City of Playford evaluation tabled

Deputy Commissioner Michael Riches' report on the Evaluation of the Practices, Policies and Procedures of the City of Playford Council has been tabled in Parliament today.

The report makes 21 recommendations.

The evaluation found that the City of Playford has a number of processes either in place or in development to protect the integrity of the council’s operations and they should be commended for such measures, including the ‘Culture Umbrella’ and asset management initiatives.

However, there does remain a number of weaknesses that leave it susceptible to corruption, misconduct or maladministration.

These weaknesses primarily relate to the manner in which policies and procedures are implemented and adhered to, and the manner in which important records are maintained.

Mr Riches says “a number of policies which I consider to be of significant importance to maintaining good governance are in desperate need of review, such as the council’s records management policy which has not been reviewed in 13 years and is largely obsolete.

“In light of such an outdated policy it was no surprise to find that the manner in which many important records are managed within the City of Playford is poor.

“Indeed, the general approach to preparing, approving, disseminating and reviewing policies, together with ensuring adherence to those policies, fell short of my expectations”.

The report also addresses opportunities to improve integrity measures in respect of procurement and human resource management.

It is intended that the report be of assistance not only to the City of Playford, but other councils and public authorities as it focusses on issues that are common across public administration.

The Evaluation of the Practices, Policies and Procedures of the City of Playford Council can be downloaded from the ICAC website – icac.sa.gov.au/evaluation/city-of-playford

For media enquiries please contact 0428 389 493 or media@icac.sa.gov.au.