ICAC turmoil: Louise Waterhouse pops up again during grilling

Sydney’s Waterhouse racing dynasty has again been dragged into the corruption scandal enveloping the NSW government.

Louise Raedler Waterhouse seen leaving court during the ICAC investigation of former Wagga MP Daryl Maguire last week. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Sydney’s Waterhouse racing dynasty has again been dragged into the corruption scandal enveloping the NSW government.

At the NSW corruption watchdog’s inquiry on Thursday, disgraced former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire confirmed that Premier Gladys Berejiklian was aware his Badgerys Creek land deal was in partnership with developer and heiress Louise Waterhouse.

In phone calls intercepted by ICAC investigators, Mr Maguire told his then lover, Ms Berejiklian, that he would be able to pay off a $1.5m debt when Ms Waterhouse sold a parcel of land around the western Sydney airport zone.

“Can you believe it, in one sale,” Mr Maguire says, referring to Badgerys Creek. “I can believe it,” Ms Berejiklian replies.

Mr Maguire was told he would be “looked after” by business ­associate William Luong if Ms Waterhouse managed to sell the land she owned around the western Sydney airport zone.

Mr Maguire believed the sale could net almost $330m.

Ms Waterhouse, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, featured prominently in the questioning levelled at Ms Berejiklian at the inquiry on Monday, which heard Mr Maguire became a personal lobbyist for Ms Waterhouse, the daughter of bookie Bill Waterhouse, while she was overseeing the sale of a family property of 233ha, known as SmartWest Sydney, near the site of the planned aerotropolis at Badgerys Creek.

Mr Maguire is alleged to have set up multiple meetings with his parliamentary colleagues, including one in the foyer of Ms Berejiklian’s office.

It is claimed Mr Maguire was pushing ministers and departments to change zoning and road access to SmartWest, and that he was allegedly promised a payout of up to $1.5m if the proposed $330m sale to a large Chinese firm went through … all this despite his portfolios — secretary for the centenary of Anzac, counter-terrorism, corrections and veterans — having nothing to do with the airport.

Ms Waterhouse, the honorary consul-general to Tonga, “absolutely denied” offering Mr Maguire money when she took the stand last week, but said he had given her more help than any of the many parliamentarians she had approached about her property.

In November 2017, after multiple unsuccessful approaches to government departments regarding an intersection, Mr Maguire told Ms Waterhouse to go to the top directly and “rub the ego” of Ms Berejiklian, the inquiry heard.

“Tell her you’re really frustrated getting nowhere with it,” he is heard saying in an intercepted phone call. “She’ll give it a tickle from up top.”

Last week, ICAC heard evidence that Mr Maguire gave Ms Berejiklian’s email as contact to help a landowner lobby for rezoning changes to potentially increase the property’s value.

“Did you give any of those emails a tickle from the top,” Ms Berejiklian was asked on Monday.

“Absolutely not,” she replied.

The sale of SmartWest did not eventuate.