2022–23 Corporate Plan

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2022–23 Corporate Plan
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The work of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts touches the lives of every Australian, every day. The department has a national footprint with our people working Canberra (Ngunawal Country) and in regional areas. We have truly national perspective in our ambition to connect Australians, enrich our communities and empower our regions.

• Our Department
  • Secretary’s introduction
  • Our operating environment
  • Delivering against outcomes and measuring performance
• Our performance
  • Transport connectivity
  • Regional development, northern Australia and cities
  • Territories
  • Communications connectivity
  • Creativity and culture
• Governance, integrity and risk
  • Governance
  • Integrity
  • Fraud Control Plan
  • Risk oversight and management
  • Planning and reporting framework
• Our organisational culture and capability
  • Our people
  • Our values
  • APS values
  • People capability
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Policy and program capability
  • Regulatory performance
  • Financial management
  • ICT capability
  • Data capability
  • Compliance with Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014
• Previous Corporate Plan

Our Department

Secretary’s introduction

Jim Betts
Secretary

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Our 2022–23 Corporate Plan showcases how we plan to deliver across one of the most diverse portfolios in the Australian Public Service. Through the Plan, we are supporting the Australian Government’s reform and recovery agenda. We will deliver through respectful and meaningful engagement across all levels of government, with our 7 Ministers, 30 portfolio entities and key industry stakeholders.

I look forward to working with people across the department and its agencies to deliver our programs, projects and services in the major infrastructure, transport, communications and arts sectors, supporting our regions, cities and territories.

Our nation building projects support economic and social development, disaster resilience and recovery, and create long-term productivity benefits for producers, businesses and communities. The department’s work with each transport sector connects Australians to the world and each other. To set the scene for future growth and development we will deliver on the government’s commitments to an Aviation White Paper and a Maritime Strategic Fleet.

Our portfolio will play a significant role in supporting the Government to reach its emissions reduction targets and achieve net zero, including reducing emissions in the transport sector, increasing resilience of our infrastructure and supporting our regions in the transition from fossil fuels.

Our work across the cities, rural and regional areas and Australia’s territories connects and empowers communities, improves productivity and seeks to lift living standards. We will continue to coordinate and implement policies that benefit Australians where ever they live and support sustainable economic development and provide a foundation for resilient communities.

Communications service accessibility is essential to an inclusive and prosperous society. This Plan outlines how we will deliver an additional $480 million for the NBN to better connect rural and regional areas. It also demonstrates how we will continue to work towards affordable and reliable communications and postal services across the country. The content that Australians receive through these communications services provides enormous opportunities and challenges and our progress to re-shape and reform Australia’s media landscape in the digital era continues.

We are supporting the government to invigorate the creative sectors through the development of an updated National Cultural Policy that celebrates and invests in our unique arts industries and cultural institutions. This will require dialogue with our First Nations peoples to build policy and programs that are respectful of First Nations’ cultural heritage, art and languages.

I am committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and this Plan outlines not only what we will do, but how we will do it. As a first action, I am looking forward to launching our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, which will guide work on the Indigenous languages, culture and digital inclusion targets and priority reforms of the Closing the Gap National Agreement.

As the Accountable Authority of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, I am pleased to present the 2022–23 Corporate Plan, covering the period 2022–2026, in accordance with paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Jim Betts
Secretary

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Connecting Australians + Enriching our communities + Empowering our regions

Transport connectivity

Supporting an efficient, sustainable, competitive, accessible, safe and secure transport system and supporting jobs through infrastructure investment

Regional development

Improving living standards and facilitating economic growth in cities and regions including northern Australia

Territories

Providing governance frameworks and services to support communities in the territories

Communications connectivity

Enabling people in Australia to connect to effective, safe communications services. Enabling investment in communications technologies, for inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth

Creativity and culture

Supporting sustainable and inclusive creative and cultural sectors, and protecting and promoting Australian content and culture

Outcome 1	Outcome 2	Outcome 3	Outcome 4	Outcome 5	Outcome 6
Improved infrastructure across Australia through investment in and coordination of transport and other infrastructure	An efficient, sustainable, competitive, safe and secure transport system for all transport users through regulation, financial assistance and safety investigations	Strengthening the sustainability, capacity and diversity of Australia’s cities and regions including northern Australia, through facilitating local partnerships between all levels of government and local communities; through investment in infrastructure and measures that stimulate economic growth; and providing grants and financial assistance	Good governance and service delivery in the Australian territories including through the maintenance and improvement of the laws and services for non-self-governing territories, and the overarching legislative framework for self-governing territories	Promote an innovative and competitive communications sector, through policy development, advice and program delivery, so all Australians can realise the full potential of digital technologies and communications services	Participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression
Program 1.1 – Infrastructure Investment	Program 2.1 – Surface Transport Program 2.2 – Road Safety Program 2.3 – Air Transport	Program 3.1 – Regional Development Program 3.2 – Local Government Program 3.3 – Cities Program 3.4 – Growing a Stronger northern Australia Economy	Program 4.1 – Services to Territories	Program 5.1 – Digital Technologies and Communications Services	Program 6.1 – Arts and Cultural Development

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Our operating environment

We identify and monitor new and emerging policy, regulatory and environmental challenges to influence advice to government. We ensure our policies, programs and regulations are future focused and appropriately respond to risks, while making the most of opportunities.

We consider the key influencing trends that are likely to impact our work over the next 4 years. The pandemic, recent extreme weather and world events have accelerated these trends and, in turn, shaped the way Australia responds and adapts to living with constant change and disruption.

Moving through the stages of COVID-19

We are committed to supporting our communities and industries as they are impacted by COVID–19. The effects of COVID–19 have been ongoing and significant, and recovery will be an evolving process. The department is taking a methodical, collaborative and consultative approach to assist affected communities and industries through all stages of the pandemic. As a ‘new normal’ is gradually established, we will continue looking for ways to encourage growth in those industries and communities most affected by the pandemic.

Climate change

Extreme fluctuations in weather in Australia and around the world will continue to affect Australian communities and our economy. More unpredictable weather events and more extreme weather events leading to environmental damage and disruption to communities will affect supply chains and a wide range of industries, and individual wellbeing.

Lowering greenhouse gas emissions is key to limiting the impact of future climate change. In June 2022, the government formally updated Australia’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and put Australia on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Green technologies are evolving rapidly and will provide opportunity for Australia’s economic recovery and resilience. We are acting to realise those opportunities and ensure our transport, communications, infrastructure and community sectors are positioned to adapt and mitigate climate change impacts.

Harnessing data, digitalisation and emerging technology

Digital disruption, big data and digitalisation will all mature and be used more effectively over the next 4 years. We can leverage technological change in communications infrastructure, which underpins productivity and economic benefits delivered to our communities, innovators and industries. At the same time, private enterprise, particularly digital platforms, will continue to grow in influence and play an increasingly active role. Connectivity, mobility, automation and digitalisation are converging, creating new advancements in transport like automated vehicles, cooperative intelligent transport systems, emerging aviation technologies and smarter supply chains. These in turn, will enable cleaner, faster, safer and more productive and inclusive trade and transport.

Increased connectivity means our policies and programs need to embrace emerging technologies, combat misinformation and disinformation, protect privacy, support safety, remain secure and adapt to changing consumer expectations. Our future regulation will need flexibility to encourage innovation and improve coordination across agencies and jurisdictions, whilst protecting against unintended consequences from rapid technological development.

Increased demands of a changing and growing population

We anticipate new critical population mass in regional employment hubs, demanding place-based policy solutions, reliable and safe transport infrastructure, increased digital connectivity and repurposing of public spaces for cultural and creative expression. Australians continue to require infrastructure and services that support economic growth, better standards of living and more liveable cities and regions. Effective collaboration across all levels of government towards shared objectives is vital in connecting and linking Australians.

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Delivering against outcomes and measuring performance

Our performance framework measures progress towards achieving our 5 purposes and 6 outcomes. We deliver on these in partnership with our portfolio entities, other governments, industries, communities and international organisations. We realise our outcomes, achieve our purposes and measure our performance through:

Providing strategic policy advice

We provide the Australian Government with high-quality, strategic policy options and advice on infrastructure, transport, regional development, cities, northern Australia, the territories, communications connectivity, creative and cultural related matters. Our advice is evidence-based and informed by research, consultation, analysis and broader government objectives.

Our efforts to provide high-quality, forward looking strategic policy options and advice are complemented by our research capability. Our Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) provides economic analysis, research and statistics to inform Australian Government policy development and wider community understanding. Similarly, our Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (BCARR) provides economic and data analysis to allow us to identify trends, gaps, emerging issues and risks in markets and society.

Delivering programs and services

We deliver efficient and effective programs and services to achieve the government’s policy outcomes. Through our central offices located in Canberra and our regional office network, we provide a diverse range of services to the infrastructure, transport, communications, cultural and creative sectors across communities in urban, regional and remote areas. We adhere to high standards of integrity and public administration, and seek to continuously balance risk and opportunity to achieve better policy outcomes.

Important to our success across our broad areas of responsibility is our ability to form strong partnerships and work effectively with all stakeholders, including federal, state and local governments, industry partners and communities. The department has highly developed place-based data and capability that contributes to the design and delivery of tailored policies and investments in different cities and regions. Our ability to form, harness and encourage effective partnerships with a wide range of entities and people across different places, directly supports the Australian community in the ways we want to live, work and spend our leisure time.

Delivering and administering fit-for-purpose regulation

We administer portfolio legislation efficiently and effectively by taking a risk-based, collaborative and data-driven approach. We work to continuously improve our regulatory performance and we seek to ensure our regulation settings incentivise appropriate investment and is fit-for-purpose now and into the future. We also work with ministers on their expectations of regulator performance and provide reporting on the performance of our regulatory functions.

Measuring our performance

We continually review our performance measures against the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule) to improve our alignment with better practice information that is unbiased, reliable and verifiable. We also update regularly to align with our current purposes and provide confidence in delivering our outcomes.

This review process is in accordance with our obligations as a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, as we seek to clearly outline in our planning and reporting documents our intentions, how we measure results and report on those achievements.

Since our last Corporate Plan, we have structured our performance framework to better align our measures to purposes, outcomes and programs, improving the line of sight between the Portfolio Budget Statements, Corporate Plan and Annual Report. Our refined and more meaningful targets provide the parliament and public with higher quality information to assess our performance in 2022–23 and over the coming 4 years.

