Part 6 - Appendices

Appendix 1—Financial Statements

Download the financial statements document here.

Appendix 2—Statistics

Approaches and complaints 2016–17

A full breakdown of the Jurisdictions/Portfolio in this table can be found here

Jurisdiction/Portfolio	Received	Finalised						Remedies
		Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3	Cat 4	Cat 5	Total Finalised	Action expedited	Apology	Decision changed or reconsidered	Agency officer counselled or disciplined	Explanation	Financial remedy	Law, policy or practice changed	Other non-financial remedy	Remedy provided by agency without Ombudsman Intervention	Total Remedies
ACT	526	154	286	53	15		508	6	5	16		43		3	7	1	81
Commonwealth	23,494	8,487	12,268	2,036	441	7	23,239	289	912	261	336	1,925	824	87	662	61	5,357
Agriculture and Water Resources	42	11	26	4	1	1	43		1	1		4	2				8
Attorney-General's	384	104	234	28	15	1	382	3	1	3		21		4	3		35
Commonwealth Parliament	2		2				2
Communication and the Arts1	4,228	851	2,352	873	17		4,093	3	829	28	302	737	574	9	550	10	3,042
Courts	73	30	39	4			73		1	1		4		1	1		8
Defence	635	109	329	91	33		562	24	2	23		76	12	5	11	4	157
Education and Training	114	17	64	17	12		110	3		7		7	6	3	2	1	29
1 Including Australia Post.
Employment	518	210	267	42	20		539	3	3	11	2	66	8	8	3	6	110
Environment and Energy	23	5	13	1	2		21	1		1		2					4
Finance	107	24	60	11	8		103	1	1	6		13	1				22
Foreign Affairs and Trade	142	42	92	7	3		144					9					9
Health and Aged Care	143	49	78	10	5		142			5		14	1	2			22
Immigration and Border Protection	2,071	453	1,193	329	110	1	2,086	105	8	38	5	301	6	16	34	18	531
Industry, Innovation and Science	60	16	39	5	4		64					5					5
Infrastructure and Regional Development	41	9	30	3	6		48	1	1			4		1			7
Prime Minister and Cabinet	89	11	44	11	14		80	5	1	3		16		7	2	1	35
Social Services	14,327	6,374	7,109	584	187	4	14,258	138	64	132	27	639	210	29	55	20	1314
Treasury	495	172	297	16	4		489	2		2		7	4	2	1	1	19
Norfolk Island	2		2				2
OMB	1,135	514	598				1,112
OOJ	5,560	4,110	1,445				5,555
OSO	981	31	604	232	124		991	8	4	119		259	51	20	23	28	512
Private Health Insurance Ombudsman	9,499	4,367	4,245	760	61		9,433
Postal Industry Ombudsman	104	15	63	14	3		95			1	7	17	2	1	4	3	35
TOTAL	41,301	17,678	19,511	3,095	644	7	40,935	303	921	397	343	2,244	877	111	696	93	5,985

Appendix 3—Information Publication Scheme

The Information Publication Scheme (IPS) applies to Australian Government agencies that are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982. This scheme requires an agency to publish a broad range of information on their website.

The Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman's website makes available the Ombudsman's Information Publication Scheme plan, describing how the Office complies with these requirements and giving access to information published under the scheme. More information can be found at: ombudsman.gov.au/about/information-publication-scheme

Appendix 4—Entity Resource Statement

Entity Resource Statement 2016–17

	Actual available appropriation for 2016–17 $'000	Payments made 2016–17 $'000	Balance 2016–17 $'000
	(a)	(b)	(a) – (b)
Ordinary Annual Services1
Departmental appropriation2	44,436	29,496	14,940
Adjustment – actual s743	(5,987)	-	(5,987)
Total resourcing and payments	38,449	29,496	8,953

1 Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2016–17 and Appropriation Act (No. 3) 2016–17. This also includes prior year departmental appropriation and S74 relevant agency receipts.

2 Includes an available amount of $0.828m in 2016–17 for the Departmental Capital Budget. For accounting purposes this amount has been designated as 'contribution by owners'.

3 Actual s74 receipts in 2016–17 were $7.079m compared to the Budget estimate of $13.066m.

Resource Summary Table - Expenses for Outcome 1

Outcome 1: Fair and accountable administrative action by Australian Government entities and prescribed private sector organisations, by investigating complaints, reviewing administrative action and statutory compliance inspections and reporting.

	Budget 2016–17 $'000	Actual Expenses 2016–17 $'000	Variance 2016–17 $'000
Program 1.1: Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman
Departmental expenses
Departmental appropriation1	22,369	28,967	(6,598)
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year	985	973	12
Total for Program 1.1	23,354	29,939	(6,585)
Total for Outcome 1	23,354	29,939	(6,585)
Average Staffing Level (number)	149	178	(29)

1 Departmental Appropriation combines 'Ordinary annual services' (Appropriation Act No. 1 and Appropriation Act No. 3) and 'Revenue from independent sources (S74)'.

Appendix 5—Ecologically Sustainable Development and Environmental Performance

Section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 sets out the principles and framework for the Office to report on environmental matters. We also have an environmental-management policy to help us manage activities in an environmentally sustainable manner. Our environmental impact is mainly through office-based energy consumption, paper resources and waste management.

Energy consumption

During the year the Office reduced its energy consumption by 35 percent in kilowatt hours and 22 per cent in mega joules per person. Kilowatt per person is 34.1 compared to 52.34 in 2015–16 and mega joules per person is 67.3 compared to 86.29 in 2015–16.

Paper resources

In 2015–16, we implemented the Information and Records Management (IRM) work program to better facilitate business needs, compliance with legislation and the Government Digital Transition Policy.

The Office ensures we engage in predominantly digital record keeping and e-business practices to reduce paper files. Our paper supplies are either manufactured from at least 50 per cent recycled products or carbon neutral. Other office materials such as files, folders and unused stationary are recycled within the Office to reduce procurement activity for stationery.

Waste management

We actively manage the waste we produce through several mechanisms:

• recycling bins are provided in all offices to encourage recycling of waste such as paper and cardboard packaging
• toner cartridges are recycled
• kitchen waste such as plastic bottles and cans are recycled via special bins provided in breakout areas.