Appendix 3Annual reporting timeframes

Commonwealth entities

1.1Section 46(2) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) requires the accountable authority for a Commonwealth entity to prepare an annual report and provide it to the responsible Minister by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the end of the reporting period for the entity. This section of the Act does not currently prescribe a timeframe for the Minister to present the report to the Parliament, neither does the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule (PGPA Rule).

1.2The PGPA Rule states that annual reports for corporate Commonwealth entities, non-corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies must comply with ‘the guidelines for presenting documents to the Parliament’.[1]

1.3The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) Tabling Guidelines advise that in relation to the tabling of annual reports:

Enquiries about the preparation, content and reporting timeframes should be directed to the Department of Finance … Relevant guidance for Commonwealth entities and companies annual reporting requirements can be located at https://www.finance.gov.au/government/managing-commonwealth-resources/planning-and-reporting.[2]

1.4Finance’s resource management guides include advice about the timetable for tabling annual reports. For Commonwealth entities, the guides advise that:

Normally annual reports are tabled on or before 31 October and it is expected annual reports are tabled prior to the October Estimates hearings. This ensures annual reports are available for scrutiny by the relevant Senate standing committee.[3]

Commonwealth companies

1.5Under section 97(2) of the PGPA Act, Commonwealth companies are required to prepare an annual report and provide it to the responsible Minister:

(a)If the company is required by the Corporations Act 2001 to hold an annual general meeting – the earlier of the following:

(i)21 days before the next annual general meeting after the end of the reporting period for the company; or

(ii)4 months after the end of the reporting period for the company; and

(b)In any other case – 4 months after the end of the reporting period for the company; or the end of such further period granted under subsection 34C(5) of the PGPA Act.

Footnotes

[1]See PGPA Rule, sections 17BC, 17AB and 28C.

[2]PM&C, Tabling Guidelines, October 2022, p.6.

[3]Department of Finance, Resource Management Guide No. 135 – Annual report for non-corporate Commonwealth entities, 3 May 2023, finance.gov.au/government/managing-commonwealth-resources/planning-and-reporting/annual-reports-non-corporate-commonwealth-entities-rmg-135 (accessed 1 February 2024); and Resource Management Guide No. 136 – Annual report for corporate Commonwealth entities, 24 April 2023, finance.gov.au/government/managing-commonwealth-resources/planning-and-reporting/annual-reports-corporate-commonwealth-entities-rmg-136 (accessed 1 February 2024).