Theo Maras tells inquiry he quit Renewal SA board to protest handling of Gillman land deal

FORMER Renewal SA board member Theo Maras has revealed that his resignation last year was a protest over at the State Government’s handling of the controversial Gillman land deal.

FORMER Renewal SA board member Theo Maras has revealed that his resignation last year was a protest over at the State Government’s handling of the controversial Gillman land deal.

Mr Maras has appeared before the State Parliament inquiry into the sale of the 400ha site to Adelaide Capital Partners last year.

The Government has said the deal would lead to creation of a mining services hub and up to 6000 jobs, on land formerly earmarked for the failed multi-function polis development.

Mr Maras said the board had been asked to support sale of the land to ACP without adequate assessments of its market value and unanimously rejected the proposal.

He resigned on December 2 and was ultimately joined by three other board members.

“I take my position very seriously and what I do for the state, I take on very seriously,” Mr Maras told the inquiry. “I felt that we were going down the wrong track.

“This was a major diversion from our normal path of business and I didn’t think it was the best option for the state. I could see that whatever the board said was just being put to one side.”

Mr Maras said the stress of the situation also threatened to worsen an existing health concern.

He said he told then-Housing and Urban Development Minister Tom Koutsantonis of his concerns in a meeting on November 25 and advocated the land be released for public tender.

The deal would give ACP a third of the site for $40 million and an option over the remainder which could be exercised at any time over the next nine years.

Mr Maras said he believed the land could return $500 million as a landfill site.

Premier Jay Weatherill said the Government followed an established, unsolicited bid process that was monitored by a probity auditor and Renewal SA agreed it was value for money.

“We’ve always been clear that this has been a Government imperative,” he said.

“We’re now getting increasing feedback from business proponents who do have unsolicited bids, which is not uncommon, very concerned. The way in which the Opposition has conducted this matter, it’s causing quite a degree of alarm about how one approaches government.

“I think that’s a shame, because projects of this sort should be put up to government.”

Opposition treasury spokesman Rob Lucas said Mr Maras’ evidence raised serious questions about the financial management and competence of the Government.

He said it “blew out of the water” claims there was no other interest in the land.

“Mr Weatherill and Mr Koutsantonis now need to come clean and explain why the Government was so insistent on not going through a proper competitive tender process,” Mr Lucas said.

“It is difficult to understand why Mr Weatherill and Mr Koutsantonis would choose to ignore the advice of the specialist government body charged with the responsibility of ensuring taxpayers get the best value from the sale of any government assets.”