The Federal Home Affairs Minister, Clare O’Neil, announced this review on 31 July 2023. Dennis Richardson was appointed by the Australian government to conduct the review, which was undertaken between August and October 2023.

The review focused on two main issues:

1. The Department of Home Affairs’ current procurement and contract management processes, with a particular focus on the garrison and welfare services contract, and
2. a selective review of the media claims relating to previous regional processing contracts.

All the recommendations contained in the review report have some relevancy to departments and agencies across government, especially those engaging in procurement and contract arrangements offshore in high-risk integrity environments.

Key recommendations:

• Home Affairs should enhance its integrity risk process and culture to better inform procurement and contract decision-making for regional processing arrangements.
• Home Affairs should foster and promote an ‘ask and tell’ operating environment that encourages collaboration, cooperation, proactive enquiry and information sharing.
• The Department of Finance, in consultation with the AFP, and the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) on behalf of the National Intelligence Community (NIC), should develop a protocol for lawfully sharing law enforcement and intelligence information with Commonwealth entities, to inform procurement and contracting decisions in high-risk environments.