This audit would assess the effectiveness of the early implementation of the Rewiring the Nation program. The Australian Government allocated $20 billion to establish the Rewiring the Nation program in the October 2022–23 Federal Budget. The Rewiring the Nation Office in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is responsible for managing the program, the Australian Energy Market Operator will act as a technical advisor, and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will act as the financing arm.

The program has supported several transmission projects including VNI West (KerangLink) between Victoria and NSW; Sydney Ring – Hunter Transmission Project; Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zones; HumeLink; and the Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria.

The audit would assess the effectiveness of the administration of statutory functions by selected Inspectors-General. This may include assessing how relevant entities address recommendations made by Inspectors-General.

There are several Commonwealth Inspectors-General including: Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security; Inspector-General of Biosecurity; Inspector-General of the Australian Defence; Inspector-General of Aged Care; Inspector-General of Water Compliance; Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman; and the Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports.

This audit would be a follow-up to Auditor-General Report No. 49 2018–19 Management of Commonwealth National Parks. The previous audit found that the Director of National Parks had not established effective arrangements to plan, deliver and measure the impact of its operational activities within the six terrestrial national parks. The previous audit made seven recommendations to the Director of National Parks.

The audit would assess the effectiveness of Department of Finance’s administration of coordinated procurement arrangements and procurements of goods or services by selected entities.

Coordinated procurement arrangements are established for commonly used goods or services by the Commonwealth, to realise efficiencies in process, price, service and quality for the Commonwealth. Arrangements managed by the Department of Finance include travel, government advertising, management advisory services and property services.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of selected entities’ administration of sponsorship arrangements.

Commonwealth entities are solicited to enter into sponsorship arrangements, including for events. A two-page guidance document published in July 2015 sets out sponsorship considerations, better practice processes and directs the reader to Resource Management Guide: 302 Australian Government Charging Framework.

The audit would assess the delivery of outcomes achieved by selected entities as intended by government approved New Policy Proposals.

This audit would examine the management of Commonwealth fisheries including the implementation of recommendations from Auditor-General Report No. 45 of 2020–21, Management of Commonwealth Fisheries. The Australian Government is involved in the management of 16 fisheries located between three and 200 nautical miles from the Australian coast. Nine fisheries are managed solely by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) on behalf of the Australian Government. Seven fisheries are managed jointly by AFMA and regional or international partners.

AFMA’s legislated functions and objectives require the pursuit of efficient and cost-effective fisheries management, balancing the principles of ecologically sustainable development with maximising net economic returns.

In the 2021 audit, the ANAO found that AFMA’s overall management of Commonwealth fisheries was partly effective and provided nine recommendations. AFMA agreed to all recommendations.

This audit would examine the effectiveness of the Future Drought Fund (FDF). The FDF was established in 2019 to provide funding for drought resilience initiatives. The Future Drought Fund (Drought Resilience Funding Plan 2024–2028) Determination 2024 includes funding principles. The Funding Plan provides a high-level principles-based framework to guide all FDF spending. The Productivity Commission carried out a review of the Future Drought Fund (FDF) and released their Inquiry Report on 26 September 2023, which included 14 recommendations.

This audit would examine the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) management of Approved Arrangements for the importation of live animals. The Biosecurity Act 2015 allows DAFF to approve public or private industry entities (or biosecurity industry participants) to carry out certain border biosecurity risk management activities, in accordance with specified conditions. Approved arrangement (AA) holders are approved to undertake certain biosecurity actions.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s administration of post entry quarantine.

Imported plants and animals, including cats, dogs, birds and horses, complete quarantine at the department’s Post Entry Quarantine facility in Mickleham, Victoria.