Chapter 3
Formal Requirements and Compliance
Requirements
3.1 While being a statutory authority, the Tribunal has chosen (as it
is entitled to do) to observe the annual reporting requirements for government
departments. Those requirements, updated in February 1996, can be itemised
as follows:
(i) Annual Report Requirements (compliance mandatory)
Letter of Transmission
Aids to Access
Portfolio and Corporate Overview
Program Performance Reporting
Staffing Overview
Financial Statements
(ii) Attachment 1: Information on Specific StatutoryProvisions
Relating to Annual Reports (compliance mandatory)
Industrial Democracy
Occupational Health and Safety
Freedom of Information
Advertising and Market Research
(iii) Attachment 2: Program Financial and Staffing Resources Summary
and Appropriations to Programs Reconciliation - Proformas (guidance
document only)
(iv) Attachment 3: Information Available to Members of Parliament
and Senators on Request
(material to be available but inclusion in annual report not mandatory).
Social Justice and Equity
Staffing Matters
Financial Matters
Internal and External Scrutiny
Privacy
Environmental Matters
Other Matters
Compliance
3.2 In its annual report for 1995-96 the Tribunal has complied with the
reporting requirements that are mandatory for government departments as
follows.
Letter of Transmission
3.3 The President's letter to the Attorney-General was dated (Saturday)
12 October 1996. The report was tabled in the House of Representatives
and in the Senate on 31 October 1996; this was within fifteen sitting
days of the day on which the Minister received it, and satisfies the requirement.
Aids to Access
3.4 The NNTT report provides:
- Table of Contents (no page number);
- Introduction - President's report (pp i-viii);
- Glossary (to Financial statements) (pp.179-182);
- Compliance Index (p.188);
- Alphabetical Index (p.189-192); and
- Contact Officer (unnumbered page facing the letter of transmission).
3.5 It should be noted that while it is a requirement to give details
of the contact officer, this is not listed by the Tribunal in the Compliance
Index. With this exception, the Tribunal has adequately set out aids which
allow proper access to the document.
Portfolio and Corporate Overview
3.6 A Portfolio Overview is not applicable.
3.7 The report's Table of Contents outlines the Corporate Overview. And
the Registrar's corporate overview (pp.1-9, including p. 2, paras
4-8; and Budget allocation for 1994-95 and 1995-96 at p.1) provides an
account of the following activities:
Community liaison (p.10); Education and participation (p. 22);
Creative and flexible resolution (p. 40 including two reviews of
NNTT operations at p. 41, paras 2-5); Cultural concerns (p. 56);
Corporate services (p. 62); Future acts (p. 76); Social justice
and equity (pp. 20,63,64,69); and Internal and external scrutiny
(pp.19,37,52,85).
Program Performance Reporting
3.8 The Tribunal indicates in the Compliance Index (p.188) that the material
comprising the Corporate Overview chapters responds to the program performance
reporting requirement.
Staffing Overview
3.9 The report sets out details of the organisational structure (pp.151,152).
In pages 62 to 73 management of the Tribunal's human resources is set
out; such issues as performance pay (p. 68), consultancies (p. 70),
training (pp. 65,66) and the interchange program (p. 59) are
covered.
Financial Statements
3.10 Appendix V provides the Financial Statements and a Glossary follows
(pp.179-182).
Industrial Democracy
3.11 The question of industrial democracy is covered at page 59 (para
3), page 61 (para 6), and at page 69 (para 2).
Occupational Health and Safety
3.12 Occupational health and safety is referred to at page 69 (para 3),
although no page number is given in the (alphabetical) Index.
Freedom of Information
3.13 This matter is mentioned at page 19 (paras 1-3) and at page 37 (para
5).
Advertising and Market Research
3.14 Advertising is covered at pages 24, 53, 63 and 72. A useful pie-chart
is provided at page 72. Media liaison is covered at pages 14 and
15.
Summary
3.15 Together with the President's report (pp. i-viii) the Tribunal
has covered the subjects required to be addressed by the compliance criteria.
The extent to which the report is satisfactory in addressing these matters
is assessed in the next chapter of this report.
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