We have reduced the number of key activities and performance measures from 27 to 21 and 85 to 38 respectively, by:

• discontinuing measures containing management-level information
• removing finished programs
• removing measures where we had little or no control over the outcome or
• removing measures that were lacking measurable and reliable targets.

We have also included additional information relating to the measures’ rationale and data sources.

These changes are identified throughout this document with references to the 2021–22 Corporate Plan, enhancing a clear line of sight between the 3 planning and reporting publications.

As we deliver against our outcomes we strive to set targets, however in some cases we are unable to establish targets where they:

• are demand driven
• have long-term outcomes as they are subject to ongoing policy or regulatory changes
• are supporting projects for which work requirements fluctuate.

On 1 July 2022, the National Water Grid Authority transferred to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the copyright function transferred to the Attorney-General’s Department. As a result, our performance framework excludes one key activity and 4 performance measures previously reported within the water infrastructure purpose, and changes to one performance measure relating to our content and classification frameworks.

Estimated performance achievements against targets will be reported in the 2023–24 Portfolio Budget Statements, and final results will be acquitted in the 2022–23 Annual Performance Statements, which form part of the Annual Report, completing the annual performance cycle.

This Corporate Plan may be updated to reflect any material changes following the October 2022 Federal Budget.

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Our performance

Transport connectivity

Outcome 1

Improved infrastructure across Australia through investment in and coordination of transport and other infrastructure

Outcome 2

An efficient, sustainable, competitive, safe and secure transport system for all transport users through regulation, financial assistance and safety investigations

Purpose

Supporting an efficient, sustainable, competitive, accessible, safe and secure transport system and supporting jobs through infrastructure investment

Environment and risk

Investing in transport infrastructure

Australia’s transport system underpins our way of life and is the lifeblood of our economy. Working with state and territory governments, we are delivering a substantial infrastructure pipeline over 10 years from 2022–23 to 2031–32, investing in projects assisting national and regional economic and social developments, and major disaster resilience and recovery.

As the major investor, we are also supporting Australian Government Business Enterprises (GBEs). This includes Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) delivering Inland Rail, and the transformation of the Moorebank Intermodal Company into the National Intermodal Corporation Ltd to support significant investment in terminals across Australia’s east coast, including common user terminals at Brisbane and Melbourne. Our support for investment in significant and complex projects continues with the development of the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. These major Commonwealth projects will help facilitate safer, more reliable, secure and efficient movement of people and goods throughout Australia and internationally; generating greater opportunities and jobs for local communities, as well as the broader economy, well into the future.

Transport infrastructure construction plays an important role in supporting economic recovery as we learn to live with COVID–19, and create a stronger future for Australia. We will continue to work together with industry, governments and our portfolio entities to deliver infrastructure upgrades and address challenges in the construction sector, including productivity, escalating prices, and tight labour markets, with the latter compounded by major projects coming online simultaneously.

To mitigate these challenges, we will work with governments and the private sector on these major projects from identification through to completion. For example, we are working together with other Australian Government departments and the Queensland Government to support the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This collaboration and significant investment in infrastructure will deliver a world class games as well as support the growing needs of South East Queensland.

Transport contributes around 19% of Australia’s CO₂ emissions, with 84% coming from road transport alone. Work to reduce road transport emissions is being progressed by the Australian Government and state and territory governments. We will coordinate actions to contribute to the development of the National Electric Vehicle Strategy including measures to support the supply of zero and low emission vehicles and will work closely with the heavy vehicle and rail industries to support low emission initiatives. We are also partnering with domestic industry to reduce maritime and aviation emissions.

This substantial investment in transport infrastructure will result in commuters and freight moving safely and more efficiently; ensure supply chains and labour markets are resilient and meet Australia’s needs, and create job opportunities. Our targeted engagement with industry ensures our investments are fit-for-purpose, promote freight market competition and capitalise on commercial opportunities.

Safeguarding supply chains

Recent natural disasters have highlighted how vital efficient Australian supply chains are to the community. Our increasingly connected domestic and international markets are demanding greater efficiency, reliability and cost-competitiveness from the freight and supply chain sector, particularly as our population grows and moves.

Such demands apply to the whole sector and all modes of transport — air, rail, road and shipping — regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. We will continue to work in close consultation with all sectors of industry and with all governments to understand and meet Australia’s freight needs and lead through market stewardship best-practice regulation.

Technological disruption

Emerging transport technologies such as Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) have potential to improve transport safety, productivity, accessibility and sustainability. Recent estimates from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) predict that highly automated vehicles will enter the Australian market around 2026, making up two thirds of light vehicle sales by 2050. We are developing new regulatory frameworks needed to support the safe commercial deployment of automated vehicles and other technologies. New aircraft, including Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones), will provide opportunities to access new markets and uses, while traditional aircraft are capable of extended range. We will lead the work with state and territory governments, supporting the introduction of emerging technologies and availability, adoption and deployment of cooperative intelligent transport systems to all Australians.

Safe, efficient and sustainable domestic and international transport systems are vital to Australia’s continuing prosperity and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Australia is seeing an increasing uptake of electric vehicles and the continued uptake of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles which will enable reductions in emissions intensity.

Australia is engaged in ongoing work through international fora, as a foundation member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to drive the development of practical and effective global measures to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes through operational and technological initiatives.

Transport safety

Australia is committed to ensuring the safety of domestic commercial vessels. We are supporting an independent panel to review the current regulatory arrangements to determine whether they are fit-for-purpose and to identify opportunities to improve safety outcomes.

Improving road safety is critically important for all Australians. The Australian Government has committed to significantly reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries over the next decade, putting us towards zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads (Vision Zero) by 2050. We are continuing to work closely with state and territory governments to lead the national direction, setting road safety policy through the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–30 and accompanying Action Plans. This strategy includes the reduction of road fatalities by 50% and serious injuries by 30% by 2030 through safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road use, and speed management embedded throughout.

Recovery of our transport economy

A strong and sustainable aviation sector is critical for Australia’s prosperity. Prior to COVID–19, aviation moved over 100 million domestic and international passengers each year, enabling employment, education and tourism, connecting communities across Australia and the world. The pandemic however, caused dramatic effects including disrupted travel, grounded planes and minimal airport operations, resulting in job losses and declines in revenue for aviation related businesses.

The response to the COVID–19 pandemic has now shifted to a new phase with the resumption of travel, as domestic and international borders have re-opened, and reducing the volatility in regulatory settings administered by the department. The current focus is now assisting with the recovery of the aviation sector and positioning it for long-term sustainability.

Key activities, output and efficiency measures

Key Activity: Deliver and manage the Infrastructure Investment Program

Outcome 1 – Program 1.1

Note: Combines Measures 1 and 2 from 2021–22 Corporate Plan (p. 21).

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records on project progress.

Rationale: This measure is directly relevant to the delivery of the Infrastructure Investment Program.

Data Source: State teams in the Infrastructure Investment Division receive project status information from state and territory governments, this is entered into the Infrastructure Management System (IMS) and captured monthly in the Program of Works.

Key Activity: Lead policy (with the Department of Finance) and shape the delivery of major transport infrastructure projects

(Note: Key activity updated for 2022–23. Change in focus from business cases to implementation)

Outcome 1 – Program 1.1

Note: Combines Measures 12 and 13 from 2021–22 Corporate Plan (p. 24).

Methodology: Progress will be measured against milestones overseen through the new National Intermodal Corporation’s governance and reporting arrangements.

Rationale: This measure provides assurance over the delivery of the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Precinct (MITP) and the Melbourne and Brisbane Inland Rail terminals. The Australian Government has committed over $570 million for the MITP project. The scheduled date for completion of the Interstate Terminal is March 2025.

Data Source: Container volumes at the Moorebank Import Export Terminal, based on statistics since operations began in late 2019. The progress of Melbourne and Brisbane Inland Rail terminals will be measured against the Funding Agreement, governance documentation and reporting from the National Intermodal Corporation. The department is a joint shareholder with the Department of Finance.

Key Activity: Advise on and deliver better road safety as well as vehicle and rail regulation

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: This measure is directly related to the department’s review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, Heavy Vehicle Road Reform and the National Rail Action Plan.

Data Source: Briefing provided to ministers, including papers to Infrastructure and Transport Ministers’ Meetings (ITMM).

Key Activity: Advise on and deliver policy for access to transport for people with a disability

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: This measure relates to outcomes of reviews of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002¹ (Transport Standards) that recognise the need to reform the Transport Standards to reflect the current and future needs of people with disability and to provide guidance to operators and providers to practically fulfil their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992².

Data Source: Papers to the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers’ Meetings (ITMM).

Key Activity: Advise on technology advances in the road transport sector

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Analysis of progress of Commonwealth-led actions as reported in the National Land Transport Technology Action Plan Annual Review³ (NLTTAP).

Analysis of updates to ITMM on the progress of Commonwealth-led actions against the regulatory implementation roadmap for a national approach to the safety assurance of Connected and Automated Vehicles.

Rationale: Emerging transport technologies such as CAVs have the potential to improve transport safety, productivity, accessibility and sustainability. The measure recognises that the primary role of the department in supporting uptake of CAVs and other road transport technologies is to provide policy and regulatory advice, including to enable implementation of activities agreed by Infrastructure and Transport Ministers. It allows for a qualitative assessment of the department’s policy and regulatory advice, including indirectly, by measuring the progress of Commonwealth-led actions under the NLTTAP and implementation roadmap for a national approach to the safety assurance of CAVs.

Data Source: Papers and decisions relevant to Commonwealth-led actions against the regulatory implementation roadmap for a national approach to the safety assurance of automated vehicles provided to ITMM.

The annual review and next iteration of the NLTTAP, published on the department’s website.

Key Activity: Manage domestic and international maritime policy, programs and regulation to support efficient sea trade, vessel safety, Australian maritime skills capability and environmental protection

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Data provided by Services Australia every quarter of each financial year.

Rationale: The government is committed to reducing the cost of transport across Bass Strait faced by shippers and sea travellers through the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme (TFES) and the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme (BSPVES).

Data Source: Claim processing is managed by Services Australia, as the delivery agency for both Schemes.

Key Activity: Implement the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and Action Plan

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: The measure will allow a qualitative assessment of freight performance against the Strategy and Action Plan to support improved freight outcomes across all modes of transport.

