CFA director stood down over bizarre $150k sponsorship deal with Rugby Victoria

A senior Country Fire Authority director has been stood down amid an investigation into a bizarre deal to give $150,000 of taxpayers’ money to Rugby Victoria.

A senior Country Fire Authority director has been stood down amid an investigation into a bizarre deal to give $150,000 of taxpayers’ money to Rugby Victoria.

EXCLUSIVE: A senior Country Fire Authority director has been stood down amid an investigation into a bizarre deal to give $150,000 of taxpayers’ money to Rugby Victoria.

The Herald Sun exposed the unusual arrangement three months ago after the CFA decided to give rugby’s state governing body $50,000 a year for three years to “promote diversity and inclusion”.

It is understood CFA people and culture executive director Liz Radcliffe — who is also a Rugby Victoria director — had been instrumental in arranging the taxpayer-funded sponsorship.

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CFA people and culture executive director Liz Radcliffe (left) with CFA deputy chief officer Steph Rotarangi in rugby gear.

The Herald Sun can reveal Ms Radcliffe was stood down from her senior position this month as the CFA investigated how and why the partnership was set up.

The CFA refused to answer questions about why Ms Radcliffe was stood down, whether there had been an internal probe and what it had uncovered.

A spokeswoman said: “As an independent review is underway into an internal CFA matter it would be inappropriate to comment.”

A fire services source said the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office had taken an interest in the matter, but a VAGO spokeswoman said the office “can’t and won’t comment on our audit work outside of tabling and presentation of our reports”.

Ms Radcliffe joined the CFA last year and became people and culture executive director in December, a month after she joined the Rugby Victoria board.

She has played rugby representing Victoria and described herself as a “passionate follower of the game”.

The Herald Sun had also revealed that the CFA failed to lock in a written agreement with Rugby Victoria prior to the deal being announced in July — without any mention of the money involved.

Insiders say they believe multiple elements of the arrangement may be in breach of the state government’s sponsorships policy.

The Herald Sun’s revelations about the deal also sparked a probe into leaks from within the CFA.

CFA chief Paul Smith had spruiked the rugby partnership as a way to help deliver fire safety messages to “people from a wider range of backgrounds”.

“CFA and Rugby Victoria have a strong alignment of values and both organisations are committed to embracing and encouraging diversity and inclusion,” Mr Smith said earlier this year.

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