About this report or communique
Report of the Auditor-General No. 3 of 2021-22: COVID-19 – Response to social impacts
The objective of the audit was to express a reasonable assurance opinion on the effectiveness of the Government’s processes to identify and agree the high priority social impacts to address as a consequence of the pandemic.
The timeframe for this audit was the period leading up to 19 March 2020, when the State of Emergency in Tasmania was declared under the Emergency Management Act 2006 (EMA), up until completion of audit fieldwork in April 2021.
The audit involved the following agencies:
- Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC)
- Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (DPFEM)
- Department of Communities Tasmania (Communities Tasmania)
The audit included arrangements and activities at both statewide and regional levels.
The audit did not examine the Government’s management of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the adequacy of the suppression measures in controlling the health impact. Nor did it include the operation of the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council (PESRAC) and the arrangements being put in place to support longer-term recovery.
Although the audit examined the process undertaken by the Government to identify high priority needs, it did not assess the validity of the Government’s decisions in determining which social needs to prioritise.