Call for Minns to resolve perceived Great Koala National Park conflict of interest
The NSW Nationals have called on Premier Chris Minns to gatecrash a conflict of interest controversy engulfing the Great Koala National Park on the state’s north coast.
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The NSW Nationals have called on Premier Chris Minns to gatecrash a conflict of interest
controversy engulfing the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) on the state’s north coast.
Nationals leader Dugald Saunders has written to the Premier detailing concerns over the GKNP consultation process and the lack of government action on an issue that has unions and the timber industry seething.
At the centre of the furore is the appointment of a consultancy firm, Mandala Partners, to assess what impact the proposed GKNP will have on a timber sector supporting 5000 jobs in the region.
Industry bosses, the Australian Workers Union and the CFMEU are furious after recently learning Mandala Partners were also working in an advisory capacity for an anti-logging organisation.
In a letter co-signed by his deputy leader Gurmesh Singh and Nationals MPs Richie Williamson and Michael Kemp, Mr Saunders says the Premier needs to honour a longstanding commitment to managing conflicts of interest.
“Claims the National Parks and Wildlife Service engaged Mandala Partners to assess the impact the GKNP will have on timber jobs in NSW, while it was also contracted by the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation (ACBF) are extremely serious,” the letter reads.
“This firm working for both the Department and an organisation with a clear opposing agenda, not only raises questions about the impartiality and integrity of the assessment process, but it has also caused a lot of angst for the timber industry and the more than 5000 families it supports on the North Coast.
“It has been more than two weeks since the Unions contacted Environment Minister Penny Sharpe about this issue, and it has so far received no direct response.
“We are asking for your direct intervention to pause the process and to thoroughly investigate these claims or explain with absolute certainty how this conflict will be managed.
“The only thing we have heard from Penny Sharpe’s office on this issue is her quotes in the media that ‘the NSW government expects all potential conflicts of interest to be managed appropriately’.”
The letter also references a media conference from June last year when Mr Minns discussed conflicts of interest while being quizzed about the ICAC findings against former Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Mr Minns said at the time: “It’s important for all politicians in NSW and anyone in public life or positions of leadership to understand that we must manage conflicts of interest and in particular declare them.
“That has been a fundamental principle since the foundation of the NSW Parliament. It remains the case today and my Government takes that warning incredibly seriously.”
In their letter, the Nationals say: “Given these comments and your dual commitment in the lead up to the 2023 State election to deliver the GKNP while also protecting the jobs of timber workers, we are asking you to honour that commitment now and immediately intervene to ensure a fair and proper process is undertaken.”
James Jooste, CEO of the NSW branch of the Australian Forest Products Association, said industry agreed a year ago to participate in the stakeholder process.
“(But) we were never advised about the work the consultants dealing with us were doing with the ACBF,” he said.
“Had we known that, we would never have shared sensitive information or engaged with them. We would have requested the appointment of another consultant.”
Mandala managing partner Amit Singh maintains strict protocols to avoid a conflict of interest were taken.
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Originally published as Call for Minns to resolve perceived Great Koala National Park conflict of interest
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