Anacta’s major clients and wins secured with the Queensland government

The clients of Labor-aligned lobbying firm Anacta range from major medical companies to mining giants and construction heavyweights. These are the wins they’ve secured with the Queensland government.

The clients of Labor-aligned lobbying firm Anacta range from short-stay accommodation player Airbnb to mining giant Glencore, the Gold Coast housing development Pacific View Estate and gambling company Tabcorp.

Despite a long list of prominent clients and accusations it is too close to the Queensland government, Anacta claims it loses more pitches than it wins.

Courier-Mail analysis reveals the major wins with the state government that Anacta has secured its clients.

ANACTA’S CLIENT LIST

Airbnb

The short-stay accommodation site has been an Anacta client since November 2021 and two contact dates are reported on the lobbyist log.

Brisbane City Council recently announced a steep rate-rise for property owners who use sites such as Airbnb and do not offer their properties on the broader rental market.

(Airbnb has been an Anacta client since November 2021.

The State Government is yet to move on the issue, despite calls to create incentives for investors to remove holidays from the short-term holiday market in Southeast Queensland amida rental crisis.

Aspen Medical

The company was awarded a contract associated with the Palaszczuk government’s Wellcamp quarantine facility. Anacta has previously said it did not make representations on behalf of Aspen Medical relating to Wellcamp. Anacta has had contact with the State Government relating to Aspen Medical 22 times, according to the lobbying log.

Australian Country Choice Holdings Pty Ltd

Queensland-based beef empire, which cut ties to Coles last year. There is one entry registered in the lobbying contact log from May this year. It was with the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Premier and Minister for the Olympics and classed as “commercial in confidence”.

Downer Group

Downer Rail is one of three short-listed candidates vying to build 20 new trains in Maryborough – and will have the opportunity to bid for an increased order of 65 trains along with other applicants.

Glencore Holdings Australia

The government offered incentives to mitigate the ongoing costs to Glencore of continuing its copper smelter in Mount Isa and refinery in Townsville beyond 2022. The announcement was made in September 2020 – just weeks after Glencore became an Anacta client in August. A representative of the lobbying firm made contact with the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning on August 18, 2020.

Glencore Holdings Australia secured a win with the Queensland government just weeks after becoming an Anacta client. Picture: Shane Eecen

Maurice Blackburn

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman met with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers chief executive Jacob Varghese on March 24, and there have been dozens of other meetings in the last few years including on occasions with Moorhead. Contributed expert submission into the bill proposing the merger of QSuper and SunSuper.

Pacific View Farm

Backed by Perth-based developer Perron Group, was approved by Gold Coast Council to develop 3,500 dwellings and apartment buildings of up to 8-storeys greenfield site in Worongary named Pacific View Estate.

The development was approved before it became a client of Anacta.

The Gold Coast development Pacific View Estate is an Anacta client.

Phosphate International

Trading as North West Phosphate, the company is an Australian exploration company focused on phosphate exploration and production.

Pinssar

A company that specialises in protecting mining and construction workers from diesel fume emissions, met with Resource Minister Scott Stewart in March.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland Branch

The guild hired the lobbying services of Anacta in March at about the same time negative reports surfaced about a Urinary Tract Infection Pharmacy pilot. A survey found one in five doctors treated a patient for serious complications that were allegedly either missed or misdiagnosed under the state government’s trial.

The UTI scheme, which started in June 2020, was extended to June 30.

Plenary Group

Infrastructure investment business specialising in public – private partnerships, met with Queensland government ministers on dozens of occasions. Has been awarded major projects involving infrastructure, transport and schools in Queensland but all before Anacta was hired as its lobbyist.

Poseidon Sea Pilots

Won the tender to provide services in the Brisbane Pilotage Area for 10 years by Maritime Safety Queensland in early 2021, a few months before becoming a client of Anacta’s.

Poseidon Sea Pilots director Captain Steve Pelecanos at Brisbane International Cruise Terminal. Picture: Richard Walker

Tabcorp

Anacta represented Tabcorp when it met with senior Palaszczuk government officials more than 40 times before online bookmakers were blindsided by a new betting tax introduced by the treasurer.

The Queensland lobbyists register reveals between July and May this financial year Anacta Strategies, representing Tabcorp Holdings, had contact 43 times with senior government officials including the chiefs of staff of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Treasurer Cameron Dick and Racing Minister Grace Grace.

Unitywater

Unitywater representatives have met with ministers on numerous occasions and have been a client of Anacta since mid-2020.

There were a dozen points of contact logged on the lobbying register in the lead up to the announcement of Unitywater working with the Queensland government to develop water and sewerage infrastructure in the government’s new suburb at Caboolture West.

Unitywater has been an Anacta client since mid-2020.

Urannah Water Scheme

Having being a client of Anacta’s since late 2019, the Urannah Water Scheme’s submission to build a $2.9 billion dam west of Mackay is being considered.

Representatives have had contact with Queensland government officials on dozens of occasions, including for the purpose of “allocation of funding” and “awarding of government contract or grant”. Earlier this year, the scheme was given $483 million in funding from the federal government.

Wanless Waste Management

Wanless Waste Management’s recycling park proposed for Ipswich faced further scrutiny after being called in by Planning Minister Steven Miles within six months of becoming a client of Anacta’s.

Watpac Construction (Qld) Pty Ltd

Major construction firm with 45 interactions between Anacta and the State Government listed on the lobbyists log, including with the Premier’s office. Was awarded the contract to build a new $91 million mental health facility in Ipswich last April and has been an Anacta client since mid-2020.