SafeWork SA drags out Crows camp saga

Former Adelaide player Josh Jenkins has applied under FOI to see a copy of the Safe Work SA report on the controversial 2018 camp. But it looks like he might be kept waiting for months.

SafeWork SA has been slammed by lawyer Greg Griffin for extending the time it needs to complete a freedom of information request to produce a copy of its secret report into the controversial 2018 Adelaide Crows camp.

Mr Griffin also said it was wrong that Safework SA had given a copy of the report to the Crows and the AFL but not his client, the former Adelaide player Josh Jenkins, who went public with his criticism of the camp. He also criticised the body for charging almost $4000 to complete the FOI request.

“How does SafeWork SA justify giving its report to the Crows and the AFL but denies access … to those that suffered and continue to suffer as a consequence of what was allowed to happen on the camp?” Mr Griffin said.

Mr Griffin said it would be a question the Attorney-General, as “ultimate decision-maker” should intervene upon.

“This report was used as a crutch to block legitimate questions being asked by those that attended the camp and the media. It seems the only bodies prepared now to rely upon whatever is in that report are the Crows and SafeWork SA,’’ he said.

Last September, SafeWork SA said there was “no evidence of any breach of the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 (SA) relating to the camp. The investigation is now closed’’.

A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Kyam Maher said he did “not have the power to intervene in SafeWork SA FOI requests’’.

Josh Jenkins celebrates another goal for the Crows at Adelaide Oval. Picture Sarah Reed

The FOI application requests Jenkins, who was interviewed during the investigation, be provided with the “full report of SafeWork SA into the Adelaide Football Club’’, as well as “copies of any and all correspondence between Mr Jenkins and the Adelaide Football Club and/or SafeWork SA pertaining to the camp and/or the SafeWork SA investigation into the camp’’. A request was also made for any draft version of the final report.

Last week, Mr Griffin received a letter from Caroline Mealor, the chief executive of the Attorney-General’s department, saying she had determined that it would now take until November 30 to respond to the FOI request. Mr Griffin lodged the FOI on August 9 and legislation requires an answer in 30 days unless an extension is granted. Mr Griffin said he would appeal against the decision.

Ms Mealor said the reason for the extra time was the large number of documents demanded through the FOI.

A SafeWork SA spokesman said “pursuant to Section 271 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) the regulator is unable to release confidential reports in full’’.

The spokesman declined to comment on why the AFL and Adelaide, but not the players involved, had received the report.