Data Source: National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy standalone website⁴, with National Freight Performance Dashboard⁵, Annual Report⁶ and independent Industry Reference Panel Statement⁷

Key Activity: Advise on and deliver better road safety as well as vehicle and rail regulation

Outcome 2 – Program 2.2

Methodology: Analysis of road serious injury and fatality data.

Rationale: The Australian Government is committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads. This measure reflects this focus on national road safety and relies on the number and population rate of serious injuries and deaths on Australian roads, which are key indicators of road safety performance over time.

The Australian Government has responsibility for 2 key levers to improve road safety through funding infrastructure investment and vehicle imports. However, the impact of these are long-term. Immediate impacts in reducing the road toll are achieved through more direct levers within the authority of states and territories. In addition, states own infrastructure investment priorities; speed management controls; licencing and registration for drivers and vehicles; and enforcement and compliance activities which are more effective as immediate impacts (on an annual basis) in reducing fatal and serious injuries.

Data Source: The National Crash Database, the Australian Road Deaths Database and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare hospitalisation series, which has a 2-year lag on available data.

Key Activity: Regulate the supply of all road vehicles to the Australian market

(Note: New key activity reflecting the importance of assessing efficiency and effectiveness following the implementation of legislation and new system)

Outcome 2 – Program 2.2

Methodology: Analysis of application processing reports from the department’s Road Vehicle Regulator (ROVER) system.

Rationale: The department supports the safety, environmental and anti-theft performance of all road vehicles being provided to the Australian market for the first time through the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation⁸. While all of the mandatory components of the legislation have been implemented, some optional components are still under development and are expected to provide more certainty for applicants and consistency in decision making. The transitional period for relevant legislation and legislative instruments has been extended, ending 30 June 2023. Despite establishing this measure the making of legislation is ultimately a decision for government.

While the benefits of ensuring road vehicles comply with appropriate standards is clear, it is government policy to minimise the regulatory burden imposed on industry through the application and approval processes. Monitoring timeframes in which decisions on applications are made will assist the department to ensure its systems and processes are efficient and effective.

Data Source: The department’s Road Vehicle Regulator (ROVER) system for monitoring decision-making timeframes. Legislative timeframes for model reports, vehicle type and component type approvals allow up to 60 business days and the following application types allow up to 30 business days:

• concessional Register of Authorised Vehicles (RAV) entry approvals
• non-RAV entry import approvals
• authorised vehicle verifier approvals
• registered automotive workshop approvals
• testing facility approvals
• entry on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register.

Applications for not a road vehicle (NARV) do not have a legislative timeframe, however the department has agreed to 30 business days.

The data source for implementation of the RVSA legislation will be the Federal Register of Legislation which contains all of the Australian Governments acts and legislative instruments.

Key Activity: Lead the design of the Western Sydney Airport flight path

Outcome 2 – Program 2.3

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records tracking project milestones and partners’ reporting.

Rationale: The department is responsible for leading the flight path design for Western Sydney Airport, working closely with Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The design of the flight paths are guided by 12 design principles outlined in the 2021 Airport Plan⁹. These design principles seek to maximise safety, efficiency and capacity, while minimising impacts on the community and the environment.

Data Source: Departmental records.

Key Activity: Manage domestic aviation policy, program and regulation

Outcome 2 – Program 2.3

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: To ensure all Master Plans and Major Development Plans are assessed within the statutory timeframes specified in the Airports Act 1996¹⁰

Data Source: Published Master Plans and Major Development Plans.

Outcome 2 – Program 2.3

Methodology: Analysis of reporting from the Grants Hub administered by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Rationale: To ensure that all projects, where a funding agreement has been put in place, are completed in accordance with the scope, timing and funding allocation detailed in their agreement or any subsequent variation. Ensuring Australian Government funding for these projects is delivering the anticipated outcomes of improved safety and access to and for regional and remote communities.

Funding is allocated to projects through a competitive grants program, which ranks projects for funding based on an assessment of the project need, the benefits it will bring and the extent to which the applicant can deliver the project. As project delivery can span multiple years, completion rates can not be assessed on a yearly basis, only at the conclusion of the program.

Data Source: Funding agreements for completed projects.

Outcome 2 – Program 2.3

Methodology: Consolidated data from contracts with RASS air operators.

Rationale: To ensure communities can apply for admission to the RASS Scheme at any time, depending on the case they make in terms of the need for a weekly service, their remoteness, compliance with aerodrome safety standards, air operator agreement and available funding.

The Australian Government can also strategically determine a community to be a potential recipient as well as the frequency of the service (e.g. fortnightly) or whether it is delivered on a seasonal basis. Air operators are contracted with the Australian Government for a fixed term and are selected in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules¹¹.

Data Source: Number of ports serviced through the RASS program.

Effectiveness measures

Effectiveness Measure: Supporting an efficient and sustainable transport system

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Note: Combines Measures 25, 26 and 27 from 2021–22 Corporate Plan (p.27)

Methodology: Analysis of data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook¹².

Rationale: To ensure the department is consistent with whole-of-government reporting on Australia’s greenhouse emissions and international obligations.

Data Source: BITRE publishes financial year domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions data on the department’s website as part of the BITRE Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook. These reports are published on an annual basis. CO₂ emissions data on the BITRE website dates back to the 1970s. Emissions figures are available 6 months after the end of each financial year, however, transport activity figures (used as the denominator in this indicator) for each financial year are not available until the middle of the next year (for example figures for 2021–22 will be available in mid 2023).

Effectiveness Measure: Supporting a safe and accessible transport system

Outcome 2 – Program 2.1

Methodology: Analysis of maritime fatality data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) Maritime Occurrence Database.

Rationale: The Australian Government is committed to reducing fatal and serious injury maritime incidents in Australia. The department is responsible for advising government on maritime safety policy, and administering maritime safety legislation and regulation.

The department administers legislation for maritime safety, which empowers the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and is intended to influence safe behaviour across Australia’s maritime industries. A declining trend in maritime fatality data is the best available measure of the effectiveness of safety laws, noting safety is also influenced directly by multiple factors, including the delivery of regulatory activity, industry safety cultures, and the choices of individuals.

Data Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB 2017, Maritime Occurrence Database). BITRE receives maritime fatality data each year from ATSB for inclusion in the Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook¹³. For each calendar year, data is provided to BITRE in approximately July the following year. For the rate per 100,000 population, the ABS Australian Demographic Statistics will be used. Figures for end of June of each year are available in December of the same year.

Outcome 2 – Program 2.2

Methodology: Analysis of road fatality data in the Australian Road Deaths Database.

Rationale: The Australian Government is committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads. The measure reflects the department’s commitment to national road safety and is based on the number and population rate of road deaths as key indicators of road safety performance over time.

The Australian Government has responsibility for 2 key levers to improve road safety through funding infrastructure investment and regulating the supply of vehicles. However, the impact of these are long-term. Immediate impacts in reducing the road toll are achieved through more direct levers within the authority of states and territories, which have their own infrastructure investment priorities; speed management controls, licencing and registration for drivers and vehicles, enforcement and compliance activities – which have more immediate impacts (on an annual basis) on reducing fatalities and serious injuries.

Data Source: BITRE Australian Road Deaths database – preliminary monthly data series. The fatality data is updated monthly. Data is preliminary and subject to frequent revision by state and territory data providers. The heavy vehicle crash flag has a data lag of approximately 2 months. The monthly road deaths are published in the:

• Road Deaths Australia Monthly Bulletins on or around 14th of the following month
• Heavy Vehicle quarterly
• Road Trauma Australia and Road Trauma involving Heavy Vehicle annual reports
• the International Road Safety Comparisons annual report
• Australian Road Deaths Database¹⁴.

The Australian Road Deaths Database provides basic details of road transport crash fatalities in Australia as reported by the police each month to the state and territory road safety authorities. National Road Safety Strategy Performance indicators are published at www.roadsafety.gov.au. Final indicators are calendar year fatality and fatal crash counts that are updated annually using the National Crash Database (validated final indicators by October) with provisional updates on a regular basis using the Australian Road Deaths Database. For the rate per 100,000 population, the ABS Australian Demographic Statistics will be used. Figures for end of June of each year are available in December of the same year.

Outcome 2 – Program 2.3

Methodology: Feedback from the Minister and Minister’s office. Policy advice supporting New Policy Proposals and Cabinet submissions is robust and supported by the Minister. Feedback from stakeholders.

Rationale: The department develops policy advice for government and provides governance for aviation entities, including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority which is responsible for regulation aviation safety, and Airservices Australia which is responsible for the safe and efficient management of Australia’s skies.

Data Source: Executive meetings with Minister’s office. Stakeholder response to public policy papers. Stakeholder feedback in department-led consultative fora.

Changes in our performance information since 2021–22 Corporate Plan

Following a regular review of our 2021–22 performance information, the following measures for Outcomes 1 and 2 were either consolidated as they were subsets of the same measure (Table 1) or deleted (Table 2).

Significant contributors

* Non-corporate Commonwealth entity

** Corporate Commonwealth entity

*** Commonwealth company

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Regional development, northern Australia and cities

Outcome 3

Strengthening the sustainability, capacity and diversity of Australia’s cities and regions including northern Australia, through facilitating local partnerships between all levels of government and local communities; through investment in infrastructure and measures that stimulate economic growth; and providing grants and financial assistance

Purpose

Improving living standards and facilitating economic growth in cities and regions, including northern Australia

Environment and risk

Together with the broader Australian Government and our portfolio entities, our work supports the delivery of transport, and communications infrastructure, connecting Australian communities, with our focus on creativity and culture enriching and empowering regional and remote communities, including northern Australia.

Every region and city in Australia is different, diverse in their characteristics and strengths, as well as the priorities and ambitions of the people and communities. To deliver the best outcomes, it is important to invest in the stated needs of a region to build local support and investment, address gaps and barriers to success, and help regions across Australia to reach their potential.

Investing in the regions

Over 8 million Australians live outside capital cities and two-thirds of our export earnings come from regional industries such as agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. Australian regions, particularly where markets are thinner, require services and support to ensure they are liveable, inclusive and able to achieve their economic potential. Programs targeted specifically to regional Australia, including northern Australia support and drive these objectives.

Major trends affecting regional Australia in the near future include environmental and climatic, demographic, economic and technological changes that will have localised and varying degrees of impacts. COVID–19 impacts will persist over the coming years, affecting communities and industries. We play a critical leadership role in bringing together regional stakeholders and all levels of government to deliver policies and programs.

