The Victorian Government announced in January 2011 that it would establish an Independent Review of State Finances. The Review’s Terms of Reference require the following four areas to be considered:
- examination of Victoria’s finances;
- debt management;
- service delivery and infrastructure; and
- public sector governance.
The Review commenced in February 2011 and is led by an
independent panel. It is chaired by, Dr Michael Vertigan AC and includes Don Challen and Professor Ian Harper. The Panel is supported by a dedicated
Secretariat.
The Review Panel's vision is for its work to be of benefit to successive Victorian Governments, as well as to other Australian jurisdictions.
The primary objective of the Review is to consider the financial position of the State and recommend strategies to strengthen the finances of the State, so as to increase the living standards of Victorians.
The conduct of the Review, including its preferred method of consultation, is the responsibility of the Review Panel. A key source of evidence will be targeted consultations by the Panel with departments and community groups, which is currently planned to commence in May 2011.
Following the Panel's presentation of the Interim Report to the Treasurer, the Government released the report on 27 April 2011. A copy of the report can be obtained from the DTF website at
www.dtf.vic.gov.au/publications
