Craig Maudsley found guilty of misconduct over Ipswich council discount for dumping contractor

A discounted rate for dumping fill in an Ipswich mining void has landed a former Ipswich City Council employee in jail, after he was found guilty of a misconduct charge on Friday.

Former Ipswich City Council Chief Operating Officer of works, parks and recreation, Craig Maudsley has been jailed after being found guilty of misconduct. Picture: file image (AAP Image/Darren England)

Former senior Ipswich City Council officer Craig Maudsley is in jail after a jury found him guilty of misconduct as a public officer.

During a four-day trial, the jury heard he obtained a special discounted rate for landfill contractor Wayne Innes.

Critical to the Crown prosecution case was a series of phone conversations recorded by the Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into the Ipswich City Council.

Featuring some highly colourful language, those conversations revealed a friendship between Maudsley and Innes.

Maudsley, 57, the council’s former chief operator of works, parks and recreation, was found guilty of the charge that between September 14, 2016 and November 23, 2016 when as a public officer he facilitated the dumping of fill in preferential terms in an abuse of authority of office to dishonesty gain financial benefit for Landfill Logistics, or with intent to dishonestly cause financial detriment to Colmine Consulting Pty.

The jury reached its verdict on Friday afternoon and Maudsley was sentenced to serve a jail term by Judge Dennis Lynch QC.

The offence involved the filling of a large void at the former Wattle Glen open-cut coal mine on Austin St at Redbank Plains, with Maudsley being part of the council’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the site.

In the case put by Crown prosecutor Sam Bain, Maudsley had been deceptive by obtaining a cheaper rate for Innes’ private company Landfill Logistics to dump fill.

This was achieved by Maudsley instructing Mr Innes’s company to classify their loads as Ipswich City Council fill.

Instead of paying a commercial rate of between $4 to $6 per tonne, Wayne Innes as director of the company would only pay a council rate of $1.50 to operator Colmine Consulting, which had the council contract for the site.

The court heard Landfill Logistics went into liquidation in December 2016.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Lynch told Maudsley the maximum sentence for such an offence was seven years jail.

“You held a senior responsible role with Ipswich City Council and were directly answerable to the CEO,” Judge Lynch said.

“Innes contacted you, who you knew through your employment, and who you became friendly with.

“He was involved in other activity of dishonesty with the council. It is not suggested that you knew that.

“It is clear when listening to Inness (in recorded phone conversations) he was self-interested and prepared to tell any lies to advance his position.

“Innes contacted you as a broker and says he has a client looking to dispose of a large amount of fill.

“You made the offer to present it as being a council job, or council fill and have it deposited at the site managed by Colmine Consulting.

“The arrangement would have benefited Innes, as, if he had approached Colmine Consulting he would have had to pay the commercial rate of $4.60 to $6.

“As council he was charged a rate of $1.50 a tonne. You told Innes he would have to reimburse the council for that.”

Judge Lynch said that while there was no formal agreement, it had developed following conversations between the men.

He said emails revealed the scheme to deceive Colmine Consulting, which was operated by Colin Donegan.

Judge Lynch said he accepted the arrangement facilitated the dumping of fill on preferential terms, and if it had been a legitimate arrangement there would have been no need for any of the deception that occurred.

Judge Lynch was also satisfied it had not been an arrangement where Maudsley had been acting under any contractual arrangements with Colmine Consulting.

“It would seem that you held a dishonest application to help your friend Innes,” he said.

“You were motivated by your interest to help Innes and his business.”

Judge Lynch said one recorded conversation in November 2016 seemed to capture what had been motivating him.

He said that after Innes gave him information “that could embarrass the council”, Maudsley thanked Innes saying, “part of a working relationship Wayne”.

Judge Lynch said there had been no personal benefit for Maudsley.

He took into account his excellent work history and community contribution that would now “suffer reputational damage”.

Maudsley was sentenced to 18 months jail and ordered to serve four months in custody, with the sentence to then be suspended for two years.

Maudsley was seen to slip out of his black shoes in the dock and put on old sneakers for his journey to jail.

A woman seated behind the dock then bent over the glass partition and kissed him on the top of his head before he was led away.

In can be revealed for the first time since the trial began that Innes, himself a controversial figure who gave evidence at Maudsley’s trial, has previously been jailed for his dealings with council. There is no suggestion those dealings involved Maudsley.