Our work is built on data and evidence that consistently points to 6 foundations for regional growth:

• connectivity and infrastructure
• human capital and skills
• regional employment and business
• leadership and collaboration
• amenity and liveability
• sustainable natural resources, to build future resilience.

These key foundations reflect both the academic literature regarding regional development and wellbeing, and the priority areas regions tell us support them to thrive and prosper.

Regions are defined in various ways, at various levels of geography, and are not a fixed or static concept reflecting one singular or set of characteristics. When viewed through a place-based lens, regions can be geographically small or large in scale. We focus on a place-based approach to regional development that reflects the individual needs and circumstances of a region.

However, while regional Australia cannot be identified as one homogeneous place, trend data on overall demographic shifts indicates a typology of 4 basic types of regions:

• Growing coastal cities and country towns experiencing population growth and strong internal migration due to the opportunities, services, and liveability of the regions
• Growing inland cities and country towns experiencing strong population growth due to good transport links, the presence of agricultural, mining and key industry hubs, and accessible service hubs
• Regions in a state of transition and facing severe economic shock with varying degrees of population growth. These shocks include impacts from natural disasters and wider global transitions to a decarbonised global economy.
• Regions with little or no population growth, or facing population decline, due to the regions’ boom or bust economy, distance from service hubs, and lack of current and future economic opportunities. These regions may have thin markets that are more pronounced in inland areas and increase with remoteness.

We will listen to, and work with communities, state and local governments and businesses in developing our policy approaches to ensure we use the right tools to achieve our policy outcomes. Place-based investment will be tailored to address the stated priorities and goals of a region, targeting a region’s competitive advantages, strengths and opportunities; and addressing locally-identified and data-informed barriers to success. We will ensure our level of engagement and investment is commensurate with the intended outcomes, depending on the need, complexity and scale of impact required.

Genuine partnerships across all levels of government are critical to ensuring that planning, funding and project delivery, across a range of policy responsibilities, maximises regional outcomes. We will be an effective and responsive partner to ensure the Australian Government’s investments in a region benefit from alignment and sequencing in a way that supports common objectives, reduces duplication, drives value for money, and meets community and business needs.

We will drive coordination and collaboration across Australian Government agencies to ensure there is a shared understanding and joined-up investment in communities and regions, particularly when partnering with regions.

Policy for a changing and growing population

From large cities to small communities, we want Australian communities to continue to be great places to live, work and play. Regional areas tend to have a less robust labour market which is experiencing skills shortages, and areas of disadvantage where socio-economic outcomes decrease as remoteness increases.

Net internal migration from capital cities, in particular Sydney and Melbourne, to regional areas, increased during the COVID–19 period. In the year to June 2021, net internal migration to the regions was 49,180 people, a higher figure than the previous 2 years combined.

However, this trend of increased internal migration to our regions has not been uniform across Australia. While coastal cities and coastal country towns are experiencing strong internal migration, there are remote inland areas showing little or no population growth, and some of these regions are facing population decline.

Ensuring essential services, like telecommunications, healthcare, childcare, education and water supplies, and equitable access to skills training, industry-workforces, and housing will better position all regions to address their challenges and take advantage of opportunities to support economic and population growth.

Figure 1: Net Internal Migration trends continue to decline in capital cities at an expedited rate, as people move to regional areas post-COVID–19

Source: ABS 2022, Regional population, 2020–21 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)¹⁸

2020 saw a favourable shift in attitudes towards regional areas, including from younger people, accompanied by an increase in net migration out of capital cities, enabled by wider adoption of digital workplace tools and flexible working location policies. Many services and activities transitioned online, including retail, telehealth and education, further highlighting the importance of continuing to strengthen physical and digital connectivity in regional areas.

City and Regional Deals

Two-thirds of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product are produced in our 6 largest capital cities, where 69% of businesses are located. Eighty-six per cent of imports and 22% of exports flow through ports in our 7 coastal capital cities. Over two-thirds of Australians live in our 8 capital cities.

While offering great potential, Australia’s cities also face challenges. We therefore tailor the City and Regional Deals to capitalise on each city or region’s comparative advantages and assets, and address challenges. They are bespoke, place-based solutions that reflect the unique needs of each city and region, and focus on priorities identified by local communities. City and Regional Deals are long-term agreements between the 3 levels of government and the community, with a strong emphasis on aligning planning, investment and governance to accelerate growth, create jobs, stimulate urban renewal and drive economic reforms.

We are delivering City Deals in Townsville, Launceston, Darwin, Western Sydney, Hobart, Geelong, Perth, Adelaide and South-East Queensland, and planning for a City Deal in Melbourne. We are delivering Regional Deals in the Hinkler, Barkly and Albury Wodonga regions. The Deals are supported by an Australian Government investment of $9.1 billion, which is leveraging an additional investment from other governments of $10.5 billion. The 9 City Deals are expected to generate more than 222,000 direct and indirect jobs to 2042.

In accordance with the Australian Government’s Vision for Cities, work is underway to transform City and Regional Deals into genuine partnerships which promote collaboration between the 3 levels of government, business and the community. These partnerships will recognise urban policy as a crucial lever for governments to improve productivity, liveability and sustainability, and recognise each city’s unique size, transport networks, housing, opportunities for growth, and need to revitalise Central Business Districts in our cities.

Growing a stronger northern Australia economy

Northern Australia is defined as all of the Northern Territory and those parts of Queensland and Western Australia that intersect with the Tropic of Capricorn, including the Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas, Cocos and Keeling Islands.

The north of Australia is unique, with natural assets, a young population and distinct culture. Northern Australia’s strategic location makes it central to our defence and security cooperation into the Indo-Pacific region. The region also provides Australia’s closest connection with our key trading markets, with south east Asia within 2 to 5 hours flying time from Darwin. Northern Australia represents more than 53% of Australia’s land mass and is home to 1.3 million people or 5.1% of the national population. The north’s low population density and dispersed industry means it is difficult to capture the economies of scale that would normally underpin the case for community and infrastructure investment. First Nations peoples make up 15% of the northern Australia population and have rights and interests in 78% of the land.

Sustainable economic development and improved liveability is required to develop the north in economic and social terms. The Office of Northern Australia (the ONA) partners with jurisdictions, government agencies, First Nations leaders, the Indigenous Reference Group and the Ministerial Forum on Northern Development to facilitate and align resources to deliver long-term, sustainable growth in northern Australia. The ONA, with key delivery partners, is working to unlock the strategic potential and economic contribution of the north, and strengthen socio-economic parity for local communities. The northern Australia agenda is aligned to the 20-year framework in the 2015 Our North, Our Future: White Paper on Developing Northern Australia.

Our work is positioning the north as an attractive environment for investment, growth and liveability. In 2021–22, the Australian Government invested $189.6 million through Our North, Our Future: 2021–2026, to support industry diversification and business growth across the north. This investment has leveraged $238.8 million in contributions from our partners and is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the north.

Key activities and output measures

Key Activity: Provide policy leadership and deliver programs to support regional development and local governments

Outcome 3 – Program 3.1

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: Measure reflects stated expectations of the Ministers with responsibility for Regional Development. The department is unable to provide measures for planned new programs until they have been developed and approved.

Data Source: The department’s Regional Development, Local Government and Regional Recovery Division Central Data Store, Financial Management System and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources Grants Hub.

Outcome 3 – Program 3.2

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records.

Rationale: To ensure that residents across Australia have access to a standard level of local government services. The Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995, section 9 (State entitlements for local government purposes) and section 12 (Additional funding for local government purposes), sets out the specific requirements, method of calculation and timing for payments to be made.

Data Source: Departmental records including the Financial Management System and Parliamentary Document Management System (PDMS), both updated as payments are made.

Key Activity: Advise on and deliver City Deals and Regional Deals

Outcome 3 – Programs 3.1 and 3.3

Note: Combines Measures 36 and 37 from 2021–22 Corporate Plan (p.34).

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records tracking project milestones and partners’ reporting.

Rationale: To effectively track the progress of City and Regional Deals scheduled to be negotiated and ensure commitments are on track. Each deal has its own commitments and outcomes specific to the local area.

Data Source: Data will vary depending on the different milestones negotiated as part of the individual deals. Quantitative data will be sought from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and qualitative data collection processes will be developed in conjunction with experts. The balance will depend on the type of initiative being measured, with some projects more amenable to quantitative measurement and others to qualitative.

Key Activity: Progress key initiatives and monitor whole-of-government implementation of the northern Australia agenda

Outcome 3 – Program 3.4

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records tracking project milestones and partners’ reporting.

Rationale: The 2015 White Paper on Developing Northern Australia acknowledged northern Australia’s strategic importance and potential to be an economic powerhouse. The northern Australia agenda requires a sustained and long-term commitment for the region to reach its full economic potential. Building on the framework set out in the 2015 White Paper the next 5-year plan, will deliver jobs and grow economic and community resilience. Current initiatives focus on targeted effort for regional growth; enabling greater digital connectivity in northern Australia; and grants to scale-up and diversify businesses and other organisations.

Data Source: Departmental records of project tracking and partners’ reporting. In forward years, analysis of performance against indicators identified in the strategy’s monitoring and evaluation framework will be used.

Effectiveness measure

Effectiveness Measure: Facilitating economic growth and diversification and increased liveability in northern Australia

Outcome 3 – Program 3.4

Methodology: Analysis of NAIF jobs data from project proponents for each individual project. Detailed information is available at https://naif.gov.au/what-we-do/public-benefit/

Rationale: Through NAIF’s investment, the Australian Government is helping facilitate private and public sector contributions to the development of northern Australian infrastructure projects, including physical infrastructure, assets, technology or facilities that contribute to the establishment or enhancement of economic activity in the region. Recognising that developing northern Australia is a long-term agenda, this measure represents an early indicator of the impact NAIF-supported infrastructure will have on northern Australian jobs. The creation of new infrastructure not only directly drives economic development in northern Australia but also contributes to the development of its skills base and supports the creation of sustainable, ongoing jobs and economic growth.

Data Source: Data on project outputs, including jobs created, is calculated on a per project basis and updated as NAIF investment decisions are updated.

