Audit office says it has seen evidence car park scandal could go further

The audit office has raised the alarm the scandal which engulfed a commuter car park scheme could potentially include an infrastructure fund worth billions.

A major infrastructure fund at the centre of the so-called carpark rorts scandal could have been used to funnel election spending prior to the last federal poll, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) issued a scathing review of the commuter carpark fund, which found the allocation of projects under the scheme was “not demonstrably merit-based”.

But the ANAO now says the $4billion Urban Congestion Fund - of which the carpark program was funded from - could have also been the source of similar “canvassing”.

Addressing a senate inquiry, executive director Brian Boyd said from evidence he had seen, canvassing of MPs wasn’t just for the carpark fund, but of the UCF more broadly.

“So people weren't just asked to bring forward their car park projects, they were asked to bring forward the UCF projects, which included car park projects,” he said.

It’s alleged Alan Tudge’s staff put together a to-do list in early 2018. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“We can see that it was the same process being employed.

“But the work we haven't done is actually look at the detail of that as how it was applied to the non carpark projects.”

The ANAO has not audited the UCF more broadly, so officials cautioned it was “hard to answer” further questions on the matter.

Last month, a senate estimates was told that then-infrastructure minister Alan Tudge asked his staff to organise meetings with key marginal seats about their infrastructure priorities.

The document eventually grew to include 29 electorates and was completed in April 2019 – just one month before the federal election.

An ANAO review found 47 projects selected for funding were put forward by the Department of Infrastructure. More than three-quarters of the sites chosen for funding were in Coalition-held seats.

So far only four of the projects proposed have been completed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Twenty-seven of those projects were approved the day before Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election.

Mr Tudge, now the education minister, has denied knowledge of the sheet. Mr Morrison has also previously refused to answer questions on its existence.

On Thursday afternoon, officials from the Infrastructure Department revealed it sought legal advice after the ANAO requested access to Mr Tudges records.

“The (ANAO) request was to access the minister's records. And the request to me was to not advise the Minister of such a request,” deputy secretary David Hallinan said.

“I was uncertain, as other officials in the department were, as to whether or not that was an appropriate act for officials in the department to undertake.”

Senators on Thursday also heard that $890 millon of the $4 billion fund was yet to be allocated.

The tracking sheet ended up with 29 marginal seats to target ahead of the election. Pic Mark Cranitch.

The Centre for Public Integrity and former NSW auditor-general Tony Harris both raised concerns the government could run a similar campaign with the funding at the next election.

Earlier, key stakeholders savaged the carpark scheme, telling the parliamentary inquiry it would only make congestion in major cities worse.

“It seems to me that the carpark proposals in those inner and middle suburban stations are simply going to increase congestion in those areas,” University of Melbourne transport expert John Stone said.

National Growth Areas Alliance chief executive Bronwen Clark also expressed her disappointment the fund had no focus on growth areas.

“In new suburbs in the outer growth areas, you know, you can wait years for the buses to arrive,” Ms Clark said.

“So if people move into a new area, and there’s no bus service or there isn’t sufficient carparking at the train station, it won’t take long until that family decides to buy the second car and just embed that driving based transport system in their lifestyle.

Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman said the industry group’s expertise was largely ignored by the government.

Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman took aim at the government’s “poor” administration of the program.

“Unfortunately, while the concept of the commuter carparks is incredibly sound, which will reduce congestion and emissions by encouraging people to take public transport, the administration of the program has been poor at best,” Mr Norman said.

“At the time, when the government is promoting choice and technology, the commuter carpark program is providing neither.”

He noted the body felt their expertise had been fobbed off by then-infrastructure minister Alan Tudge, who Mr Norman says made no effort to consult him prior to the fund’s announcement.

“We read first about these carparks in the press … following that I approached minister Tudge’s office for a meeting,” Mr Norman said.

Despite two other meetings, including one with now minister Paul Fletcher, and a speech by Mr Tudge to Parking Australia members, Mr Norman said: “We‘ve been completely ignored by the former minister and the current minister.”