The ACT Government has signed contracts with Acusensus Australia and Orikan Australia to modernise the Territory's traffic and parking systems. The Acusensus contract is reportedly worth $63 million over five years, rising to $210 million if two five-year options are exercised. A staged rollout is expected to begin in mid-2027. The move comes as a petition led by John Mikita calls for an independent audit of the infringement system. The government says public servants still decide whether to issue an infringement, and it remains confident in existing systems.
The Bureau of Meteorology has rejected claims that errors and human intervention compromise its temperature records. A privately produced audit, promoted by The Australian, alleged widespread errors in raw data. The bureau said fewer than 200 observations out of 7 million in its main dataset were affected by duplication, and that the impact on the long-term record was statistically irrelevant. It said the duplications likely arose during the transfer of handwritten records to digital form. The bureau described accusations of deliberate manipulation as false and unsubstantiated.
A preliminary audit has found that about 20,000 endoscopy procedures in New South Wales may be overdue, with final figures still to be validated. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Saturday the government would invest $17 million to address the delays. The audit followed concerns raised by clinicians and patients about endoscopy wait times. Endoscopies are used to investigate, diagnose and monitor a range of conditions, including bowel cancer. Cancer Council NSW chief executive Sarah Hosking said prolonged delays have long been a concern for patients and that early detection is vital.
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The ACT Auditor-General has criticised Infrastructure Canberra's oversight of community facilities, citing inadequate maintenance, poor tenancy management and a lack of asset planning. A 2021 review found 25% of 63 facilities in Woden, Belconnen and Weston Creek were in poor condition, yet recommendations were not implemented. The agency lacks funding to assess the remaining 57 sites and has no contemporary asset management policies. Weak record-keeping and unclear tenancy agreements undermine transparency and maintenance standards. The Auditor-General's report includes 10 recommendations to improve governance and facility management.
Calls for an independent audit of Australia's courts have intensified after sensitive court data was accessed in India on at least two occasions. Internal emails show the Federal Court chief executive was notified of a data breach in 2016, but no action was taken. The Federal Court says its chief executive has no recollection of the notification. Former Auscript manager Paul Cutbush raised security concerns in 2014, and the Coalition and Greens are urging the Attorney-General to act.
Victorian taxpayers still do not know the full cost of the state's COVID-19 response, according to the Victorian Auditor-General's Office. Its latest report says there is no transparent, easily accessible reporting on pandemic spending across government. The office previously put the total at roughly $39.8 billion. It said the Daniel Andrews-led government stopped publishing cross-departmental pandemic figures after 2021-22, contrary to its earlier recommendation.
Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has accused the Labor government of wasting taxpayer money on its almost $40bn Covid-19 response. She pledged a public expenditure tracker if the Coalition wins government. An Auditor-General's report found at least $39bn was spent, with up to $397m paid to high risk or potentially ineligible grant recipients. It also found more than $771m of unused protective equipment was written off between 2023 and 2025, and $252m went on Covid-related legal expenses.
The federal government has extended its pause on KPMG bidding for new government work until February 28, 2027. The decision follows an independent review by Ian Watt, which found serious ethical failings by some senior KPMG members and significant cultural concerns within the firm. KPMG chief executive John Sams and chairman Michael Ebeid said they accepted the findings. During the pause, KPMG must provide an implementation plan and quarterly progress reports. Several states and territories have also banned KPMG from public sector work pending their own reviews.
Upper Lachlan Shire Council will present its audited Financial Statements and Auditor's Reports for the year ended 30 June 2026 at its ordinary meeting on 19 November 2026. Under the Local Government Act 1993, any person may make a written submission on the audited statements or the auditor's reports. Submissions close on 26 November 2026, one week after the meeting. A summary of the Financial Statements is available through a link in the notice.
Westpac has announced job cuts. The union accuses the bank of using NAB's mass redundancy announcement as cover for its own restructure. Separately, the government has extended the pause on KPMG bidding for Australian government work until February 28, 2027, following an independent review and the audit leaks scandal. The Australian share market closed lower after gains on Wall Street.
