Dissenting reports pose questions as full inquiry into Darwin Waterfront released
A committee that unanimously cleared the Darwin Waterfront Corporation from allegations of wrongdoing has released its final report, with questions raised by Independent Johnston MLA Justine Davis about transparency at the taxpayer funded entity.
A parliamentary committee which unanimously cleared the Darwin Waterfront Corporation from allegations of wrongdoing has released its final report, with questions raised by Independent Johnston MLA Justine Davis about transparency at the taxpayer funded entity.
The Northern Territory Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigated four allegations made against the Waterfront corporation (DWC) centring around hiring practices, conflict of interest management, and the movement of funds between the DWC and AustralAsia Railway Corporation (AARC).
The two non-CLP members of the committee filed dissenting reports, despite both agreeing none of the allegations were substantiated.
Among the claims rejected was the alleged creation of a “made-up job” for DWC deputy chief executive Sam Burke, and higher duties bonuses totalling more than $400,000 over six years.
It was confirmed that Mr Burke had received $42,411 in higher duties allowance for 551 days acting in higher roles – 10 times less than originally alleged.
Executives from the DWC dispelled the allegations at an inquiry hearing in June, the parliamentary committee releasing a short statement that day before tabling its full report last week.
The report has confirmed the DWC was not required to provide any documentary evidence to the committee, despite questions about board minute meetings, conflict of interest registers, governance procedures, and internal audits.
DWC chief executive and AARC chair Alastair Shields told the parliamentary committee it was not common practice for such entities to publish minutes as confidential material was often discussed.
The DWC is a statutory authority responsible for managing the Waterfront precinct and received more than $25m in this year’s budget, while AARC manages the Darwin to Tarcoola railway on behalf of the NT and South Australia governments.
Mr Shields also said he had “never considered” making any of the DWC’s internal audit reports public, and expressed doubts about their interest to Territorians.
Mr Shields and DWC chair Patrick Bellot told the inquiry all due process had been followed regarding hiring and conflicts of interest.
They confirmed Mr Burke had received $42,411 in higher duties allowance for 551 days acting in higher roles – not more than $400,000 as had been wrongly alleged.
Meanwhile the explanation given for the cost sharing arrangement between AARC and DWC was that it had always been in place.
“We have shared board members, staff, office accommodation and resources from the very beginning,” Mr Shields told the committee.
The inquiry heard in-house NT government arrangements allowed funds to be recouped between government entities, and that the financial statements of both corporations were independently audited with no concerns raised regarding the cost sharing transactions.
Mr Shields acknowledged there was the potential to improve the public’s understanding of the arrangement between AARC and DWC – something the committee supported in its one and only recommendation.
Independent Johnston MLA Justine Davis wrote that the inquiry was “fundamentally inadequate”, with less than 24 hours to review submissions, narrow terms of reference and a truncated 80-minute hearing.
“When documents were requested, the committee was told they are not publicly available, and transparency requests were repeatedly denied … (this) demonstrates a concerning lack of transparency for a publicly funded entity,” Ms Davis said.
She argued those process failures meant the inquiry “did not adequately address systematic governance weaknesses”, including opaque cost-sharing arrangements between entities managed by the same executive, and the “apparent circumvention” of merit-based recruitment through repeated higher duties allowances.
Labor member for Arafura Manual Brown said it was “remarkable” public employment standards did not apply to the DWC, and questioned conventions which limited governance transparency of government-owned and publicly funded entities.
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Originally published as Dissenting reports pose questions as full inquiry into Darwin Waterfront released
