This Memorandum introduces updated guidelines to reflect current government advertising policy, and to implement the recommendations of the Auditor-General following the Performance Audit of Government Advertising in 2007.

The NSW Government has an obligation to inform all people in New South Wales about their rights, obligations and entitlements. Government advertising plays an important role in promoting public awareness and achieving public policy goals. The guidelines establish a clear set of principles and procedures to be observed by NSW Government agencies when undertaking advertising activities.

The guidelines incorporate all policy requirements in relation to advertising into a single document. The guidelines apply to all Departments, Statutory Bodies, Declared Authorities and Public Trading Enterprises, as well as Sydney Water Corporation and RailCorp.

The effectiveness of government advertising is continuously monitored and reviewed in the interests of achieving best practice, value for money, and greater community access to public information.

The guidelines update and improve existing Government advertising policy by:

• Introducing detailed criteria to ensure that publicly-funded advertising does not inappropriately serve party political interests; 
• Advising agencies to consider including an audit of compliance with the guidelines as part of their internal audit processes;
• Requiring agencies to publish the cost of, and information about, completed advertising activities on their websites;
• Requiring the Department of Commerce to publish the total advertising media expenditure (indicating campaign and non-campaign spend) in its annual report;
• Clarifying the criteria by which public awareness campaigns may be approved under delegation by the Minister; and
• Confirming that a two-month quarantine period applies before State elections, subject to certain exceptions.

A copy of the guidelines is available from the Department of Commerce website (http://www.advertising.nswp.commerce.nsw.gov.au/Home.htm).

Ministers should ensure all agencies under their administration comply with the guidelines.  The guidelines expressly apply to Sydney Water Corporation and RailCorp but shareholding Ministers of other State Owned Corporations should ensure that boards of those corporations give consideration to voluntarily adopting the guidelines by incorporating them into their Statements of Corporate Intent.

Morris Iemma
Premier

This Memorandum supersedes Memorandum No. 2005-06 ‘Review of Government Advertising’ and Premier’s Circular No. 2006-26 ‘Changes to Government Advertising Policy’.