Certifications and disclosures
Certification and reports
The Auditor General has audited the accounts and financial statements of the Department of Transport and provides a report on the findings.
Customer feedback
DoT's Complaints Handling Policy and Procedures allow complaints to be made in person, by phone, fax, online or in writing - in line with the Australian Standard on Complaints Handling (AS ISO 10002-2006).
Customer feedback, including Complaints are managed via the Customer Feedback System (CFS), a bespoke fit for purpose workflow within Objective - the Department's electronic document and record management system (EDRMS).
In 2017-18, the following types of feedback were managed through the CFS.
| Feedback type | No. received | % Received |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints (including repeat complaints) | 2,165 | 64.07 |
| Compliments | 158 | 4.68 |
| Feedback and information | 1,056 | 31.25 |
| Total | 3,379 | 100 |
In 2017-18, DoT continued to analyse customer feedback and ensure accessibility for customers wishing to submit a general enquiry online. Overall the percentage of complaints against feedback received has remained relatively constant.
Breakdown of feedback by business unit in 2017-18
| Business Units | Complaints | Feedback, information and compliments | Total customer feedback | Total customer feedback percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver and Vehicle Services | 1,698 | 983 | 2,681 | 79.34% |
| Marine Safety | 52 | 58 | 110 | 3.26% |
| Coastal Infrastructure | 39 | 28 | 67 | 1.98% |
| Regional Services | 86 | 23 | 109 | 3.23% |
| On-demand Transport | 245 | 36 | 212 | 8.32% |
| Other | 45 | 86 | 131 | 3.87% |
| Total | 1,968 | 928 | 2,896 | 100.00% |
2017-18 saw an increase in the number of complaints received particularly for On-demand Transport and Coastal Infrastructure. Factors that could be attributed to this increase are the continuing improvement of processes to formally capture complaints and ongoing transport industry reform activities.
Employment and industrial relations
Full-time equivalents (FTE) and headcount as at 30 June 2018
| Status | Headcount* | FTE* |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent full-time | 1,078 | 1,078.00 |
| Permanent part-time | 201 | 132.02 |
| Temporary full-time | 84 | 84.00 |
| Temporary part-time | 18 | 10.54 |
| Senior Executive Service | 16 | 16.00 |
| Total | 1,397 | 1,320.56 |
*Headcount and FTE numbers include paid employees and employees on unpaid leave.
In 2017-18, DoT continued to work in partnership with its Joint Consultative Committee to consult on initiatives and address any issues.
Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Coordinator is the initial contact point for all FOI related matters.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the Act), DoT is required to respond to FOI access applications within 45 days of receipt, unless an extension of time is negotiated. The average time to process applications in 2017-18 was 24 days.
FOI fees and charges
Fees and charges are set under the Act. Apart from the application fee for non-personal information, all charges are discretionary. Details of fees and charges are listed below.
| Application | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personal information about applicant. | No fee |
| Application fee (for non-personal information). | $30.00 |
| Charge for time taken dealing with the application. | $30.00 per hour |
| Charge for access time supervised by staff. | $30.00 per hour |
| Charges for photocopying. | $30.00 per hour for staff time and 20 cents per copy |
Rights of review
The Act allows dissatisfied applicants to request an internal review of the initial decision made by DoT. In accordance with Section 40 of the Act, a request for an internal review must be forwarded to the FOI Coordinator, in writing within 30 days of the date of the initial decision.
Following an internal review, matters remaining in dispute can be submitted to the Office of the Information Commissioner for external review. Such applications must be submitted within 60 days from the date of internal review decision.
No fees or charges apply to internal or external reviews.
FOI statistics for 2017-18
FOI statistics for 2017-18, compared with previous years, are detailed in the table below.
| Application | Number received 2014-15 |
Number received 2015-16 |
Number received 2016-17 |
Number received 2017-18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total received (not including those transferred to another agency). | 257 | 351 | 310 | 274 |
| Internal reviews. | 19 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
| External reviews. | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Transferred to another agency. | 7 | 10 | 2 | 9 |
Governance disclosures
Unauthorised use of credit cards
DoT staff hold corporate credit cards (purchasing cards) where their functions warrant usage of this facility. Despite each cardholder being reminded of their obligations annually under the Department's purchasing card policy, 13 employees inadvertently utilised their purchasing cards in their personal capacity in 2017-18. None of these matters was referred for disciplinary action as the Chief Finance Officer noted the nature of the expenditure was immaterial and characteristic of an honest mistake.
|
Description |
2017-18 No. |
2017-18 $ |
|---|---|---|
| Number of instances the purchasing card has been used for personal use. | 26 | |
| Number of referrals for disciplinary action instigated during the reporting period. | Nil | |
| Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure for the reporting period. | 698 | |
| Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure settled by the due date (within five working days). | 131 | |
| Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure settled after the period (after five working days). | 567 | |
| Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure outstanding at balance date. | - |
Other financial disclosures
Pricing policies of services provided
The Department reviews its fees and charges annually to reflect, where legally permissible, full cost recovery in the provision of its services pursuant to the departmental policy for costing and pricing.
The following gazettes contain variations to DoT's fees and charges for the 2017-18 financial year:
- Western Australia Government Gazette No. 93 dated 12 May 2017.
- Western Australia Government Gazette No. 100 dated 26 May 2017.
- Western Australia Government Gazette No. 123 dated 23 June 2017.
Major capital projects
DoT's major capital projects, those over $5 million, for the 2017-18 financial year are detailed in the table.
Capital projects incomplete
| Project | Expected year of completion | Capital expenditure $ 000 |
Estimated capital cost to complete $ 000 |
Estimated total capital cost of project $ 000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-demand Transport Reform Business System | 2019-20 | 1,490 | 5,650 | 7,140 |
| Transforming Bunbury's Waterfront - Stage 2 (Jetty Road) | 2018-19 | 888 | 10,422 | 11,310 |
Capital projects completed
| Project | Year of completion | Estimated total capital cost of project $ 000 |
Total capital cost of project $ 000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exmouth Boat Harbour1 | 2017-18 | 20,228 | 20,884 |
| Transforming Bunbury's Waterfront - Stage 2 (Jetty Road)2 | 2017-18 | 5,000 | 5,221 |
1 The variance is mainly due to the unanticipated site conditions including unsuitable material under road/hardstand pavements, clashes with existing services, and contractor delay costs associated with overcoming these conditions.
2 The variance is mainly due to the unanticipated dredging required from the mud wave unavoidably created by the reclamation construction.