Australia
Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 + Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 (No. 22 of 1998); PGPA Act 2013 (No. 123 of 2013); Auditor-General Act 1997 (No. 151 of 1997)
Australia's national fiscal framework rests on three primary statutes: the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998, which mandates the annual Economic and Fiscal Outlook, mid-year MYEFO update (by end of January), Final Budget Outcome (within 3 months of year-end), and Intergenerational Report (every 5 years); the PGPA Act 2013, which governs financial reporting and audit across approximately 240 Commonwealth entities on an accruals basis; and the Auditor-General Act 1997, which establishes the ANAO with a non-renewable 10-year term and full performance audit authority. Australia scored 78/100 on the IBP Open Budget Survey 2023, ranking 11th globally, with particular strengths in audit independence, procurement transparency via AusTender, and statutory mid-year fiscal reporting.
Transparency Requirements
Budget Publicationmax 12 pts
| Budget publication required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Budget published online | ✓ Yes |
| Budget publication timeline | 60 days before fiscal year |
| Machine-readable budget format | No |
| Draft budget required before adoption | No |
Expenditure Disclosuremax 12 pts
| Expenditure disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Expenditure granularity | department |
| Public expenditure portal required | No |
| Expenditure reporting frequency | quarterly |
Independent Auditmax 12 pts
| Audit required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Auditor independent of entity | ✓ Yes |
| Auditor selection method | appointed independent |
| Audit frequency | annual |
| Audit reports public | ✓ Yes |
| Audit scope | financial performance |
Contract & Procurementmax 10 pts
| Public bidding required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Public bidding threshold | 80,000 AUD |
| Contract publication required | ✓ Yes |
| Bid award disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Beneficial ownership disclosure | No |
Debt & Liability Disclosuremax 10 pts
| Debt disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Pension liability disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Contingent liability disclosure | ✓ Yes |
| Voter approval required for new debt | No |
Fiscal Reporting Frequencymax 10 pts
| Interim reporting required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Interim reporting frequency | quarterly |
| Year-end report deadline | 90 days after fiscal year |
| Citizens budget required | No |
Enforcement & Oversightmax 10 pts
| Non-compliance penalties | No |
|---|---|
| Fiscal oversight body | ✓ Yes |
| Whistleblower protections | ✓ Yes |
| Legislative budget office | ✓ Yes |
Revenue & Tax Transparencymax 8 pts
| Tax expenditure reporting | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Revenue forecasting required | ✓ Yes |
| Tax rate publication | — |
| Fee schedule publication | — |
Compensation & Payrollmax 8 pts
| Salary disclosure required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Salary disclosure scope | executives |
| Pension benefit disclosure | — |
| Overtime reporting | — |
Capital & Asset Disclosuremax 8 pts
| Capital plan required | ✓ Yes |
|---|---|
| Asset inventory required | ✓ Yes |
| Surplus asset disposal transparency | — |