Integrity agencies in New South Wales say a budget funding shortfall is forcing them to pause or shelve parts of their work. Reports citing NSW organisations including the Independent Commission Against Corruption (IBAC) and the NSW Ombudsman say their leaders warn that current government funding is not sufficient to meet operational costs and keep up with statutory responsibilities. IBAC chief Alison Byrne and Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath state their agencies cannot fully balance their budgets without cuts to investigation activity.
The sources describe the issue as an inability to adequately resource investigations rather than a change in the agencies’ mandates. They also indicate the funding squeeze affects the agencies’ capacity to undertake work at expected levels, leading to deferred or shelved matters.
While the reports focus on the agencies’ concerns about resourcing, they do not provide details on which specific investigations are affected or the duration of the pause. The shared core claim across outlets is that budget constraints are limiting the agencies’ ability to continue investigations as planned.
