Scrutiny of annual reports no. 2 of 2000


Membership of the committee

Members

Senator Sue Knowles, Chairman

LP, Western Australia

Senator Lyn Allison, Deputy Chair

AD, Victoria

Senator George Brandis

LP, Queensland

Senator Kay Denman

ALP, Tasmania

Senator Chris Evans

ALP, Western Australia

Senator Tsebin Tchen

LP, Victoria

 

Report on annual reports

1.1 This report was prepared pursuant to Standing Order 25 (21) relating to the consideration of annual reports by Committees.[1] The annual reports examined by the Committee are the reports of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency 1998-99

1.2 The report was tabled in both houses of Parliament on 7 March 2000, within the required 15 sitting days.

1.3 All reporting requirements are met. This is the first annual report of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) which was created out of the merging of two organisations - the Australian Radiation Laboratory (ARL) and the Nuclear Safety Bureau (NSB). The annual report of ARPANSA covers the period 5 February to 30 June 1999. The report also includes the last annual report on the operations of the NSB, for the period 1 July 1998 to 4 February 1999. The powers and functions of the Director of the NSB were transferred to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ARPANSA during the transition period - 6 months from the beginning of the day when the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS Act) commenced.

1.4 The statutory office of the CEO of ARPANSA and ARPANSA itself were established on 5 February 1999 by section 14 of the ARPANS Act. Section 60 of the ARPANS Act sets out the quarterly reporting requirements of the CEO of ARPANSA to the Minister for Health and Aged Care in respect of the operations of the Agency (pp.3-4). Quarterly reports were tabled in the Senate on 26 June 1999, 28 September 1999, 9 May 2000 and 27 June 2000 in accordance with this statutory requirement.

1.5 The ARPANS legislation provides a licensing framework for the regulation of radiation sources and nuclear and other facilities controlled or operated by Commonwealth agencies and sets out the functions of the CEO of ARPANSA. The functions of the CEO are to promote uniformity of radiation protection and nuclear safety policy and practices across Commonwealth and State jurisdictions; to provide advice on radiation protection, nuclear safety and related issues; to undertake research in relation to radiation protection and nuclear safety; and to provide services relating to radiation protection, nuclear safety and medical exposure to radiation (pp.3-4).

1.6 The report provides a concise overview of the Agency’s functions and activities. The report includes a corporate overview, a report on performance against the functions of ARPANSA, an account of some of the achievements of the Agency and appendixes containing statistical and financial information on the performance and administration of ARPANSA. The report states that the central priorities of ARPANSA during the reporting period have been to make organisational arrangements for the new Agency; establish procedures for regulation of radiation sources and nuclear facilities controlled by Commonwealth agencies; and maintain the scientific, regulatory and advisory services provided by the former ARL and the former NSB (p.9).

1.7 In relation to performance reporting, the report notes a number of activities undertaken by the Agency. These include promoting the development of uniform regulatory frameworks; participation in the preparation of national standards, codes of practice and guidance documents for radiation safety; and various research projects (pp.15-19). In relation to the safety of the HIFAR research reactor the report notes that there was a decrease in the total number of safety-significant abnormal occurrences reported compared to the previous year and the number of these occurrences remained low (p.26).

1.8 The Committee believes that performance reporting by the Agency could be enhanced if future reports contained more information about difficulties in meeting objectives in addition to concentrating on activities undertaken and achievements. The Committee does, however, recognise that as this is the first report of the Agency many of its activities have only been recently initiated or activities are in their planning stages.

1.9 In relation to consultancy services, while the report contains some information on these services including expenditures, more information on the purpose of the consultancies should be included in future reports (p.113).

National Health and Medical Research Council 1999

1.10 The report was tabled in both houses of Parliament on 27 June 2000, within the required 15 sitting days.

1.11 All reporting requirements are met. The report provides a useful overview of the functions and operations of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The Council’s performance is reported in chapters dealing with its four Principal Committees, namely the Research Committee (Public Health and Medical), Strategic Research Development Committee, Health Advisory Committee and Health Ethics Committee. Each of these chapters contains information on the NHMRC’s activities, followed by several profiles illustrating the particular Committee’s work. The appendixes to the report provide statutory reporting information, including details of the composition and functions of the Council and its Committees and financial and human resource arrangements.

1.12 A separate volume, Grants Book 2000, details the health and medical research grants recommended for funding in 2000 by the NHMRC.

1.13 The annual report notes that the strategic directions adopted by the NHMRC in 1999 ‘combined the pursuit of research across all areas of health and the development of a strategic research capability that targets emerging health problems as well as areas where research effort is underdeveloped’ (p.7).

1.14 Regarding performance reporting, the report highlights a number of initiatives undertaken over the reporting period. The report notes, for example, that the Research Committee has been working towards reshaping its funding programs and peer review mechanisms - ‘providing for a fairer, more contemporary and integrated approach to research funding’ (p.5). The report states that these changes are consistent with the findings of the Health and Medical Research Strategic Review and ‘will ensure that the more than two-fold increase in research funding announced in the last Federal Budget will be put to the very best use’ (p.5).

1.15 The Committee notes that as well as recording achievements, the report also discusses several challenges facing the Council and areas where improvements in performance need to be addressed. These include an acknowledgment that implementing the recommendations of the Strategic Review ‘will be onerous and resource intensive’ (p.6). The report also notes that the joint programs with industry require more development; the priority driven research program requires more expansion in partnership with the States; the strategic approaches to research funding in the areas of rural health research and Aboriginal health research need to be implemented; and that communication strategies, such as use of the Internet, forums and consultation visits need to be ‘further developed’ (p.6).

1.16 The report also states that that restructuring of the Office of the NHMRC with the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer ‘must be accomplished successfully, and the Office adequately resourced’ to allow the NHMRC to fulfil its functions (p.6).

Concluding comments

1.17 The Committee’s examination of the annual reports of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the National Health and Medical Research Council has shown that the reports meet the required reporting requirements. The Committee considers that the reports are of a high standard and provide a comprehensive overview of the functions and activities of the statutory bodies under review.

Senator Sue Knowles

Chairman
September 2000