The State Government provides more than 100 rebates, concessions and subsidies. The 2015-16 State budget papers estimated these to be worth approximately $2.6 billion. The concessions are mainly to individual members of the public to help them meet the cost of household bills and other essential services.

The concessions, received as a discount or rebate, apply to goods and services such as power, water, transport, education, housing and health. A smaller number of minor value concessions are also directed at improving quality of lifestyle.

The major recipients of State Government concessions are holders of pensioner health benefit cards, health care and health benefit cards, seniors cards, war widows and totally and permanently incapacitated pensioners. However, significant concessions are also received by others, for example students and children.

Our last detailed report on management of government social concessions (Public Sector Performance Report, November 1999) found that there was no coordinated whole-of-government approach to targeting, monitoring and evaluating concessions provided by government agencies. A more recent audit of concessions offered to students at state training providers (Audit Results Report, May 2012) found often insufficient evidence was retained to demonstrate that students were eligible for concessions.