Barrier Reef Foundation director missed two-thirds of meetings

The controversial Great Barrier Reef Foundation has allowed one of its 13 directors to miss two-thirds of board meetings over more than four years.

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The controversial Great Barrier Reef Foundation has allowed one of its 13 directors to miss two-thirds of board meetings over more than four years.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal former Suncorp CEO Michael Cameron was a no-show for 20 of the foundation’s 30 board meetings between 2015 and July last year.

Former Suncorp chief executive Michael Cameron. Picture: Dean Lweins/AAP

Mr Cameron, who led Suncorp until mid last year, participated in just one of the foundation’s five board meetings in the first half of 2019 and three of eight in 2018, public records show.

He made two of four in each of 2017 and 2015. In 2016 he missed every meeting.

The foundation received $444 million from the then Turnbull government in 2018, when it had just six employees. It got the money without a tender process or making an application.

Public records show staff numbers were down in the first half of 2019 to 23 from 29 in 2018. The rate of donations to the foundation also fell.

Even in Mr Cameron’s absence, the board has little difficulty achieving a quorum because there are another dozen members.

The foundation is a not-for-profit public company. The Australian Institute of Company Directors says not-for-profits should typically have six to 11 board members. The Commonwealth Bank has nine directors.

The foundation’s board is led by CBA’s former chairman John Schubert and includes Grant King, who ran Origin Energy until 2016, Boeing ANZ president Maureen Dougherty and Qantas Frequent Flyer boss Olivia Wirth. The positions are unpaid.

The Great Barrier Reef.

Asked about his attendance record, Mr Cameron told The Telegraph: “Unfortunately my commitments as a CEO of an ASX company took priority, particularly given unexpected demands such as the banking royal commission.”

The royal commission was established in December 2017.

“I raised this time conflict with the GBRF Board and was encouraged to remain on as a director whilst I reduced my commitments,” Mr Cameron said.

“Since leaving my executive position last May, my attendance at meetings is now 100 per cent.”

The foundation recently switched from calendar-year reporting to financial year. That is why its most recent public records only cover the first six months of 2019.

Foundation managing director Anna Marsden said staff numbers and donations had been affected by “uncertainty” over its “future post the 2019 federal election”.