Accountability
How the department watches itself
The risk appetite the audit and risk committee has set, the audit findings it has accepted and how they are being closed, the obligations we are held to and whether we met them, and whether our continuity plans have been tested. Legal matters are counted, not named.
Risk appetite
| Category | Statement | Tolerated |
|---|---|---|
| COMPLIANCE | We have very low appetite for breaching a statutory obligation. | medium |
| FINANCIAL | We accept low financial risk; no loss beyond budget tolerance without the council's knowledge. | medium |
| OPERATIONAL | We accept low risk to service standards; a breach of a statutory standard is not tolerated for more than a quarter. | medium |
| REPUTATION | We accept moderate reputational risk when acting lawfully and transparently. | high |
| SAFETY | We have no appetite for avoidable harm to people; a safety risk rated high is escalated at once. | medium |
| STRATEGIC | We accept moderate risk in pursuing the community strategic plan's outcomes. | high |
| TECHNOLOGY | We accept moderate technology risk in change, and low risk to the evidence chain and data. | medium |
Audit findings accepted by the committee
| Ref | Finding | Severity | Response | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AF-2026-01 | Final payments before acquittal acceptanceGrants round RIF-26: probity and acquittal | MEDIUM | Agreed. Payments agent to check acquittal status before preparing a final payment. | OPEN |
| AF-2026-02 | Assessor declarations not datedGrants round RIF-26: probity and acquittal | LOW | Done in the application form. | CLOSED |
Obligations
| Obligation | Source | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public interest disclosure policy reviewed | Public Interest Disclosures Act | 09/09/2026 | DUE |
| Publish an AI transparency statement | Policy for the responsible use of AI in government (DTA, 2024) | 11/09/2026 | DUE |
| Risk register reviewed every quarter | Risk Management and Internal Audit Guidelines (2022) | 24/09/2026 | DUE |
| Council minutes confirmed after every meeting | Model Code of Meeting Practice | 28/09/2026 | DUE |
| Members' disclosure returns lodged | Model Code of Conduct: annual returns of interests | 30/09/2026 | DUE |
| Statutory notices published by their due dates | Local Government Act; EP&A Regulation; emergency legislation | 14/10/2026 | DUE |
| Personal information redacted before submissions are published | Privacy Act APP 6; PPIP Act | 14/10/2026 | DUE |
| Overpayment notices carry the 28-day response period | Data-matching program guidelines; Robodebt Royal Commission recommendations | 14/10/2026 | DUE |
| Internal reviews decided by a different officer | Administrative law; agency review policy | 14/10/2026 | DUE |
| Business continuity plans tested annually | ISO 22301; Essential Eight backup requirements | 24/10/2026 | DUE |
| Publish the annual report | Local Government Act s 428 (within five months of year end) | 31/10/2026 | DUE |
| Payment times report lodged | Payment Times Reporting Act | 03/11/2026 | DUE |
| Keep the delegations register current and enforced | Local Government Act s 377; instrument DI-2026-01 | 13/11/2026 | DUE |
| Internal audit plan delivered | IIA Standards; committee charter | 02/04/2027 | DUE |
Continuity and legal
3 of 4 continuity plans passed their last test. 6 legal matters open. The department acts as a model litigant.