Changes in our performance information since 2021–22 Corporate Plan

Following a regular review of our 2021–22 performance information, the following measures for Outcome 3 were either consolidated as they were subsets of the same measure (Table 1) or deleted (Table 2)

Significant contributors

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Territories

Outcome 4

Good governance and service delivery in the Australian territories including through the maintenance and improvement of the laws and services for non-self-governing territories, and the overarching legislative framework for self-governing territories

Purpose

Providing governance frameworks and services to support communities in the territories

Environment and risk

Providing the essentials and supporting effective governance

Australia’s territories are geographically, economically and socially diverse. We are committed to delivering equitable services to all territories. We ensure access to critical state-level services through partnerships with Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, together with private providers.

Across Australia’s non-self-governing territories, we provide essential infrastructure. We also fund and deliver national and state-level services to residents of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Jervis Bay Territory. We administer the Ashmore and Cartier Islands and the Coral Sea Islands territories, and manage national interests in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Communications infrastructure is integral to the continued prosperity of our territories. In the Jervis Bay Territory, we have recently supported the roll out of the NBN to improve stable access to the internet. We are also investing in faster internet for delivery of education and healthcare services for Norfolk Island.

We continue to work with the local communities and service providers to deliver fit-for-purpose long-term infrastructure solutions for each of the territories. In 2022–23, we will deliver improvements to the ageing electricity network on Norfolk Island to enable regular and reliable electricity supply; provide a cost-efficient and sustainable potable water solution for the Jervis Bay Territory by connecting the water supply to the neighbouring Shoalhaven City Council and; improve water security and the treatment of wastewater for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands community by installing a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant and upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant. Capital works can be extremely difficult to deliver to the territories, owing to geographical and logistical challenges posed by their remoteness. The islands have restricted access to engineering, labour and supply chains available in mainland Australia, and COVID–19 has further constrained the market.

Arrangements in the territories are unique and at different stages of maturity. For example, the framework in Indian Ocean Territories has been in operation for some decades and reflects a settled and stable status; however, the framework for Norfolk Island is new and is still evolving. We are working to improve work, health and safety in Norfolk Island, and working closely with our contracted providers to assure the standard of safety across the many engagements the Commonwealth has with local businesses.

Supporting economic growth

Our work in the territories supports economic growth. For example, we underwrite passenger and air freight services to the external territories, which is critical to supporting tourism-based economies. In addition, Christmas Island is undergoing economic transition following fluctuations in immigration detention activity and uncertainty about the expected downturn in phosphate mining in the medium to long-term. Continued work towards a strategic environmental assessment on Christmas Island will facilitate future development opportunities.

Key activities and effectiveness measures

We deliver 3 key activities for providing governance frameworks and services in the territories:

Provide essential infrastructure and fund and deliver services to residents of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Jervis Bay Territory

Administer the Ashmore and Cartier Islands and the Coral Sea Island Territories, and manage national interests in the ACT and NT

Improve the legislative frameworks in the territories, to optimise governance arrangements and to support improvements in the service delivery landscape.

Effectiveness measures

Effectiveness Measure: Providing governance frameworks and services in the Territories

Outcome 4 – Program 4.1

Methodology: Review of state-type frameworks and advice from state service providers. Information about the state-level laws that have been applied in the territories is published on the Federal Register of Legislation as soon as a law is registered. The Federal Register of Legislation also records all ordinances specifically made for the Jervis Bay Territory.

Rationale: The residents of Australia’s territories have a need for legal and governance frameworks that provide rights and responsibilities similar to other Australian residents and citizens.

Data Source: Assessment of state-type frameworks and advice from state service providers.

Outcome 4 – Program 4.1

Methodology:

• Analysis of contracts in place with service providers
• Analysis of data on the My School website — specifically teacher to student ratio and funding provided per student
• Review of the most recent comparative analysis of health services provided in the territories.

Rationale: The residents of Australia’s external territories and the Jervis Bay Territory have a need for essential services and infrastructure. This measure is directly relevant and assists stakeholders to judge achievement against our territories purpose.

Data Source:

• Contracts with service providers (state partners, councils and private providers) outline the services being provided in each territory
• My School Website²⁰

Health Services reviews/reports commissioned by the department.

Significant contributors

* Non-corporate Commonwealth entity

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Communications connectivity

Outcome 5

Promote an innovative and competitive communications sector through policy development, advice and program delivery, so all Australians can realise the full potential of digital technologies and communications services

Purpose

Enabling people in Australia to connect to effective, safe communications services. Enabling investment in communications technologies, for inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth

Environment and risk

Connecting Australians and businesses through safe and resilient communications access

Access to communications services continues to be integral to an inclusive, productive and cohesive society — from the satellites delivering remote educational services, to productive water management systems. Communications infrastructure and the digital technologies it enables, provide an important foundation for a modern, resilient and productive economy. Demand for communications services is growing rapidly and is supplied by a large number of providers in a competitive market.

The sudden changes in work patterns resulting from responses to the impacts of COVID–19 demonstrated the essential role digital communications play in supporting government and businesses, allowing people to stay connected and support social cohesion and inclusion. The rapid digitalisation across the economy triggered by COVID–19 is enduring and has prompted shifts to new service delivery models such as telehealth. The onset of COVID–19 also drove rapid and enduring changes in consumer retail behaviour, with postal providers investing in their networks to support a maturing domestic eCommerce sector to keep Australian consumers and businesses connected.

Recent natural disasters and emergencies have also highlighted increasing community reliance on communications and connectivity for everything from emergency notifications through to banking.

We work with industry to make sure that our telecommunications companies are able to keep investing in new digital connectivity. This includes working with NBN to enable it to upgrade the capacity of its networks and upgrade the technologies used in the network, to provide high speed broadband services across Australia.

Spectrum remains a valuable finite input which is essential to the delivery of many types of digital services. Spectrum underpins broadcasting and communications technologies, both terrestrial and satellite. Demand for spectrum is increasing as technologies advance and consumer consumption increases. Having a fit for purpose regulatory framework that establishes a fair and transparent approach to spectrum allocation is an important part of our work.

Advances in digital connectivity, such as 5G services, will play an important enabling role in the recovery, development and transition of the Australian economy. At the same time, global and domestic communications sectors continue to undergo major structural changes. There will also be an increased focus on the resilience and security of networks.

Our work ensures Australians are able to access communications and postal services and investment in services continues. This includes arrangements providing access to broadband, telephone, broadcasting and payphone services nationally. For example, digital connectivity is expanded under the Mobile Black Spot Program and other place-based communications solutions such as the Regional Connectivity Program.

We provide the support and safeguards to protect vulnerable members of the community, through the Universal Service Guarantee (USG), the National Relay Service and the Regional Tech Hub. There is strong community and industry interest in improving the delivery of USG services to better align with consumer preferences and position them for the future. Australia Post also has obligations to provide accessible postal services across Australia.

Keeping pace with digital transformation

Digital transformation is providing new opportunities and challenges globally. Productivity investments, such as automation, are critical to protecting and supporting growth in the future. We will continue to focus on increasing speeds available on the NBN and supporting industry in their uptake and investment of new technologies, including through the $480 million NBN Fixed Wireless and Satellite Upgrade Program. This program will significantly improve broadband services to over one million premises in regional, remote and peri-urban areas in the NBN fixed wireless and satellite footprints.

Industry is focusing on capital investments enabling new technologies such as 5G. Industry structures are changing with mobile network operators divesting themselves of their tower assets. New satellite systems, such as Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEOs) continue to promise a step change in universal delivery of satellite services.

The Universal Service Obligation (USO) is critical to many consumers and enables the delivery of their standard voice service, but it is still often delivered using ageing copper technology. As technologies change and consumer behaviour changes so too will the provision of universal services. We will assist to make sure changes from the current USO arrangements are undertaken in an orderly way that supports the service needs of customers.

Many regional viewers rely on satellites to receive their free-to-air service – the government funded Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service. The future role of such a service is increasingly important due to digital disruption.

Digital services continue to grow and expand into more aspects of life and end of business. New digital services continue to emerge and disrupt or transform industries. We work to understand the impacts of digital disruption on the media sector and, where necessary support, the ongoing provision of services, such as public interest news services, by the disrupted sector.

Strengthening our legislative and regulatory environment

We develop legislation and regulations to support competitive markets. While online platforms are global in nature, our legislation and regulations place a priority on the safety of Australians in the online environment. It is critical that Australia has a fit-for-purpose legislative framework, especially as the online environment is characterised by rapidly changing technology, platforms and services where consumers, particularly children, are quick to take up new products, applications and services.

We are strengthening our online safety legislative regime, under the Online Safety Act 2021²², to support Australians to engage confidently and safely in an online world, and meet the community’s expectations in the interests of child safety and protecting them from harmful content.

As the Australian online environment continues to evolve, so does the way Australians view, consume and engage with media. We provide advice to government on how to promote information integrity online and mechanisms to achieve this. We advise on policy measures to support public interest journalism and community broadcasting, as well as delivering efficient and effective grant programs and services.

We are also progressing reforms to harmonise Australia’s media regulations. We are consulting with industry on critical questions relating to technical, market, and consumer aspects of Australia’s current and future television technology. This work will inform industry decisions for future investment, and government decisions for future regulatory frameworks. This includes the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 which regulates the delivery of radio and television programs (broadcasting services), and the delivery of online and other content services.

Key legislation includes the Telecommunications Act 1997²³, Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999²⁴ and parts of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010²⁵ which collectively provide a framework for competition, consumer safeguards and sustainable investment in telecommunications. It also protects the privacy and security of communications, and enables the use of telecommunications information for public interest purposes.

We manage the NBN regulatory framework, which provides for oversight and effective use of the NBN, and the Radiocommunications Act 1992²⁶, which provides for the efficient allocation and use of spectrum in the long-term public interest.

Key activities and output measures

Key Activity: Implementing and administering programs that expand digital connectivity including the Mobile Black Spot Program, Peri-Urban Mobile Program and Regional Connectivity Program

(Note: New key activity reflecting the importance of delivering new and improved mobile coverage to regional areas)

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Methodology: Analysis of contracts and Asset Completion Reports (ACRs) to compare contracted coverage with delivered coverage across the program.

Rationale: A key objective of the Mobile Black Spot Program is to maximise the amount of new and improved mobile coverage being delivered to regional areas with poor or no existing coverage to ensure people living, working and travelling in the regions are able to realise the social and economic benefits of improved mobile coverage.

Data Source: Analysis of program contracts and asset completion reports to compare contracted coverage with delivered coverage across the program.