Bass Coast Shire Council's administration left a signed Auditor-General's report out of the 2025-2026 Annual Report before a council meeting on Wednesday, October 21. Local council watcher Graham Jolly spotted the omission in the agenda papers and submitted a question about it, which was not answered during Community Question time. Councillor Thomson moved to defer the item, and the matter was put to a vote without explanation. Mr Jolly argued the original motion, which would have let the CEO add the statements later, could breach the Local Government Act.
A petition is calling for an independent audit of the technology behind Canberra's mobile device detection cameras. As of 3 July, the cameras had issued almost 58,000 infringement notices for distracted driving, seatbelt and mobile device offences, worth $36 million. Petitioner John Mikita, whose petition has been sponsored by Canberra Liberals MLA Peter Cain, said the public is entitled to know whether the system is accurate, reliable, lawful and fair. The ACT Government has not disclosed the system's error rate. The technology is provided by Acusensus, which says people can request a review of their infringement.
An auditor-general's report has found the state government awarded 14 consultant contracts for the North Adelaide Golf Course project at $55,000 each, the threshold that triggers extra scrutiny. The department later signed 11 new contracts with the same consultants, each worth more than $55,000, avoiding that scrutiny. The auditor-general warned that significant investment decisions may have been made without required analysis of costs, benefits and value for money. Premier Peter Malinauskas said the decisions were made by the department, not his office. The Liberal Party plans a motion to compel documents related to the contracts.
Documents obtained under freedom of information show Defence officials made at least $15.6 million in financial and procurement errors within the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Group. The errors included $13.3 million paid before required legal approval was secured. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy agreed the problems must stop and blamed the former Liberal government for outsourcing the contract management. Greens spokesperson David Shoebridge said no one in a leadership position has been held to account. The national audit office has separately criticised the program's value-for-money assurance.
A Victorian audit has found that more than $1 billion in extra investment is needed to upgrade the state's ageing fire trucks. The auditor-general said $1.5 billion was needed between 2024-25 and 2033-34, but only $390.4 million has been allocated so far. Almost 60 per cent of Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria trucks are more than 15 years old. The audit also found widespread cracking in trucks run by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, which suspended more than half its fleet.
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Cook Shire Council spent $68.7 million repairing natural disaster damage in 2025–26, mostly to roads hit by wet weather. Mayor Robyn Holmes said the council kept employee costs rising by just 0.9 per cent, well below inflation of 3.8 per cent. Unrestricted cash rose $5.6 million to $35.9 million. The statements show an operating deficit of $9.1 million, mainly due to the timing of disaster recovery and grant payments and higher depreciation after asset revaluation. The Queensland Audit Office is finalising its audit, and the council expects to present its Annual Report to a special meeting in November 2026.
About 140 public servants in South Australia are working more than a full-time workload across several government agencies, according to an audit. The Audit Office of South Australia warns that agencies may not know the total hours staff are working, raising the risk of fatigue. Agencies currently rely on staff to declare other work, and there is no direct process to catch undisclosed roles. The audit recommends a single identifier for all government roles held by one employee. The Department for Education was excluded from the analysis, so more cases may exist.
A Victorian Auditor-General's Office report has found the state's fire truck replacement program is underfunded, leaving fire authorities with about a quarter of the estimated $1.5 billion they need through 2033-34. Premier Ben Carroll acknowledged more work was required, while pointing to a recent $167 million commitment to deliver 150 new trucks by 2030. The audit identified ageing fleets, incomplete scheduled maintenance and weak fleet planning, which led to faulty vehicles being pulled from service. Six recommendations were issued, and all three authorities accepted them in full or in principle.
A public notice advises that the audited financial statements and auditor's reports for the year ended 30 June 2026 will be presented at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 20 October 2026. Community members may review the audited statements online or at Council's offices. Residents are also invited to lodge written submissions on the reports, as provided under the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW).
The ACT Auditor-General's report highlights shortcomings in the government's road resurfacing strategy, noting continued reliance on cheaper bitumen despite a preference for more durable asphalt. The assessment process for road repairs lacks transparency, making it difficult for the public to gauge improvements. Recent wet seasons have exacerbated road deterioration, with motorists expressing dissatisfaction. While the new strategy increased maintenance spending and resurfacing targets, the use of bituminous reseal instead of asphalt may have long-term consequences.
