The NSW Public Accounts Committee today highlighted concerns about the limited action taken to address the Auditor-General’s recommendations on responding to domestic and family violence.
The Committee Chair, Jonathan O’Dea MP, stressed the importance of action in this area, saying; “Domestic and family violence is a profoundly destructive social issue and the NSW Government needs to do everything in its power to tackle this devastating problem, which affects the very heart of our communities – our families and our children.”
The Committee heard that the Government is developing a whole-of-government Domestic and Family Framework, which aims to address a number of issues surrounding domestic and family violence. The Committee has recommended that agencies readdress the Auditor-General’s recommendations to ensure they are fully implemented in the context of that framework, as action to date has been inadequate.
The Committee’s recommendations formed part of the Committee’s report on the Examination of the Auditor-General’s Performance Audits October 2011 – March 2012. The report followed up four of the Auditor-General’s audit reports – Improving Road Safety: Young Drivers; Responding to Domestic and Family Violence; Managing IT Services Contracts; and Visiting Medical Officers and Staff Specialists. It made nine recommendations, designed to improve the performance of government agencies.
Regarding the other performance audits examined, the Committee found that Transport for NSW & Roads and Maritime Services [RMS] have progressed many of the Auditor-General’s recommendations to improve the safety of young drivers. The Committee recommended that these agencies ensure that their driver safety and repeat offender programs are implemented in a timely way and encouraged RMS to increase public access to road safety data.
The Committee also made recommendations that:
· the Government establish a standardised approach to risk-based contract management plans for IT services contracts; and
· NSW Health completes the state-wide rollout of the VMoney system, conducts clinical audits to detect inconsistencies in Visiting Medical Officer [VMO] claims, and works with the Australian Medical Association concerning proposed amendments to VMO contracts.
The Government has six months to respond in writing to the PAC’s recommendations.
For more information about the inquiry and to access a copy of the report, please visit the PAC website: www.parliament.nsw.gov/publicaccounts