An ACR is submitted by the funding recipients following the completion of each contracted base station, typically one to 2 months after the base station is completed and on air. Each ACR is a stand-alone document.

Key Activity: Provide advice to the government on communications policy and programs including regional and remote Australia

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Methodology: Quarterly reporting from Regional Broadcasters against the key performance indicators in the Funding Deeds.

Rationale: Since 2010 (the digital switchover) the Australian Government has subsidised the costs of commercial free-to-air television channels on the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) platform. VAST provides a satellite safety net service for viewers in terrestrial television blackspots. Approximately 250,000 Australian homes rely on VAST direct to home services, largely in regional and remote areas. Without government funding these Australians would no longer have access to a commercial free-to-air television broadcasting service.

Data Source: Eastern Australia Satellite Broadcasting (joint venture between Southern Cross Austereo and Imparja Television) and WA Satco (joint venture between WIN and Prime) quarterly reports.

Key Activity: Provide policy advice and program delivery on the news and media industry

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Methodology:

• Program design and administration complies with Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines
• Program evaluations are undertaken.

Rationale: To ensure policy and programs resources are used effectively and efficiently.

Data Source:

• Smarty Grants
• Records of program decisions and execution of funding agreements.

Effectiveness measures

Effectiveness Measure: Enabling safe, effective and inclusive communications services and technologies

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Methodology: Analysis of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and affordability indexes tracked by the department.

Rationale: Affordability is an important element of ensuring that all Australians can access telecommunication services.

Data Source:

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Consumer Price Index (quarterly) – available for free through the ABS website
• ACCC Communications Market Report (annual) – available for free through the ACCC website
• Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey²⁷ general release data. Access to download must be granted through dataverse.

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Methodology: Analysis of NRS provider performance monthly reports; reporting on audio description (AD) from the national broadcasters; and the ACMA’s annual captioning compliance report, published on its website each December for the prior financial year.

Rationale: Enabling people in Australia to connect to effective communications services and technologies, for inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth. The contracted NRS and designated AD and legislated captioning requirements promote and support the ability of people to connect to comms and technology. The department’s objectives of inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth are underpinned by this action.

Data Source: Sources to consult on the impact of the NRS

• Provider performance monthly and quarterly reports

Sources to consult on the impact of audio description policy work

• Reporting on AD from the national broadcasters

Sources to consult on the impact of captioning regulatory policy

• ACMA’s annual captioning compliance report, published on its website each December for the prior financial year.

Outcome 5 – Program 5.1

Note: Combines Measures 62 and 63 from 2021–22 Corporate Plan (p. 52).

Methodology: Analysis of reporting on telecommunications complaints from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) and the ACMA. Analysis of reporting from the Postal Industry Ombudsman (PIO) about Australia Post and analysis of broader postal trends.

Rationale: Qualitative data on complaints enables us to provide a descriptive assessment of the state of telecommunications and postal services and the appropriateness of consumer safeguards. A high volume of complaints may indicate dissatisfaction with services, consumer experience and complaints management (therefore a possible indication about the effectiveness of consumer safeguards, including compliance). Complaints escalated to the PIO are also indicative of dissatisfaction with Australia Post’s internal handling of complaints, and may not be strictly related to dissatisfaction with postal services.

Data Source:

• TIO reporting on complaints made to it by consumers
• ACMA reporting on complaints made directly to telecommunications service providers
• Commonwealth Ombudsman publishes its annual report in October, including PIO reporting on investigation complaints about postal and similar services provided by Australia Post and Private Postal Operators.

Changes in our performance information since 2021–22 Corporate Plan

Following a regular review of our 2021–22 performance information, the following measures for Outcome 5 were either consolidated as they were subsets of the same measure (Table 1) or deleted (Table 2).

Significant contributors

** Corporate Commonwealth entity

*** Government Business Enterprise (GBE)

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Creativity and culture

Outcome 6

Participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing and supporting cultural expression

Purpose

Supporting sustainable and inclusive creative and cultural sectors, and protecting and promoting Australian content and culture

Environment and risk

A national cultural policy and strategic long-term support for Australia’s arts and entertainment sector is essential for affirming the centrality of the arts to our national identity and ensuring that the vast diversity of Australian stories are told.

Developing and implementing a new cultural policy

The Australian Government has committed to delivering a comprehensive national cultural policy that provides a framework to support the recovery of the sector and to build on its strengths and resilience.

The arts and creative sector has been seriously affected by the pandemic and will take some time to recover. The arts are diverse. Ways of working and organisational structures, income sources and connections with allied industries such as tourism differ across the sector. Digital literacy and engagement and the ability to respond to disruption are also variable. The arts workforce is highly casualised, with people often working multiple jobs, and at risk of poor mental health.

The national cultural policy will serve as a framework for delivering the government’s election commitments, including the restoration of dialogue between all levels of government, examining an insurance system for the sector, promoting Australian content on streaming platforms, protecting performers and audiences from ticket scalping, increasing protections for First Nations visual art and to invest in infrastructure for the sector.

The development of the national cultural policy will use Creative Australia as the starting point. A key priority for the development of the national cultural policy is that it will be informed by a thorough, nationwide consultation process in each state and territory and delivered by the end of 2022.

Consultation is to be based on the following 5 pillars:

• First Nations first
• A place for every story
• The centrality of the artist
• Strong institutions
• Reaching the audience.

Continued recovery from the pandemic

The arts and cultural industries are continuing to recover from the pandemic with activity resuming and audiences returning. The sector has shown the capacity to recover with the lifting of restrictions and the number of creative and performing arts jobs is now higher than its pre–pandemic levels with jobs increasing by 15% to mid-February 2022 in the Creative and Performing Arts sector.²⁹

Live performances are coming back with the lifting of restrictions, although weaker consumer confidence across the economy is still translating into lower ticket sales for some events. The availability of venues (due to event rescheduling) and technical skills (as workers moved to other sectors during the pandemic) may affect the pace of recovery. Many artists and arts workers contest with insecure work, and the national cultural policy will examine greater protections for casual and gig workers.

The Australian screen sector enjoyed a record high in 2020–21. Screen Australia’s Drama Report showed expenditure of over $1.9 billion, driven by both Australian and international productions. Australia continues to be an attractive destination for footloose productions, providing significant employment and opportunities for many businesses.

Overall, we anticipate that the effects of the pandemic will continue to be felt over the next 12 months and we will continue to monitor the impacts on individuals, organisations and businesses. Recovery will also depend on allied sectors such as tourism. International tourism is expected to gradually resume over the period of this plan, with ongoing consequences for arts and entertainment organisations reliant on the international tourist market, while providing opportunities to increase the value of domestic cultural tourism.

Technology and innovation continue to drive structural change in the sector

Digital technologies continue to reshape engagement between artists and audiences, presenting opportunities for greater collaboration across commercial and not-for-profit creative activity.

The growing intersection between arts, creative content and digital modes, is fostering a diversity of stories and enabling innovation. This development is enhanced through our investment in building the creative and digital skills Australia needs, and our regulatory frameworks for Australian content and classification. The delivery of the new digital games tax offset creates opportunities for Australia to increase its market share in the rapidly expanding global digital games sector, with flow-on benefits for other industries and applications benefitting from the investment in digital and creative talent.

Making the arts accessible to all Australians

Beyond the inherent value of cultural and creative endeavours, the arts are a powerful mechanism for bringing people together and promoting diversity and inclusiveness. There are reports of higher wellbeing among Australians who engage with the arts³⁰. The arts continue to be perceived as vital to community recovery, providing an avenue for healing, joy, and social connection during stressful times.³¹ Arts and entertainment also advance Australia’s national interests and reputation, and can contribute to addressing broader policy challenges such as health, youth engagement, urban renewal and regional liveability. We are focused on making the arts accessible for all Australians, whether they live in cities or the regions.

An important aspect of our work is supporting and showcasing the unique contributions of Indigenous cultural heritage, arts and languages. We work to build sustainable economic opportunities for Indigenous artists and arts workers, while safeguarding cultural practices. We also maintain an ongoing commitment to repatriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestral remains and secret sacred objects to support healing and reconciliation.

Culture and content that is widely participated in, inclusive and accessible

We recognise the importance of supporting our national broadcasters, to keep communities informed and connected, as well as to support Australian stories on our screens.

We seek to ensure high-quality creative content is accessible by all Australians. Our regulatory frameworks for classification and Australian content is integral to this. We will seek an appropriate balance between supporting industry sustainability and providing protections for the community.

Key activities and output measures

Key Activity: Deliver policy and programs that support the cultural and creative sectors and enable all Australians to access and participate in cultural and creative activities

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of departmental records including the arts and disability resource hub.

Rationale: This measure will allow a qualitative assessment of the impacts of our policies and programs in enabling Australians with a disability to access, and participate in, cultural and creative activities.

Data Source:

• Office for the Arts records for renewing the National Arts and Disability Associated Plan
• Arts and disability resource hub³², managed by the Office for the Arts
• Office for the Arts records of engagement with the Department of Social Services
• Office for the Arts promotion of annual activities for International Day of People with Disability:
  www.arts.gov.au and @artsculturegov.

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of training organisations’ regular progress reports to the department.

Rationale: To assess the number of student enrolments to the National Performing Arts Training Organisations. Operational funding is provided to 7 National Performing Arts Training Organisations to provide training and career pathways for Australian performing artists.

Data Source: Departmental records and progress reports from training organisations.

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of data from the department’s Lending Rights System.

Rationale: To assess the support provided under the Public and Educational Lending Right schemes, measuring their reach (how many payments are made to creators and publishers) and value (the funding provided in the program year to claimants).

Data Source: The Lending Rights System, including claimants data and current and historical payment information for program years.

Key Activity: Deliver policies and programs to support Australian cultural heritage, including Indigenous cultural heritage, arts, languages and repatriation

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of data from the SmartyGrants grants management system.

Rationale: To provide information about the outputs of the IVAIS program, which provides funding to Indigenous visual arts organisations in order to support a professional, viable and ethical Indigenous visual arts industry.

Data Source: SmartyGrants and departmental records.

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of data obtained through the Indigenous Repatriation Program.

Rationale: To provide information about the activities conducted to support repatriations facilitated under the Indigenous Repatriation Program. This consists of international repatriation administered directly through the department and the Indigenous Repatriation Program – Museum Grants, which provides funding to 8 Australian museums to support their respective repatriation programs.

