12.8 Other information
Compensating customers
The department pays compensation to customers when it is legally liable to do so or under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration.
In 2018–19, the department received 1,414 customer compensation claims, compared with 1,616 in 2017–18.
The department approved 27 customer compensation claims in 2018–19 on the basis of a legal liability.
The department approved 417 customer compensation claims in 2018–19 under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration. This represents 34 per cent of all claims determined under the scheme, compared with 41 per cent in 2017–18.
The department aims to process claims under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration within 90 days.
In 2018–19, 83 per cent of claims determined under the scheme were completed within 90 days, compared with 88 per cent in 2017–18.
Regulatory reform agenda
The Australian Government remains committed to improving the quality of its regulation, including minimising the burden of regulation on businesses, community organisations and individuals. The department contributed $11.7 million in deregulation savings towards this agenda in 2018–19. The department has contributed savings of $335.1 million to the deregulation agenda since it commenced in 2013.
Environmental management
The department’s environmental management system aligns with international standard ISO 14001:2015. The standard allows the department to manage and report on greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, resource use and waste arising from building operations, motor vehicle and air travel, ICT and stationery supplies.
See APPENDIX C: Environmental performance for more information about the department’s contribution to ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance.
Advertising and market research
Communication and advertising campaigns
The department did not undertake any communication or advertising campaigns in 2018–19.
Advertising costs—media advertising
In 2018–19, the department’s total payments on advertising were $1,942,168. This includes spending on print and online advertising in areas such as recruitment, public notices and tenders.
Table 67: Payments associated with advertising(a)
|
Payee |
Purpose |
Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
Dentsu Mitchell Media Australia Pty Ltd |
Advertising |
296,215 |
|
Sensis Pty Ltd |
White Pages |
1,039,500 |
|
Universal McCann Pty Ltd |
Advertising |
606,453 |
|
Total |
1,942,168 |
(a) Figures in the 2017–18 report were reported on an accrual basis. 2018-19 figures are reported on cash payments. Some payments may have been included in both reports as a result.
Market research payments
The department commissioned the projects listed in Table 68. They involved gathering, analysing and reporting information from external audiences or sources to provide insight on a particular topic or issue.
Table 68: Payments associated with market research organisations(a)
|
Vendor |
Description |
2018–19 |
|---|---|---|
|
Colmar Brunton Research |
Integrated satisfaction program |
1,434,349 |
|
Colmar Brunton Research |
Age Pension experience research |
16,720 |
|
Freeform Strategy Pty Ltd |
Departmental communication research |
57,255 |
|
Instinct and Reason Pty Ltd |
Testing departmental messages |
59,499 |
|
Kookaburra Consulting |
Community Agent Program (CAP) research |
87,930 |
|
Lonergan Research |
Recruitment of participants |
128,851 |
|
McNair yellowSquares Pty Ltd |
Recruitment of participants |
158,620 |
|
McNair yellowSquares Pty Ltd |
Website enhancement evaluation |
22,076 |
|
Roy Morgan Research Ltd |
Recruitment of participants |
52,014 |
|
Wallis Consulting Group Pty Ltd |
Communication needs and preferences research |
187,969 |
|
Whereto Research |
Correspondence testing programme |
48,730 |
|
Total |
2,254,013 |
(a) Figures in the 2017–18 report were reported on an accrual basis. 2018-19 figures are reported on cash payments. Some payments may have been included in both reports as a result.
Grants
A grant is a payment made by the Commonwealth to an individual or group, on a one-off or ad hoc basis, or as a result of competitive assessment process. There were no grants awarded by the department during 2018–19. Further information on grants awarded by the department during 2018–19 is available at communitygrants.gov.au
Disability Reporting
Since 1994, Commonwealth departments and agencies have reported on their performance as policy adviser, purchaser, employer, regulator and provider under the Commonwealth Disability Strategy.
In 2007–08, reporting on the employer role was transferred to the Australian Public Service Commission’s State of the Service Report and the APS Statistical Bulletin. These reports are available at apsc.gov.au. Since 2010–11, departments and agencies have no longer been required to report on these functions.
The Commonwealth Disability Strategy has been overtaken by the National Disability Strategy 2010–2020, which sets out a ten‑year national policy framework to improve the lives of people with disability, promote participation and create a more inclusive society. A high‑level two‑yearly report will track progress against each of the six outcome areas of the strategy and present a picture of how people with disability are faring. The first of these reports was published in 2014 on the DSS website—dss.gov.au
For more information about the department’s specialised services and support for and engagement with carers and people with disability, see:
- ‘5.3 People with disability'
- 'Carer Specialist Assessments'
- ‘Carers’ and ‘People with disability’ on the home page of the department’s website at humanservices.gov.au
Corrections to previous annual reports
Table 69: Corrections to 2017–18 Annual Report
|
Reference |
Issue |
Correction |
|---|---|---|
|
Page 59 |
Table 14: Volumes of services transmitted digitally: In 2017–18 Total services transmitted digitally was incorrectly listed as 419.9 million. |
Table 14: Volumes of services transmitted digitally: In 2017–18 Total services transmitted digitally should read ‘411.0 million’. |
|
Page 68 |
Table 23: Practice participation in the Practice Incentives Program, Practices registered per incentive: In 2017–18 Diabetes was incorrectly listed as 4.398. In 2017–18 eHealth was incorrectly listed as 4.922. |
Table 23: Practice participation in the Practice Incentives Program, Practices registered per incentive: In 2017–18 Diabetes should read ‘4,398’. In 2017–18 eHealth should read ‘4,922’. |
|
Page 82 |
Table 37: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme expenditure: the table footnotes (a) and (b) were transposed. |
The footnotes should read |
|
Page 86 |
In 2017–18 healthcare identifiers assigned to individuals was incorrectly reported as 545,416. |
In 2017–18 healthcare identifiers assigned to individuals should read ‘565,416’. |
|
Page 241 |
In 2017–18 the total number of substantiated privacy incidents was incorrectly stated as 98. |
In 2017–18 the total number of substantiated privacy incidents should read ‘988’. |
|
Page 296 |
Table 70: Staff by substantive classification and location: |
In 2017–18 the correct number should read 2,683. |
|
Page 306 |
Table 82: Outcome 1 expenses 2017–18 [the table starts on page 305]: The Average Staffing Level (number) for 2017–18 was incorrectly listed as 28,799 in the column. |
The Average Staffing Level (number) for 2017–18 should read ‘28,522’. The variation should then not have been stated as '(170)', but instead as '107'. |
|
Page 309 |
Table 84: Waste, resource recovery and pollution. Mobile phone recycling (kilograms) for 2017–18 was incorrectly listed as 146. |
Mobile phone recycling (kilograms) for 2017–18 should read ‘155’. |
Visit
https://www.transparency.gov.au/annual-reports/services-australia/reporting-year/2018-2019-80