Sacked School Infrastructure NSW boss to face ICAC over claims contracts ‘improperly’ awarded

Bureaucrats from School Infrastructure NSW, including its recently sacked boss, will face a public grilling before ICAC over allegations they awarded multimillion-dollar contracts to their friends.

School Infrastructure NSW is responsible for building and maintaining public schools such as Oran Park PS, pictured here.

The sacked former CEO who presided over an “overspending” school infrastructure department will face a public grilling before ICAC over allegations staff awarded multimillion-dollar contracts to their mates.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption has announced it will undertake a six-week public inquiry into School Infrastructure NSW – the arm of the Department of Education responsible for building and maintaining public schools – and its former boss Anthony Manning, starting next month.

Education Minister Prue Car confirmed the Department of Education “made a number of referrals to the ICAC” amid the gutting and overhaul of SINSW last year, but said she could not comment further on the nature of those referrals.

Under Operation Landan, ICAC said it has been investigating claims Mr Manning and his staff were intentionally subverting recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates, improperly awarding contracts, and misallocating funds from school projects to favour particular businesses and to fund consultancy positions over a seven-year period.

The former head of SINSW and his HR adviser Wendy O’Brien have also been accused of having “dishonestly exercised their official function by taking reprisal action” against whistleblowers within the department, according to the ICAC.

ICAC said it has been investigating claims former Chief Executive of School Infrastructure NSW Mr Manning (above) and his staff were intentionally subverting recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates.

No charges have been laid over any of the allegations.

Do you know more? Email [e-mail]

Commissioner Paul Lakatos SC will preside over the public inquiry, which will begin on Monday May 5.

Since being established in 2017 School Infrastructure NSW has operated semi-independently from the rest of the Department of Education.

Education Minister Prue Car said that model had led to “duplication and overspending on consultants and contractors”, and blamed the former government for “gross mismanagement” of the organisation.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos, March 26, 2025. Education minister Prue Car speaking during NSW Parliament Question Time. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

“On coming to office we were confronted by a schools building arm that operated separately to the Department,” she said.

“Concerns were also raised around governance, which we addressed on the advice of the Department.

“The role of CEO was scrapped with those responsibilities handed to a Deputy Secretary and crucial functions such as procurement, HR and legal integrated back into the Department for better oversight and removal of duplication.”

John Hatzistergos, ICAC Chief Commissioner, pictured at the ICAC offices on Elizabeth Street in Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said it is fully co-operating with the investigation.

“We are fully co-operating with ICAC and will continue to do so throughout the inquiry,” he said.

“We expect all education staff to act with the highest level of integrity in their work as reflected by our Code of Conduct.”

Mr Manning was unceremoniously dumped from School Infrastructure NSW in February 2024, his sacking publicly revealed at Budget estimates under questioning from former education minister Sarah Mitchell.

At the time, Education Department Secretary Murat Dizdar said he had “made a number of leadership changes” and Mr Manning’s vacation of the position came about “through mutual agreement and discussion”.

Ms O’Brien would subsequently follow him out the door in March 2024.