Data Source: Data is collated and aggregated through department program management systems including SmartyGrants (administration of Museum Grants) and departmental records (other work through the Indigenous Repatriation Program).

Effectiveness measures

Effectiveness Measure: Protecting and promoting Australian content and classification

Outcomes 5 and 6 – Programs 5.1 and 6.1

Methodology:

• Analysis of reporting by Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
• Analysis of reporting by the Classification Board and Classification Review Board and reporting of time between notification of self-classification tool decision and publication of decisions on the National Classification Database.

Rationale: The measure provides information of broadcasters’ compliance with Australian content quotas and the extent to which streaming video on demand services are reporting on their investment in Australian content.

The National Classification Scheme provides that, generally, every film and computer game, and some publications, (unless exempt from classification) should be classified before being available for sale or hire. Classification Board decisions are required to be made within a specified time as prescribed in the Classification Act and Regulations.

In line with the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, decisions of approved industry self-classification tools are taken to be decisions of the Classification Board. Self-classification tools require the department to maintain Application Programming Interface (API) systems to ensure that tool decisions are published on the National Classification Database.

Data Source:

• Compliance reports published on the ACMA website. Voluntary reporting by streaming video on demand services published on the ACMA website
• Classification Board and Classification Review Board Annual Reports and contractual reporting required in relation to approved self-classification tool decisions.

Effectiveness Measure: Supporting inclusive creative and cultural sectors

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Analysis of data from the SmartyGrants grants management system.

Rationale: To provide information about the activities supporting Indigenous cultural expression through the Indigenous Languages and Arts (ILA) program. This consists of annual operational funding for a network of Indigenous language centres that support capturing, nurturing and revitalising Indigenous languages; and funding activities supporting traditional and contemporary Indigenous art forms (excluding visual arts) through an annual open competitive grant opportunity.

Data Source: SmartyGrants and departmental records, including grant funding reports.

Outcome 6 – Program 6.1

Methodology: Information collected from Office for the Arts programs that fund activities available to the public (as opposed to providing, for example, operational support for organisations, or capital funding).

Rationale: To provide information about the effectiveness of arts and cultural grant programs in supporting audience access in regional and remote Australia.

Data Source: Departmental program data will be sourced from SmartyGrants with Regional Arts Fund data provided by the program administrators Regional Arts Australia. Data will be compared between programs to ensure similar parameters are used to measure the result. Data will be combined from all relevant programs to a single result against the measure.

Changes in our performance information since 2021–22 Corporate Plan

Following a regular review of our 2021–22 performance information, the following measures for Outcome 6 were either consolidated as they were subsets of the same measure (Table 1) or deleted (Table 2).

Significant contributors

* Non-corporate Commonwealth entity

** Corporate Commonwealth entity

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Governance, integrity and risk

Governance

Our governance committees oversee key areas of our strategy and operations, and support the Secretary in his role as the Accountable Authority. Our committees address matters of strategic importance including direction setting, achievement of priorities, management of risks and stakeholder relationships, as well as daily departmental business and oversight of operational matters. Together they focus on building organisational capability and culture.

Figure 2: Governance structure at 1 July 2022

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Integrity

Integrity is fundamental to maintaining trust and confidence in everything we do. We are committed to upholding our reputation for high levels of professionalism, accountability and ethical behaviour.

We are investing in a pro-integrity culture that promotes the importance of maintaining high professional and ethical standards and contributes to improved performance, transparency and accountability. We are developing an integrity framework to ensure we have the policies, procedures and training to guide and support our people, enhance their capability and effectively manage our risks.

During 2022–23 we will implement our integrity framework by reviewing and updating our supporting policies, guidelines and procedures and engaging with our people to promote and enhance our pro-integrity culture.

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Fraud Control Plan

We are committed to preventing, detecting and investigating fraud and pursuing appropriate remedies (including prosecution) and recovery action, in accordance with the Commonwealth Fraud Control Plan.

Our department’s Fraud Control Plan provides an overview of how fraud and corruption risks will be managed and ensures compliance with the requirements of the Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework. We do not tolerate fraud or corruption and take all reasonable steps to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud.

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Risk oversight and management

The department engages with risk to provide advice and deliver programs, processes and services that are innovative, efficient and effective. Effective risk management improves our performance, encourages innovation and supports the achievement of our objectives.

Our risk management framework

We regularly review our Risk Management Policy and Framework to ensure it is fit-for-purpose. The policy and framework provide guidance to our people on managing and engaging with risk and applies to all activities, officials and contractors. It is designed to inform decision making, governance arrangements, and prioritisation of activities, resource allocation and business planning. Our governance committees play an important role in ensuring we have effective risk management practices:

• The Executive Committee determines our risk appetite and tolerance and oversees the risks which may impact our ability to achieve our purposes
• The Operations Committee supports this by overseeing our enterprise and operational risks and ensuring we have an effective risk management framework
• The Audit and Risk Committee provides advice to the Secretary and senior executives on the appropriateness of the department’s system of risk oversight and our strategies to manage key risks.

Our people – at every level and on every day – are responsible for identifying, assessing, reporting and managing risk.

A positive risk culture promotes an open and proactive approach to risk management and we are committed to improving our risk culture and capability. During 2022–23, we will continue to deliver training and guidance to ensure risk management is part of our core skills and promote positive risk behaviours. Our Chief Risk Officer will continue to work closely with the Secretary and our Risk Champion to promote a positive risk culture, mature our capability and implement our risk culture and awareness strategy.

Our risk appetite and tolerance

The department has developed risk appetite and tolerance statements to manage categories of risk. Risk appetite and tolerance statements assist us in our decision-making and help us to determine our approach to controlling risks and prioritising resources.

The department’s risk appetite statement is:

We recognise it is not possible, or necessarily desirable, to eliminate all of the risks inherent in our work. Accepting some degree of risk in our business practices promotes efficiency and innovation. The department is willing to accept higher levels of risk when the potential benefits outweigh the negative consequences of risks. In doing so, we must be able to demonstrate that we have made informed, evidence and risk-based decisions.

The department’s risk appetite and tolerance statements by risk category are described in the following table:

Our enterprise risks

The department’s enterprise risks and the way we manage them are set out below.

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Planning and reporting framework

Our internal and external planning and reporting activities provide information on our resourcing, operations and performance, which support the achievement of our outcomes and purposes. The relationship between these activities is illustrated in the diagram on the next page. The framework allows us to set out what we plan to do at the beginning of the year and what we have achieved by the end of the year, but also to think longer-term and plan for the future.

Figure 3: Planning and reporting framework and cycle

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Our organisational culture and capability

Our strategic objectives are to serve the government of the day, with a focus on improving the lives and opportunities of the Australian community by:

Connecting Australians + Enriching Communities + Empowering Regions

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Our people

Building the capability and culture of our workforce is essential to ensuring we are equipped to perform and excel in delivering on the department’s strategic objectives.

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Our values

Our values were brought together through identifying the skills, capabilities, characteristics and behaviours that are valued across our department. Together as a department we have identified 5 values that encapsulate the behaviours and professional capabilities needed for our success:

Collaborative — we work together and with others across the system, to achieve our objectives and deliver for the Australian community

Respectful — we create diverse teams and a respectful and inclusive culture that supports high performance, innovation and the wellbeing of all people across the department

Informed — we have the expertise, knowledge and skills that we need to succeed, and we have good communication practices

Adaptive — we are constantly learning and adapting to improve what we do and we have corporate systems in place to support staff in a rapidly changing world

Accountable — we are rewarded and trusted to deliver, we are held accountable for the results and delivering with integrity, and we celebrate our success.

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APS values

We will also continue to align with the APS Values which articulate the parliament’s expectations of public servants in terms of performance and standards of behaviour. These principles of good public administration embodied in the APS Values are embedded in how we operate on a daily basis:

Impartial — The APS is apolitical and provides the government with advice that is frank, honest, timely and based on the best available evidence

Committed to service — The APS is professional, objective, innovative and efficient, and works collaboratively to achieve the best results for the Australian community and the government

Accountable — The APS is open and accountable to the Australian community under the law and within the framework of Ministerial responsibility

Respectful — The APS respects all people, including their rights and their heritage

Ethical — The APS demonstrates leadership, is trustworthy, and acts with integrity, in all that it does.

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People capability

Much like the environment around us, we are continually adapting our way of working to best position ourselves as a flexible, adaptable, capable, responsive and agile workforce now and into the future.

Through COVID-19, natural disasters, and changing operating environments, our people have experienced many challenges and rapid change. These events have further highlighted the need for our workforce to be responsive, flexible and agile. We embedded new ways of working, adapted the way we learn and apply these new skills and experiences, and we continued to foster an inclusive culture, underpinned by our values and our organisational objectives. As we move forward, it is critical that we focus on embedding the learnings from these experiences, ensuring we are preparing our workforce for the future and supporting the department’s strategic objectives of connecting Australians, enriching communities and empowering regions.

Our workforce plan will play a key role in further understanding and planning for what our people will need to work effectively over the next 4 years. The workforce plan will identify the broad skills and capability that will help us to deliver our departmental objectives and identify actions to help us maintain our focus on developing, attracting and retaining these capabilities. The workforce plan will inform a range of strategies to ensure we have the workforce we need to deliver into the future, including the development of new strategies focussed on:

• Attracting and retaining the right people
• Monitoring the health and wellbeing of our workforce
• Our employee value proposition
• Leadership capability
• Talent identification and management
• Ensuring our learning and development opportunities are innovative and focused on developing the capability we will need in the future
• The values-based culture of our organisation
• Flexibility within our workforce and new ways of working and operating.

The shifting operating environment has presented an opportunity to be innovative in how we meet capability requirements and development needs. Our Learning Strategy is one such innovative way through which we are further enhancing the capability of our organisation, and highlighting the strategic areas of focus into the future, providing a pathway for continued organisational success. The Learning Strategy is based on our vision for a culture of continuous learning which is engaging, accessible, valuable and relevant to us.

The Learning Strategy focuses on:

• Reinforcing key organisation capabilities
• Enhancing core public sector skills
• Building on in-house specialist skills, specific to both our organisation and the relevant job families
• Developing leadership and management capabilities
• Learning on-the-job
• Our learner needs
• Roles in learning

Performance management is also a focus as we continue to modernise and innovate, to ensure our people fully contribute and position the department for the future. Over the coming 12 months, we will continue to refine and promote a high-performance culture through ongoing and constructive conversations.

