Chapter 2 - Annual reports of statutory and non-statutory authorities and government companies
Defence portfolio
Australian War Memorial
2.1
The Australian War Memorial Annual Report 2003–2004 was presented to the
President on 28 September and tabled in the Senate on 16 November 2004. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is a statutory authority within the Veterans’
Affairs portfolio and functions in accordance with the requirements of the Australian
War Memorial Act 1980 and the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies
(CAC) Act 1997.[1]
2.2
‘The purpose of the Australian War Memorial is to commemorate the
sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war.’[2]
2.3
In the Chairman’s Report, Mr Adrian Clunies–Ross was pleased to report
that the Australian War Memorial had another excellent year:
A major priority of the Corporate Plan 2002–2005 was realised in
an outstanding fashion with the opening of the exhibition on the air war in
Europe, Striking by night–Lancaster "G for George", featuring the
Memorial's famous bomber. Performance against key priorities and activities
exceeded expectations: prudent financial management and increased revenue from
commercial operations has ensured that the Memorial remains in a sound
financial position; visitation levels across all Memorial functions and
programs have rebounded after a widespread downturn in tourism; and our e–Business
facility is exceeding the projections that justified its introduction.[3]
2.4
The Chairman also stated that, following Council's endorsement in 2003
and subsequent Government approval, initial work has commenced on an Official
history of peacekeeping and post–Cold War operations. The four–volume
history will document the service of 30,000 servicemen and women involved in
Australian commitments over almost sixty 60 years.[4]
2.5
The Committee is pleased to note that during 2004–05, the Government has
allocated funds to enable the construction of a new building on the eastern
side of the Memorial to house staff and collection items. This will free up
space in the main building for redeveloped galleries dealing with post–1945
conflicts, peacekeeping and post–Cold War operations.[5]
2.6
The Committee also notes Council’s continued emphasis on the maintenance
of an effective framework of processes and procedures that support good
corporate governance. The Chairman’s report confirms that ‘External and
internal audit reports support this emphasis. Council is satisfied that
Memorial management has met corporate priorities and the requirements it has
set’.[6]
2.7
The Committee finds that the War Memorial’s Annual Report provides a
comprehensive coverage of the organisation’s activities during 2003–2004. It is
an informative and well produced document, which allows the reader to easily
access information. The Committee concludes that this report complies with all
reporting requirements for statutory authorities.
Defence Housing Authority
2.8
The Defence Housing Authority Annual Report 2003–2004 was tabled
in the Senate on 30 November 2004. The report is submitted in accordance with
section 43 of the Defence Housing Authority Act 1987 and the
Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997.[7]
2.9
The Defence Housing Authority’s statutory function is ‘to provide
adequate and suitable housing for members of the Australian Defence Force and
their families, Defence civilians and other persons, in order to meet the
operational needs of the Australian Defence Force and the requirements of the
Department of Defence’. DHA also provides tenancy management and relocation
services to Defence and administers the Defence HomeOwner Scheme.[8]
2.10 The Chairman, Mr
Jones, and Managing Director, Mr Lyon, reported that 2003–04 financial year
was very successful for DHA, with the organisation meeting its key strategic
objectives and financial targets:
This meant we continued to provide quality housing, tenancy
management and relocation services for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members
and their families within a reasonable pricing structure.[9]
2.11 Mr Jones and Mr Lyons
also reported that DHA continued to explore and implement new and innovative
ways of improving services to our customers. The most significant of these was
the development of its new Service Delivery Model (SDM), which was implemented
in early July 2004. The customer–centric service delivery model complements and
strengthens DHA's previously introduced case management model. In a number of
regional Housing Management Centres (HMCs), DHA has now combined relocation and
housing allocation function into one role.[10]
2.12 With regard to
corporate governance, the Committee is pleased to note that during the year,
the Board implemented a range of measures recommended in the previous Board
review and agreed to the conduct of future reviews on an annual basis.
According to the report, a review of director performance was initiated by the
Board during 2003–04 and undertaken by an independent consultant. The results
are expected in early 2004–05.[11]
2.13 The Committee finds
this report to be well designed and comprehensive in its coverage of the
Defence Housing Authority’s activities. The report complies with all reporting
requirements for statutory bodies.
Other reports
2.14 Other Defence
portfolio authorities, agencies and/or companies which had their annual reports
examined by the Committee, but were not otherwise commented upon in this
edition, include:
- Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund Annual Report 2003–2004
- Australian Strategic Policy Institute Annual Report 2003–2004
- Australian Submarine Corporation Annual Report 2004
- Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal Eighteenth Annual Report 2003–2004
- Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme Authority
Annual Report 2003–2004
- Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme Board Annual Report
2003–2004
- Repatriation Medical Authority Ninth Annual Report 2003–2004
- Royal Australian Air Force Veterans’ Residences Trust Fund Annual
Report 2003–2004
- Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund Annual Report 2003–2004
- Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund Annual Report 2003–2004
- Veterans’ Review Board Annual Report 2003–2004.
