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The Auditor-General responded on 24 August 2018 to a request from Mr Ross Vasta MP dated 30 July 2018, asking that the Auditor-General consider correspondence from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Brisbane) dated 12 July 2018. The association is requesting an audit of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Spectrum Management & Analysis Section project that installed radio monitoring infrastructure on Mount Petrie.
Mr Ross Vasta MP
Federal Member for Bonner
By email: ross.vasta.mp@aph.gov.au
Dear Mr Vasta
Thank you for your correspondence of 30 July 2018 referring to a letter from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (Brisbane) that requested I undertake an audit of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) project to install radio monitoring infrastructure on Mount Petrie.
As you would appreciate there are many demands on the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and any decision to commence audit activity is taken in the context of a range of factors including: risk, impact, importance, materiality, auditability, and previous coverage. The scale of the Commonwealth funding for the ACMA project is relatively modest and the focus narrow compared to other priority audit topics and therefore I consider an audit of the project would not represent the best use of my available resources. On this basis I do not propose to conduct an audit of the matters raised at this time.
The ANAO aims to achieve balanced coverage across a range of areas of public sector activity. It should be noted that the ACMA was one of four entities subject to audit coverage in August 2017 as part of a wider assessment of how public sector entities manage risk. The ACMA are currently taking actions to address recommendations raised by this audit.
Thank you for your interest in the work of the ANAO.
Yours sincerely
Grant Hehir
Auditor-General
12th July 2018
Ross Vasta MP
RG_85
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Email: ross.vasta.mp@aph.gov.au
Dear Ross,
We are approaching you to request an audit from the Australian National Audit Office of the ACMA Spectrum Management & Analysis Section project that installed radio monitoring infrastructure on Mount Petrie. The Auditor-General receives requests for audit from Members and Senators of the Parliament of Australia.
The ACMA facility located at Mount Petrie provides capability to resolve harmful interference around Brisbane protecting spectrum users in aviation, broadcasting, transport, emergency services and defence. We recognise the importance of the facility, but request an audit to highlight the failures of project management, and the impact to the public funds and to our Club.
We raised concerns during the project execution and the official response cleared by the Minister Fifield was respectful, but failed to address the concerns that we raised through your office. We argue that a project audit will identify learnings that will benefit ACMA for future project work, and highlight the impact imposed to our Club.
Summary of project management failure:
Failure to manage scope – although suitable power was already on site, the project failed to reach agreement with SEQwater (a Queensland Government statutory authority) to share energy infrastructure.
Impacts and failure to manage costs - the impact of duplicating energy infrastructure added significant cost to the public.
Impacts and failure to manage time – the duplication of energy infrastructure created a larger duration on the schedule that the installation of the actual facility. The initial site works were scheduled for 5 weeks starting early November 2017, however the actual start was continually delayed into 2018 and the actual duration was 10 weeks.
Impacts and failure to manage stakeholders – in addition to the failure to secure cooperation from SEQwater, the project was unable to provide reliable closure dates to our club that impacted our members’ access, our clients (Queensland Police Service and various Security Training organisations that require access to a shooting range), and to our Club finances.
Summary of impacts:
Cost blowouts to public funds – this figure is not available to us, but will be of interest to an audit.
Cost impacts to our Club – estimated to exceed $168,000.
About our Club
SSAA Brisbane (our Club) is a sport and recreation club established to enable members, guests and visitors to participate in their chosen sports shooting discipline. Members engage in a number of disciplines using rifles, pistols and shotguns.
The Club's aims, purposes and objectives, along with its rules of governance are laid down in the Branch ‘Articles of Association’ and ‘Memorandum of Association’.
The SSAA Brisbane values the safety and well-being of its members, guests, visitors, neighbours, and the community in general, wildlife and the environment. The Club's Range Standing Orders protect the interests of these and other stakeholders. The Club is an Approved Shooting Club under the Qld Weapons Act 1990 and operates a Shooting Range.
Although volunteer driven, we depend on paid staff to maintain our operations at 7 days per week. The salaries of permanent staff and the loss of client revenue caused the majority of the financial impact from the forced closure during the project.
Next steps
We are asking you to request an audit from the Auditor-General to identify the learnings and impacts from the project. We are available to the audit team for interview, and we will make all of our associated records available and assist the audit team however we can.
We thank you again for your ongoing assistance as our Club Patron.
Regards
SSAA Brisbane
Stephen Walsh
Company Secretary
12th July 2018
Ref: 0088120718VastaACMA