This audit would examine the stand up and early implementation of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) to provide assurance that the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (Health) has administered UCC funding appropriately and is monitoring and evaluating the performance of UCCs to ensure the model is meeting its objectives and achieving value for money. Health describes the purpose of UCCs as helping to reduce pressure on hospitals and emergency departments, through providing urgent care in a general practitioner setting that is open seven days a week, early and late.

The October 2022–23 Federal Budget included $235 million over four years to commence the roll-out of 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs). In the 2023–24 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced $358.5 million over five years to establish 58 UCCs. In the 2024–25 Federal Budget, the government announced a further $227.0 million to boost the capacity of UCCs including by establishing another 29 UCCs, for a total of 87. In March 2025, the Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Aged Care committed an additional $644 million to open another 50 UCCs, with more clinics planned in every state and territory.

This audit would examine the effectiveness of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s (Health’s) implementation of star ratings for residential aged care.

The star ratings system was introduced in December 2022. An overall star rating and star ratings in four categories (compliance, residents’ experience, staffing and quality measures) are assigned to residential aged care services on a public facing website (My Aged Care) operated by Health. The star rating system aims to help older Australians and their representatives make more informed choices about their care and to help aged care providers to see where they are performing well and how they can improve. In October 2024 the Commonwealth Ombudsman made a public statement expressing a view that star ratings were not sufficiently meaningful to help people make informed decisions about their aged care. From November to December 2024 Health ran a consultation process on planned design changes to star ratings. Health has stated that an evaluation report was expected to be provided to the Australian Government in early 2025.

This audit would examine the effectiveness of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s; the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority’s; and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s exercise of functions in relation to supporting residential aged care provider viability.

In 2023, the Aged Care Taskforce reviewed funding arrangements for aged care and noted that structural issues mean that the residential aged care sector’s financial viability is poor. Five recommendations were specifically aimed at modernising accommodation funding and improving viability. The government’s September 2024 response to the recommendations included commitments to changes to ensure residential aged care providers have the funds they need to invest in residents’ comfort, keep facilities open and build new facilities; and reviews of accommodation pricing and the accommodation supplement. Regulatory changes are anticipated with the commencement of the Aged Care Act 2024 on 1 November 2025. The Act includes provisions designed to support the viability of for-profit and not-for-profit residential aged care providers.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission’s (the NDIS Commission’s) management of the restrictive practices undertaken by NDIS providers to NDIS clients.

Section 9 of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) defines a restrictive practice as any practice or intervention that restricts the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disability. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 certain restrictive practices are subject to regulation. The NDIS Commission has regulated restrictive practices under the NDIS since the entity was established in 2018. This includes monitoring the use of regulated restrictive practices and promoting their reduction and elimination.

Across the four quarters of 2022–23, an average of 4,480 participants were subject to unauthorised restrictive practices, and an average of 12,253 participants were subject to regulated restrictive practices.

This audit would assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department of Home Affairs’ and Australian Border Force’s customs duty administration.

Border and customs operations generate the Commonwealth’s second largest source of revenue. In 2023–24 there was $15.4 billion in revenue collected from customs duty ($13.8 billion), passenger movement charges ($1.1 billion) and import processing charges ($451 million). This was $3.4 billion less than had been estimated, meaning the department had not met its performance target for revenue collection. In its 2023-24 Annual Report, the department noted that it supports revenue protection through a range of activities, including through sampling refund and duty drawback applications to ensure eligibility and administering the voluntary disclosure program that encourages compliance with revenue payment to the Commonwealth.

This audit would assess the effectiveness and efficiency of cost recovery activities conducted by IP Australia. Areas to be examined would be cost recovery models used by IP Australia, including business processes, fee structures, how this links to the delivery of its business and how IP Australia ensures arrangements remain fit for purpose with changes to its operating environment. Following the Productivity Commission inquiry in 2016 and the government’s response, IP Australia has completed two fee reviews. In 2023–24 IP Australia recovered more than 98 per cent of its costs by charging for its services.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) is responsible for management of onshore detention centre contracts through its contracted service providers. According to Home Affairs public reporting, as of 31 December 2023 there were 872 people in immigration detention facilities (inclusive of 859 people in immigration detention centres and 13 in alternative places of detention).

The Department of Home Affairs publicly reports on the number of critical incidents in immigration detention facilities. In 2022–23, Home Affairs reported that there were 73.6 critical incidents per 1,000 detainees, compared to 46.8 per 1,000 detainees during 2021–22. A performance audit would examine the effectiveness of the Australian Border Force’s management of critical incidents in detention.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources’ (DISR) policies, program and stewardship to support safe and responsible use of new and emerging technologies in Australia, including Artificial Intelligence.

In February 2025 the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit released its report Inquiry into the use and governance of artificial intelligence systems by public sector entities — ‘Proceed with Caution’ that noted the need for continuing work in this area given the rapid nature of change.

The potential audit would examine the effectiveness of measures to reduce the backlog in processing of visas, modernise the visa system and embed simplification.

The ANAO agreed to consider an audit into this topic in response to Recommendation 17 of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration in its September 2024 report Migration, Pathway to Nation Building.

The audit will assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s (Health) and Services Australia’s approach to health provider compliance, including their response to the 2023 Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance (the Philip Review). The audit will also examine the Professional Services Review Scheme, which investigates referred cases of possible inappropriate practice in relation to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Health has policy responsibility for Medicare, the CDBS and the PBS. Through its Health Benefit Compliance Program, Health aims to support the integrity of health benefit claims through prevention, early identification and treatment of incorrect claiming, inappropriate practice and fraud. Auditor-General Report No. 17 2020–21 Managing Health Provider Compliance found that Health’s approach to health provider compliance was partially effective, due in part to a lack of risk-based compliance planning and monitoring of compliance outcomes. The Philip Review made a number of recommendations to Health and Services Australia to strengthen the integrity of the Medicare system and its health provider compliance mechanisms. In the 2023–24 Federal Budget, Health received $29.8 million to establish a taskforce to respond to the Philip Review’s recommendations. In the 2024–25 Budget, Health received $18.1 million over four years to extend and expand the government’s response to the Philip Review.