Craig Maudsley pleads not guilty to misconduct charge at the start of trial in Ipswich

A jury has heard a landfill contractor was allegedly offered a special council rate to dump material in an Ipswich mining void.

Craig Maudsley is accused of dishonestly offering a cheaper rate to a landfill contractor during his time as an Ipswich City Council officer. He is fighting the charge and is on trial this week.

SENIOR Ipswich City Council officer Craig Maudsley is on trial this week on a charge of misconduct in public office after an alleged agreement with a landfill contractor.

Ipswich District Court on Monday heard the charge related to the filling of an open-cut mining void at Redbank Plains as part of ongoing rehabilitation works for the site.

Maudsley is accused of misconduct through deception in getting a private company, Landfill Logistics, a cheaper rate to dump its landfill.

He is defending the allegations.

The prosecution alleges the rate offered was well below commercial rates.

Instead of paying $4-6 per tonne, it is alleged Landfill Logistics, operated by Wayne Innes, would only pay a council rate of $1.50 to operator Colmine Consulting, which had the council contract for the site.

“I just want the hole filled,” Maudsley was quoted as saying.

Craig Maudsley, 57, the former council chief operator of works, parks and recreation, has pleaded not guilty to the CCC charge that between September 14, 2016 and November 23, 2016 when 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.

At the time Wayne Francis Innes was director of Landfill Logistics, a now defunct earth moving firm that went into liquidation in December 2016.

Colin Donegan, the director of Colmine Consulting, is also expected to give evidence at the trial now before Ipswich District Court.

In his opening outline of what would be alleged, Crown prosecutor Sam Bain said the case involved the former Wattle Glen open coal mine site at Austin St in Redbank Plains.

Colmine Consulting had gained the Ipswich City Council contract after tender to manage the filling of the old mine site.

Mr Bain told the jury that it was not a complex case.

On Monday the jury heard evidence from Mr Innes, 61, and listened to telephone intercepts of conversations between Maudsley and Wayne Innes, and between other people allegedly involved.

Mr Bain said Colmine was charging $4-6 a tonne depending on volume of landfill to go into the coal mine void.

The council had negotiated a fixed rate of $1.50 per tonne, which was significantly below the commercial rate.

It is alleged Maudsley was trying to get Inness a cheaper council rate for his business by telling Colmine that Mr Innes was dumping council fill.

At the time, Landfill Logistics had 165,000 metres of material it needed to dispose of, the court heard.

Mr Bain alleged that in one recorded call Maudsley stated: ‘I’m quite happy to say it’s a council job’.

“I’m happy to take it off you. I just want to get the hole filled. Come to me with a proposal.”

More than two dozen phone calls were played to the jury, with those calls allegedly intercepted in October and November 2016.

“If it’s a goer you need to tell your f***ing drivers it’s from a council job,” Maudsley was recorded as saying.

Craig Maudsley is facing trial this week in Ipswich over an offence allegedly committed in 2016.

The court heard truck drivers dumping the fill were told they also needed to put ICC (Ipswich City Council) on the dockets when arriving at the site.

Mr Bain said questions were raised when the truck drivers rolled into the dump site in November 2016.

Instead of being documented as ICC Augustine Heights, their paperwork stated Larapinta, which was well outside the Ipswich council area.

Mr Innes in one call was recorded as saying: ‘Leave it with me’. (Referring to the problem caused by the Larapinta documentation).

Maudsley replies: “Yes please, otherwise it will be a shit fight”’.

Innes said: “They don’t understand what we are trying to do’”.

Maudsley responded: “I don’t want any comeback on me when I pull the trigger on him next year”. (Apparently referring to the operator of the old mine dump site).

Maudsley is being defended by barristers Tony Glynn QC and Angus Scott.

On Tuesday they will subject Mr Innes to cross-examination of his evidence.

The trial is expected to conclude by Thursday.