Senior planner Katie Joyner hires top silk after ICAC clears over claims she used insider information to purchase $3.8m home

A senior bureaucrat who was cleared by the anti-corruption watchdog following claims she may have used insider information, says she is considering legal action.

The senior public servant who was cleared by the anti-corruption watchdog following claims she used insider information to purchase a $3.8m home in a Sydney suburb earmarked for high density developments has broken her silence.

Katie Joyner - who was stood down as the director at the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure following the claims - confirmed she will be seeking further legal advice following the “unfair allegations”.

The assertions were made by Liberal MP Alister Henskens under parliamentary privilege, which alleged Ms Joyner and her husband began talking to neighbours about forming a property syndicate to sell their homes to property developers, after purchasing a $3.8m home in Sydney’s upper North Shore suburb of Gordon.

The home was bought in August 2023, four months prior to the government’s announcement that Gordon would be flagged as suburb for increased height and density rezonings under the government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) scheme.

Mr Henskens previously made the allegations in February without naming Ms Joyner, however doubled down on the claims, and identified her during a speech made in parliament on Thursday.

Following a statement released by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which said it was “satisfied” there was “no evidence” that Ms Joyner or any other person engaged in corrupt conduct, the senior bureaucrat confirmed she would be seeking legal advice.

The allegations were made by Alister Henskens under parliamentary privilege. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Simon Bullard.

She said she was “pleased” with the ICAC’s determination” and maintained she has “always acted in accordance with my obligations as an employee of the Department”.

It’s understood she has engaged counsel from high-profile barrister Arthur Moses SC and defamation lawyer Nick Olson, who were acting on her behalf while the ICAC was conducting its investigations.

Mr Moses, is the partner of former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, and most recently unsuccessfully represented Ben Roberts-Smith in a defamation case against Nine Entertainment.

“I value the work that I do as a public servant and would never compromise the duties that I owe as a public servant,” she said.

“I said from day one that I have acted with the utmost propriety, and I am glad that the truth has prevailed in relation to these unfair allegations which should have not been made.”

She also questioned why the allegations were aired in parliament, and not directly referred to the corruption watchdog.

“My partner and I have been severely affected by these unfair allegations, which were raised under parliamentary privilege,” she said.

“I do not understand why these allegations were not referred to ICAC in the first place so that the matter could be properly investigated rather than allegations being made public

“Now that the ICAC investigation has concluded and I have been cleared of any wrongdoing, I will seek legal advice as to what legal avenues are available to me.”

Katie Joyner, the Department of Planning Director for the City of Sydney and Eastern District. Photo: Supplied

In a statement released by the ICAC on Monday, it said further investigation in Ms Joyner would be closed.

“During the course of its investigation, the Commission obtained and reviewed relevant records using its powers pursuant to section 21 and section 22 of the ICAC Act, conducted a number of interviews, including with Ms Joyner, and conducted forensic reviews of electronic devices,” the statement read.

“The Commission also undertook a review of the timeline of the TOD process, and when Ms Joyner became aware of the relevant TOD affecting the area in which she purchased property.”

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said Opposition Leader Mark Speakman should ask Mr Henskens to apologise.

“This is an extremely embarrassing situation for the shadow attorney-general,” he said.

“His assessment and judgment of what he identified as a ‘highly circumstantial case’ has proved to be nothing more than a baseless political attack.”