Audit slams ACT's $13m rent subsidy scheme for sloppy community facility
An ACT audit found Infrastructure Canberra lost track of agreements and badly managed properties. This costs taxpayers about $13 million yearly.
An ACT Audit Office investigation found serious gaps in how the government manages community facilities. The portfolio brings in more than $3.5 million annually, but taxpayers pay about $13 million yearly in lost rental income.
Infrastructure Canberra could not find copies of 38 of the 200 agreements it managed. One quarter of 63 facilities checked were in bad shape or poor condition.
The allocation policy has not been changed since 2008. The Excel spreadsheet used to track applications has big gaps and mistakes.
The audit made 10 recommendations including changing the allocation system and creating better plans for managing the buildings. Infrastructure Canberra is working on a revised policy.
But it had not been approved by September 2026.
- $13 million
- Foregone rental income annually
- 200 with 151 organisations
- Agreements examined
- 38 of 200
- Missing agreements
- one quarter of 63 checked
- Facilities in poor condition
Why it mattersPoor management makes it hard for community groups to get affordable space. Taxpayers cannot see where the $13 million in subsidies goes.
AustraliaCanberra residents rely on community facilities for childcare, social services and cultural programs; if these are not properly maintained and allocated, those services suffer.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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