Third Public Sector Performance Report
Report No 9 -
November 2005
This Third Public Sector Performance Report for 2005 brings to notice
legislative compliance and fi nancial management and control issues and
the results of a follow-up of a 2002 performance examination.
LEGISLATIVE
COMPLIANCE
Unauthorised Driving - Unlicensed Drivers and Unregistered
Vehicles in Western Australia
Unauthorised driving occurs when someone
drives without a valid driver’s licence or drives an unregistered vehicle.
Studies here and overseas have shown that unauthorised drivers tend
to be high risk drivers who are more likely to drive under the infl
uence of alcohol, or speed or not wear seat-belts than authorised drivers.
They are also over-represented in fatal and serious car crashes.
The
Department for Planning and Infrastructure (DPI) is responsible for administration
and enforcement of Western Australia’s driver and vehicle licensing laws.
The Western Australia Police Service (Police) have primary responsibility
for detecting and prosecuting breaches of the law.
What the examination
found...
- There is no reliable data on the incidence of unauthorised
driving in Western Australia. Estimates based on data from other jurisdictions
suggest as many as 66 000 WA drivers (almost four per cent) and 70
000 vehicles (about three per cent) drive on WA roads without authorisation.
Conservative estimates also suggest that the State could be forgoing
almost $9 million annually in unpaid car registration fees. Owners
who do register their vehicles are also paying about $10 more in third
party insurance premiums than if all vehicles on the road were registered.
- Legal and technical difficulties limit the ability of Police and
DPI to detect and prosecute unauthorised drivers. Proposed legislative
amendments and new technology may change this.
What should be done….
- DPI
should:
- determine
the incidence and type of unauthorised driving in WA so that it
can assess the risks posed to the community.
- actively pursue amendments
to the Road Traffic Act 1974 to enable Police to issue an infringement
notice rather than a court summons to people caught driving an
unregistered vehicle and to allow court orderlies to accept licences
surrendered by disqualified drivers.
- Police should:
- expedite development of high volume
electronic licence and registration checks to increase detection
of unauthorised driving.
- give priority to resolving the issues delaying
proclamation of stronger ‘owner onus’ legislation passed by Parliament
in 2000. This legislation will make owners of vehicles identifi ed
by speed or red light cameras responsible for unauthorised driving
unless they give a sworn statement either naming the actual driver
or giving good reasons why they cannot identify the driver.
FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
Management of the Light Vehicle Fleet
Eighty-seven government agencies lease over 9 224 passenger and
light commercial vehicles valued at approximately $211 million
from State Fleet, a branch of the Department of Treasury and
Finance (DTF). State Fleet operates on a commercial basis. State
Fleet has delegated powers to borrow moneys, enter into contracts
and to purchase and sell vehicles. State Fleet also manages contracts
with two private companies to provide fl eet management services
to government agencies.
Strategic monitoring and management of
the government fl eet rests with the Fleet Steering Committee
(FSC) though Chief Executives of individual agencies have autonomy
to manage their own fl eet within the constraints of government
policy.
What the examination found...
- The ‘WA
Government Fleet Policy and Guidelines’ provides an adequate
framework and direction for whole of government management
of the fleet as well as management by individual agencies.
- There is little monitoring and measurement of the performance
of the fl eet by the FSC as required in the ‘WA Government Fleet Policy and Guidelines’.
- State Fleet’s
operations are financially sustainable though this is dependent
upon accurately predicting vehicle residual values. The declining second
hand vehicle market makes this task difficult.
- There has
been no increase in the contributions of Government Vehicle Scheme
members since 2000. An increase in contributions agreed by the FSC
in mid 2003 was never implemented.
- The
contracted fleet managers provided satisfactory services
at competitive rates.
- None of the four sampled
agencies could provide evidence that their fl eet composition
met operational needs in the most cost effective manner.
What should
be done….
- The
FSC should enhance its whole of government measurement,
monitoring and management of the fleet.
- Government agencies should
ensure that they have up-to-date fleet management plans
to provide for a cost effective balance of fleet composition
and utilisation to achieve operational needs.
Redeployment
and Redundancy
Redundancy and redeployment is an integral
part of the management of the public sector workforce.
Government policy does not allow for the involuntary severance of permanent
public sector employees made redundant by restructure.
During 2004-05 there were 340 people managed for redeployment or
redundancy. This represents 0.5 per cent of permanent public
sector workers.
The Public Sector Management Division (PSMD)
of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) manages
the redeployment process. The PSMD also conduct case management
for 40 per cent of redeployees. Other employees are case
managed by their home agencies.
What the examination found...
- Redeployment
and redundancy is adequately managed:
- audit testing
indicated that people in redeployment are gainfully
employed and that two-thirds are placed within 12 months.
- Some
opportunities exist to improve the management of the
small number of long-term redeployees:
- PSMD has been deregistering
redeployees without the legal authority to
do so. Once deregistered, such persons no longer receive assistance
from PSMD in applying for new positions, and
remain the responsibility of their home agencies
- PSMD has limited
ability effectively to manage long-term redeployees
with no realistic prospect of redeployment.
What should be done….
- DPC
should develop alternative strategies for dealing
with long-term redeployees who have no realistic prospect of
redeployment to bring closure to the process.
DPC should also seek amendment to the Regulations to provide the legal
authority to deregister redeployees.
FOLLOW-UP
PERFORMANCE EXAMINATION
Level Pegging: Managing Mineral Titles in Western
Australia.
This report follows up our June 2002
report Level Pegging: Managing Mineral Titles in Western Australia.
In that examination, we assessed how the (then)
Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) was managing
mineral titles. The report made a number of fi
ndings and recommendations related to:
- the
regulatory and administrative framework for
managing mineral titles
- the
timeliness and cost of the mineral title application
process
- mineral
title annual reports
- minimum expenditure conditions.
Shortly after the June 2002 report, DMPR was
incorporated into the Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR).
What the examination found....
- DoIR
has made significant progress in implementing
the report recommendations.
- A
small number of matters still need to be
addressed:
- the
time taken to assess mineral title applications
has improved but is still longer than target timeframes.
- DoIR now
monitors mineral exploration reports for
compliance but does not initiate forfeiture for non compliance.
The
examination recommended that the Department of Industry and Resources
should…
- Build
on improvements in assessing mineral
title applications by establishing
and implementing criteria for assessing
exploration licence applicants’ work
programme and technical and fi nancial
resources
- Further
improve timeliness of the mineral
titles applications process
- Forfeit
titles for non-compliance with legislative
requirements for mineral exploration
reports
- Proceed
with current plans to audit annual
expenditure on tenements
- Build
on the guidelines for granting
expenditure exemptions, particularly in relation
to exemptions sought in relation
to plant and machinery and the
ground being unworkable.
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