The Government welcomes the Australian National Audit Office's report into the implementation and award of funding in the Growing Regions Program, which found the program was largely effective.
The report released today found applications were assessed in accordance with the program guidelines, and funding recommendations and decisions were made largely in accordance with the Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines.
This is the second of two reports on the administration of the Growing Regions Program, with the first report in May 2024 concluding the program's design was also largely effective.
This new approach to program design comes off the back of a two-year reform of Commonwealth Grants Programs aimed at restoring integrity and transparency to regional funding.
This second audit report identified some challenges in the implementation and award of funding for the program under Round 1. My department has agreed to both recommendations set out by the ANAO and has considered the findings of both audit reports as they became apparent during the process.
As a result, the guidelines for Round 2 of the program sought to implement the lessons learned from Round 1, such as refining program eligibility and the assessment process. Round 2 applications are currently under assessment.
The Government welcomes the report's findings and recommendations for improvement. We will review the report in detail and continue to use the ANAO's work to inform future rounds and future programs.
Both performance audit reports on the Growing Regions Program can be read here.
