Annual report guidelines for 2022-23

Guidance
Assisting public sector agencies prepare annual reports
Last updated:

Reporting at the end of each financial year is a requirement for agencies as defined by the Financial Management Act 2006.

An annual report provides the Western Australian Parliament with information about the performance of an agency reporting under the Public Sector Management Act 1994. It also assists the community to understand the public sector’s diverse operations.

An annual report is not a promotional or commercial document. Production costs should be kept to a minimum.

For enquiries about the Financial Management Act 2006 and Treasurer's Instructions email the Department of Treasury. Note: Treasurer's Instructions are compiled in the Financial Administration Bookcase which is updated regularly.

Requirements for annual reports

  • This year’s guidelines continue the streamlined approach of the last years to reduce the reporting compliance burden on agencies.
  • Focus should be on those elements required to be included in annual reports under sections 61 and 62 of the Financial Management Act 2006 and any other legislation which includes financial statements, key performance indicators and agency operations.
  • Agencies are not required to adhere strictly to Treasurer’s instruction 903: Agency Annual Reports, They do not need to include:
    • an overview
    • significant issues impacting the agency
    • other financial disclosures (in addition to the financial statements)
    • governance disclosures

Treasurer’s Instruction 104C: Annual Reporting 2022-23 Exemption will be included in the Financial Administration Bookcase published in June 2023with temporary exemption from specific components of Treasurer’s Instruction 903: Agency Annual Report. This allows accountable authorities to focus on key elements required to be reported in annual reports under sections 61 and 62 of the Financial Management Act 2006.

Additional reporting requirements 2022-23

Government policy requirements

Occupational safety, health and injury management

Further information on complying with this reporting requirement, including calculation and reporting of performance measures, is online.

More information:

W: Public sector health, safety and injury management
E:  Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

Board and committee remuneration

Agencies are required to report individual and aggregate costs of remunerating members of government boards and committees as defined in State Government Boards and Committees - Premier's Circular 2022/02

Include the names of all board and committee members and all remuneration. Remuneration reported excludes travel expenses incurred as per the Public Sector Commission’s guidelines for reimbursement of travel expenses and Premier’s Circular 2014/02: Guidelines for Official Air Travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Government Officers.

Include members of government boards and committees who are government employees. If they are ineligible for remuneration, as defined in Premier's Circular 2022/02, remuneration is listed as zero.

Consult with the minister’s office if it is considered that a board or committee member’s name should be withheld because of security, sensitivity or legislative restrictions.

Below is an example table to report on remuneration for each board and committee member. Consideration can also be given to listing separate information relating to member payments, for example other benefits and allowances.

Position title Member name Type of remuneration* Period of membership** Term of appointment/tenure** Base salary/sitting fees Gross/actual remuneration for financial year
Chair         $X $X
Deputy         $X $X
Member         $X $X
Total         $X $X

* If applicable, include sessional payment per meeting, half day or annual.

** Refers to board members’ membership during the reporting period, not their entire tenure on the board or committee. Period of membership should correlate with the respective remuneration received.

*** Refers to term of appointment/tenure (if relevant) or appointment type, for example sessional/full time.

WA Multicultural Policy Framework

Agencies are required to report on the actions in their multicultural plans, including the achievement of outcomes and Key Performance Indicators identified in their plans.

Agencies are required to report on the submission and implementation of their multicultural plan for the 2022–23 financial year and are encouraged to share briefly key achievements against the 3 policy priority areas in their annual reports.

To effectively monitor implementation of the framework, agencies should use the reporting template to provide commentary on the progress against their 2022-23 plans and submit it to the Office of Multicultural Interests for review and feedback by 31 August 2023.

More information

E: Office of Multicultural Interests

Substantive equality

This reporting requirement is optional for 2022–23. Agencies may choose to report on progress achieved in implementing the Policy Framework for Substantive Equality, noting progress on developing and implementing the framework and/or achievement of outcomes in the framework.

More information:

E: Equal Opportunity Commission.

Agency capability review requirements

Agencies participating in the Public Sector Commission’s Agency Capability Review Program are to report progress against their commitments and actions.

Tabling, distribution and publication

Tabling

  • Unless an Act provides otherwise, the financial year ends on 30 June. An agency’s annual report, including audit opinion, is to be tabled by the relevant minister in Parliament within 90 days of the end of the financial year (section 64 Financial Management Act 2006).
  • Refer to the  Parliamentary sitting dates to identify the last sitting date before the end of the 90 day period. Dates may vary according to the legislation for an agency so check the period for the date of submission.
  • The minister’s office should have enough time to consider the draft annual report and meet the tabling deadline.
  • If an agency’s annual report cannot be tabled on time, the minister must report to Parliament the reason/s why and advise a revised tabling date (section 65 Financial Management Act 2006).
  • The version of the annual report tabled by the minister in Parliament must be the only one in circulation. All other versions, electronic and print, must be identical to the tabled version.
  • If a correction is needed to an annual report, this must be made in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. In the Legislative Assembly the agency must comply with Legislative Assembly Standing Order 156 ‘Alteration of papers’. There is no applicable standing order in the Legislative Council so corrections must be tabled by the relevant minister and follow the same process as tabling the original annual report.
  • The Department of the Premier and Cabinet has a Parliamentary Procedures Guide for both houses of Parliament.

More information:

E: Manager, Parliamentary and Executive Government Services or Parliamentary Liaison Officer at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Publishing and distribution

  • Minimise unnecessary preparatory work associated with the production of sophisticated infographics and interactive web versions to support minimum reporting requirements.
  • Main means of distribution is the agency website, with printed copies kept to a minimum. The report should be available online as soon as possible after tabling.
  • Print the report in-house ahead of tabling for Parliament. Subsequent external printing is a decision for the agency.
  • Provide 12 printed and one PDF copy of the final annual report to the relevant minister/s office for tabling in Parliament. The minister’s office forwards these to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and they are made available in the tabled papers database on the Parliament website.
  • Deposit a copy of the final annual report with the State Library of Western Australia as required by the Legal Deposit Act 2012 and Premier’s Circular 2021/14: Requirements for Western Australian Government Publications and Library Collections. Digital copies should be deposited in PDF format using the National edeposit (NED) portal. Annual reports are deposited as serial publications. Depositing printed copies is not required. For enquiries, email the State Library of Western Australia.
  • Maintain details of the cost of the annual report (including payments to external consultants involved in development and production; payments to companies involved in design and/or printing; and cost of staff working on the report) so these can be provided if requested, for example through media queries or a Parliamentary Question.

Accessibility

More information:

E: Office of Digital Government.