Appendix 2Correspondence with the Bundanon Trust

Attached is a series of letters exchanged between Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (the Committee), the Bundanon Trust, and the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO). The correspondence outlines the concerns the Committee had with several delays in the tabling of the Bundanon Trust annual reports, along with Bundanon Trust’s explanation and the ANAO clarification of the delays due to issues with Bundanon Trust’s financial statements. The attachments are:

(a)Bundanon Trust to the Arts Minister, the Hon Tony Burke MP requesting an extension for its annual report until the end of November 2023 (6October 2023);

(b)Bundanon Trust to Arts Minister requesting a further extension for its annual report until 31 January 2024 (30 November 2023);

(c)Bundanon Trust to the Committee informing the Committee of the delay in the tabling of its annual report (14 December 2023);

(d)The Committee to the Bundanon Trust acknowledging the Bundanon Trust’s letter and informing it of the Committee’s intention to write to the ANAO (25 March 2024);

(e)The Committee to the ANAO seeking an explanation for the delay in the tabling of Bundanon Trust’s annual reports (25 March 2024);

(f)ANAO response to the Committee, outlining the reasoning for the delay in the finalisation of the Bundanon Trust financial statements (17 April 2024);

(g)The Committee to the Bundanon Trust, relaying the information provided by the ANAO and encouraging the Bundanon Trust to employ best practice in the preparation of its financial statements and encouraging it to table its annual report in a timely manner (7 June 2024); and

(h)The Bundanon Trust to the Committee, acknowledging the 7 June 2024 letter and giving an outline of the steps being taken to solve the issues raised (25 June 2024).