up of 11 performance indicators. Of its performance measures, the Ombudsman met two, partially met one and did not meet one. Of the 11 performance indicators the Ombudsman met 7 and did not meet four.
3.22The Ombudsman did not meet performance criterion 1 – ‘We provide quality complaint handling services’. All three relevant performance indicators were also not met. One of the reasons suggested by the Ombudsman for not meeting these indicators was the prioritisation of resolving older cases.
3.23The Ombudsman also did not meet performance indicator 2c of performance criteria 2 – ‘We effectively deliver our assurance activities’. The indicator measures the ‘percentage of targeted reports for long term detainees provided to the Minister’. The Ombudsman reports a result of 44 per cent, which is substantially lower than the target of 80 per cent. The Ombudsman notes several improvements to lift performance of this indicator including formalising their onboarding processes for new staff, ‘implementing streamlined assessment templates’ and ‘ensuring bilateral meetings … [are] regularly scheduled with external counterparts’ to enable better informed recommendations.
3.24Across all indicators, the Ombudsman includes extensive analysis explaining the results. Particularly of use is the inclusion of information on how performance of indicators which were not met could be improved, which was included for most indicators categorised as not met.
Other matters
3.25Section 17AG(7) of the PGPA rule requires that entities report on expenditure on new and existing reportable consultancy and non-consultancy contracts. The ombudsman has reported this expenditure, however, has not specified whether the figures are inclusive of GST, which is part of the rule.
Conclusion
3.26Noting the observations in the preceding paragraphs, on balance the committee considers the annual report to be ‘apparently satisfactory’.
General comments on other annual reports
3.27Compliance indexes are a useful tool in aiding the accessibility of annual reports and determining whether they comply with the PGPA Rule requirements.
3.28Several annual reports of agencies did not include page number references to each requirement or gave incorrect page numbers.
3.29Without page number references, it can be unclear where in the report a requirement has been fulfilled and subsequently, unclear whether the requirement has been fulfilled or not.
Senator Jana Stewart
Chair