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for our people. Our focus remains on continuous improvement of our Work Health and Safety Management System, providing our people an understanding of their responsibilities under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and empowering them with tools and resources to meet their obligations.

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Diversity and inclusion

We recognise and value diversity as our strength and we promote a culture of inclusion to enhance our work performance and the wellbeing of everyone.

The department’s Diversity Champion provides strategic oversight, leadership support, learning and advocacy for diversity and inclusion across the department and chairs the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee (the Committee).

The Committee provides strategic advice and leadership to achieve impactful and sustainable cultural change, and comprises 7 dedicated SES Champions and 6 staff representatives, who advocate and promote the benefits that diversity and inclusion bring to the workplace and its culture.

The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021–2024 provides a high-level and aspirational vision for our department and supports the daily demonstration of a diverse and inclusive work environment. The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is focused on people being respected, feeling connected, being able to fully contribute and having opportunities to develop within our department. Diversity and inclusion are at the core of our workplace and culture and we have set some ambitious goals and targets to make our department an employer of choice for all diversity groups, where everyone feels safe, supported and respected.

This includes our Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework, which focuses our ongoing commitment to protect and support our staff with maintaining their health and wellbeing in the workplace. Through this framework we will create an even better workplace, where everyone continues to feel safe, engaged and valued.

We are committed to recognising the wealth of knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff contribute to our department. Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) brings practical actions that will drive our contribution to reconciliation, and aims to enhance and build meaningful and beneficial relationships in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our RAP is supported by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment and Retention Strategy 2020–22 which is designed to achieve a sustainable increase in the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff across our workforce to 5% by December 2022 and maintained across the next 4 years.

Through this strategy, we are committed to 3 critical areas of focus:

• Creating, increasing and sustaining employment opportunities
• Providing meaningful career pathways and capability development opportunities
• Building and sustaining a culturally capable and culturally safe workplace.

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 (the Strategy) is the overarching framework for inclusive policies, programs and infrastructure that will support people with disability to participate in all areas of Australian life. The Strategy sets out where practical changes will be made to improve the lives of people with disability in Australia. It acts to ensure the principles underpinning the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are incorporated into Australia’s policies and programs that affect people with disability, their families and carers. All levels of government have committed to deliver more comprehensive and visible reporting under the Strategy. A range of reports on progress of the Strategy’s actions and outcome areas will be published and available at
https://www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/ads

Disability reporting is included in the Australian Public Service Commission’s State of the Service reports and the APS Statistical Bulletin. These reports are available at http://www.apsc.gov.au

The department supports 6 employee-led diversity networks, each with a specific area of focus and supported by a dedicated SES Champion.

Each of these networks has an area of focus providing staff with professional and social networking, support, learning and advocacy.

Gender Equality Network (GEN) – men, women and gender non-binary

Indigenous Staff Network (ISN) – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Disability and Allies Network (DAN) – people with disability and carers

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Network (CALD Network) – racial, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity

Pride and Allies Network (PAN) – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and people with other gender and sexual identities (LGBTQIA+)

Mental Health and Wellbeing Network (MHWN) – networking, support learning and advocacy relating to mental health and wellbeing

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Policy and program capability

Our policy and program capabilities enables us to deliver consistently high-quality advice to governments over time and is key to our effectiveness as an organisation. The department will continue to focus on building and refining our capabilities to meet the needs of government and of the Australian people.

We will continue to enhance our subject matter expertise, take an evidenced-based approach to policy and program capability development, and engage closely with subject-matter experts and our partners to provide the best policy advice available and build trust and credibility.

We are focussed on providing timely, robust and influential policy and program capability advice informed by high-quality data, underpinned by best-practice tools and processes.

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Regulatory performance

We are committed to a regulatory stewardship approach to ongoing regulatory reform, guided by the updated Regulator Performance Guide. The department continues to host a Regulators Community of Practice and ‘Fireside Chats’ to help build regulator capability and share best practice.

The department reports to the Secretaries Board with an up-to-date, rich picture of the ways the department and its portfolio entities are easing the cost of doing business to support recovery from COVID–19 and natural disasters. Our intent is to reduce compliance burden, including implementing a ‘tell us once’ policy where possible and appropriate. For example, our Vehicle Safety Policy and Partnerships branch is conducting public consultation to explore an ‘opt-out’ approach for Australian Design Rules, whereby international vehicle standards would be deemed as national vehicle standards in Australia upon entering into force internationally.

In line with the transition to reporting approach, the 2022–23 Corporate Plan includes performance information in respect to the department’s regulatory functions, with reference to the best practice principles. We work to ensure that regulations and how they are administered is fit-for-purpose, and implemented in a way that maintains critical safeguards while reducing the regulatory burden. We seek to adhere to the following principles:

1. Continuous improvement and building trust: regulators adopt a whole-of-system perspective, continuously improving their performance, capability and culture to build trust and confidence in Australia’s regulatory settings.
2. Risk based and data driven: regulators manage risks proportionately and maintain essential safeguards while minimising regulatory burden, and leveraging data and digital technology to support those they regulate to comply and grow.
3. Collaboration and engagement: regulators are transparent and responsive communicators, implementing regulations in a modern and collaborative way.

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Financial management

Sound financial management continues to be central to the department’s performance, stewardship and accountability.

The finance branch continues to provide strategic advice to the Secretary, and the Executive, Operations and Audit and Risk Committees. As part of this the department is committed to enhancing the financial delivery model to better align and support program and service delivery areas, enabling more flexibility and the ability to respond rapidly to changing environments, meeting the demands of the Australian community.

The following principles underpin the delivery of these financial services:

Figure 4: Financial management framework

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ICT capability

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the key facilitators of the department’s performance. ICT provides opportunities to incrementally improve achievement of our purposes, enabling faster data analysis, improved public outreach and a highly mobile workforce.

We continue to mature our resilience and disaster response capabilities. As a minimum, we ensure measures are in place to keep our data safe, secure and accessible.

The department’s Technology Strategy 2021–26 provides high-level guidance on the way we will use technology to enable the delivery of high-value services and support to the Australian community, industry and the Commonwealth over the next 5 years and beyond.

The Technology Strategy is built on 5 core principles and 5 key areas of focus:

Principles

Principle 1 – Person Centred

We include people at the heart of our decisions, and focus on technology that makes things easier for our staff and our customers

Principle 2 – Data Driven

We recognise the important role of information and data in driving business change, and we enable business insights through greater use of emerging technologies and data approaches

Principle 3 – Consolidated Services

We consolidate our services onto common, re-usable, resilient, platforms that increase productivity, reduce duplication and waste, and maximise our investments

Principle 4 – Secure By Design

We safeguard our information, our systems, and our services by making security a fundamental element of our technology designs and choices

Principle 5 – Prepared for Disruption

Our technology approaches allow us to pivot and adapt to unforeseen circumstances, and we reduce our dependency on legacy systems and single-points-of-failure

Focus Areas

Mobility, Connectivity and Collaboration – A workforce that is connected and can operate productively from anywhere using fit-for-purpose technology

Professional Workforce – Reliable and responsive workforce, able to support business needs. Transparent, accountable, and proactive. Able to anticipate the needs of business and deliver innovative solutions

Enterprise Platforms – Leveraging whole-of-government and commercial platforms to speed up our ability to deliver. Platforms that enable maximum re-use, are simpler and quicker to deliver on, and reduce cost by minimising duplication

Security and Stability – Robust, reliable, and resilient ICT services and systems, protected from cybersecurity threats and malicious attacks

Digital Accessibility – Increasingly able to support a digital working environment for our staff and our clients. Our data assets are an enterprise asset that has value and is able to deliver business insight

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Data capability

Our work depends greatly on our ability to harness the power of data. We use data to build our evidence base to provide advice, deliver programs, services and fit-for-purpose regulation which is central to good decision making.

The department’s Data Strategy 2021–24 outlines key initiatives and commits to actions to improve our capability to access timely, high-quality data.

The strategy identifies 3 strategic objectives that go to embedding best practice data governance and management, having the right ICT platforms and tools, and growing our data culture and capability. It commits to actions to achieve these objectives. Among these, we will update and improve our data asset register, further develop RADAR – Ready Access to Data, Analytics and Reporting – as our enterprise data management system, and strengthen data skills across the organisation.

Figure 5: Data Strategy Framework

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Compliance with Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014

* We do not have subsidiary entities.

** 16EA of the PGPA Rule states that performance measures must: relate directly to one or more purposes or key activities; use sources of information and methodologies that are reliable and verifiable; and provide an unbiased basis for the measurement and assessment of the entity’s performance; and where reasonably practicable, comprise a mix of qualitative and quantitative measures; and include measures of the entity’s outputs, efficiency and effectiveness if those things are appropriate measures of the entity’s performance; and provide a basis for an assessment of the entity’s performance over time.

1 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2005B01059

2 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04426

3 Available at: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/nlttap_annual_progress_review_report_2021.pdf

4 Available at: https://www.freightaustralia.gov.au/

5 Available at: https://www.freightaustralia.gov.au/a-closer-look/freight-performance-dashboard

6 Available at: https://www.freightaustralia.gov.au/annual-report

7 Available at: https://www.freightaustralia.gov.au/freight-industry-reference-panel

8 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2018A00163

9 Available at: https://www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/wsa-plan-2021.pdf

10 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A05061

11 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2022L00874

12 Available at: https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2021/australian-infrastructure-and-transport-statistics-yearbook-2021

13 Available at: https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2021/australian-infrastructure-and-transport-statistics-yearbook-2021

14 Available at: http://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/safety/fatal_road_crash_database.aspxv

15 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00109

16 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2012A00053

17 Available at: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-strategy-policy/freight-supply-chains/national-freight-supply-chain-strategy

18 Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/2020-21

19 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04936

20 Available at: https://www.myschool.edu.au/

21 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A03701

22 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2021A00076

23 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A05145

24 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00441

25 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00109

26 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04465

27 Available at: https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda

28 Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04465

29 Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (BCARR) analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages in Australia data, week ending 12 February 2022, released 10 March 2022.

30 C. Davies, M. Knuiman and M. Rosenberg (2016), “The art of being mentally healthy: a study to quantify the relationship between recreational arts engagement and mental well-being in the general population,” BMC Public Health, 16, Available at:

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2672-7.

31 Australia Council 2022. Audience Outlook Monitor – March 2022.

32 Available at: http://www.arts.gov.au/mcm/arts-and-disability