2.15
The Committee considers that all the annual reports of the
above–mentioned organisations fully met their respective reporting
requirements.
Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
2.16 The Australian
Agency for International Development Annual Report 2003–2004 was presented to
the President of the Senate on 6 October 2004 and tabled in the Senate on 16 November 2004.
2.17 AusAID administers
Australia’s overseas aid program. According to the annual report, the
objective of the aid program is to advance Australia’s national interest by
assisting developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable
development.[12]
2.18 AusAID provides
policy advice and support to the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary on
development issues and develops and manages effective and innovative poverty
reduction programs in partnership with developing countries, Australian
businesses, non–government organisations and international agencies. It is an
administratively autonomous agency within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio.
AusAID reports directly to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on all aspects of
aid policy and operations. The agency has 64 officers posted overseas.[13]
2.19 In the Director
General’s review, Mr Bruce Davis, stated that in 2003–2004 the Australian Government's
overseas aid program continued to play an integral role in responding to issues
fundamental to Australia's interests. He noted that:
AusAID maintained its focus on poverty reduction in our region
and adapted to playing a key role in more coherent, and significantly larger,
whole–of–government responses to international challenges. While these are
demanding times, the agency has responded effectively to the many and varied
calls upon its resources.
...
Our ability to develop innovative responses to new challenges
has been assisted by the development of corporate mechanisms, such as the
executive services group, to support involvement in coherent, whole–of–government
responses to national interest issues, as well as mechanisms for improved
measurement of aid effectiveness and quality.[14]
2.20 Under ‘Management
and accountability’, the Director General stated that AusAID's corporate strategic
plan, released in December 2001, remained the agency's key corporate strategic
planning initiative. It has three main objectives: to improve the quality of
programs, to enhance policy and analytical capacity, and to improve people
management and corporate systems. A new corporate plan will be developed in the
first half of 2004–05 following completion of the work outlined in the report.[15]
2.21
The Committee finds that AusAID’s annual report provides a comprehensive
coverage of the organisation’s activities during 2003–2004. As usual the
Committee considers this annual report to be informative and produced in a
manner which allows the reader easy access to information. The Committee
concludes that this report complies with all reporting requirements for non–statutory
authorities.
Australian Trade Commission
(Austrade)
2.22 The Australian Trade
Commission Annual Report 2003–2004 was presented to the President of the Senate
on 22 October 2004 and tabled in the Senate on 16 November 2004.
2.23 The annual
report states that ‘The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) contributes to
community wealth by helping more Australians succeed in export and
international business’. It is responsible to the Minister for Trade and the
Australian Government under the Australian Trade Commission Act 1985, Commonwealth
Authorities and Companies Act 1997, and the Export Market Development
Grants Act 1997.[16]
2.24 In his Managing
Director’s report, Mr Peter O’Byrne commented on a number of highlights for
the year. He stated that in 2003–2004 Austrade helped 3,315 businesses to
achieve export deals worth $13.376 billion. This represented steady progress
towards the Government's objective of doubling exporters over five years from a
base of 25,000 in 2001.
The export success of 3,315 Australian businesses assisted by
Austrade represents an increase of 65 per cent over 2002–2003. Of this number 2,122
were existing exporters, which is a 29 per cent increase over last year, and
1193 were new and irregular exporters. This is a threefold increase on the
number of successful new and irregular exporters assisted by Austrade in 2002–2003.[17]
2.25 Mr O’Byrne also commented
that demand remained high for grants under the Export Market Development Scheme.
Austrade administered the payment of 3,699 grants under the export development
marketing grant (EDMG) scheme in 2003–2004 which included an increase in the
number of smaller–value grant applications. Refinements to the scheme were
introduced in June 2003 to make it more accessible for small businesses and
those new to the export market.[18]
2.26
The Committee finds that Austrade’s annual report provides a
comprehensive coverage of the organisation’s activities during 2003–2004. In
keeping with previous examinations, the Committee considers this annual report
to be informative and produced in a manner that allows the reader easy access
to information. The Committee concludes that this report complies with all
reporting requirements for non–statutory authorities.
Other reports
2.27 Other Foreign
Affairs and Trade portfolio authorities and/or agencies which had their annual
reports examined by the Committee but were otherwise not commented upon in this
edition, include:
- Australia–Indonesia Institute Annual Report 2003–2004
- Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Annual
Report 2003–2004
- Australian Safeguards and Non–Proliferation Office Annual Report
2003–2004
- Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Annual Report 2004.
2.28 The Committee
considers that all the annual reports of the abovementioned organisations fully
met their respective reporting requirements.
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