A performance audit into the effectiveness of Land Management Arrangements has found that the Directorate involved was not effectively managing Agreements.
In his report, Land Management Agreements, Auditor-General, Michael Harris said the value of Land Management Agreements was questionable.
“The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate is not effectively managing Agreements to ensure that they are relevant as an active and ongoing land management tool,” Mr Harris said.
“A significant proportion of Agreements are out of date and they often lack a depth of information and assessment,” he said.
“There is no overarching risk management framework to guide the development of Land Management Agreements and monitoring and enforcement of rural leaseholders’ compliance with the Agreements does not occur.”
Mr Harris said Government Agencies were not effectively monitoring and enforcing rural leaseholders’ compliance with Land Management Agreements.
“There is no regular and systematic program of compliance activity to monitor rural leaseholders’ compliance with their Agreement obligations,” the Auditor-General said.
“And there is no evidence of any enforcement activity being undertaken by any ACT Government Agency in relation to rural leaseholders and their Agreements,” he said.
Mr Harris made six recommendations to the EPSD Directorate aimed at improving the management, administration, documentation, detail, monitoring and enforcement of Land Management Agreements
His 65-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
The audit team was led by Kellie Plummer with an outside consultant.
