ICAC School Infrastucture: Texts from consultant to chief executive mate revealed

The former boss of NSW’s public school infrastructure unit has accepted he “should have declared” his friendship with a consultant who asked for “some good work” and later received it.

The former boss of NSW’s public school infrastructure unit has accepted he “should have declared” his friendship with a consultant who invited the chief executive to his birthday barbecue and asked for “some good work”.

Ex-School Infrastructure NSW CEO Anthony Manning is under scrutiny from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over his awarding of contracts to friends and ex-colleagues, and gave his fifth day of evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday.

Emails and text messages tendered to the inquiry showed Ioan Morgan, an employee of consultancy firm Johnstaff, sent Mr Manning – among others – an invitation to his “birthday barbie” in September 2017, shortly after Mr Manning had assumed leadership of the new organisation and just three days after requesting a “formal introduction”.

Counsel assisting the ICAC Jamie Darams suggested the email was “awfully formalistic, given you knew who Johnstaff were and who Mr Morgan was”, and asked whether Mr Manning would “accept you should have declared (the friendship)”, to which Mr Manning agreed.

The inquiry has previously heard Mr Morgan had long been friends with Mr Manning, and would later describe the current Labor government as “bloody lefties” in a text exchange.

Former School Infrastructure NSW chief executive Anthony Manning is under the ICAC's scrutiny. Picture: Independent Commission Against Corruption

Outside of work Mr Morgan was responsible for checking in on Mr Manning’s vacant home while he was overseas, including in August 2017.

“Remarkably your gaff is still in one piece!! Safe travels and see you when you get back! Need to get those DOE chappies to give me some good work,” Mr Morgan texted Mr Manning on August 14.

Text message from Ioan Morgan to Anthony Manning, tendered to the ICAC inquiry. Picture: Independent Commission Against Corruption

In January 2018, Johnstaff would receive a request for quotes (RFQ) “via single source process” for an acting executive director of commercial services, at an estimated cost of $135,000 with Mr Manning’s authorisation.

“Can we assume that the DOE chappies did give him some good work? It looks like it, doesn’t it,” Mr Darams said.

“I don’t know,” Mr Manning replied.

The inquiry was also shown an email in which Mr Manning requested another staff member assess Johnstaff’s RFQ.

Counsel assisting the ICAC Jamie Darams SC questions Anthony Manning on his fifth day of evidence, on June 18 2025. Picture: Independent Commission Against Corruption

“Rob – can you look after the assessment of the proposal, as I have a conflict,” he wrote.

ICAC Commissioner Paul Lakatos questioned Mr Manning as to why the conflict only arose after Johnstaff and Mr Morgan had already been approached to submit a proposal.

“I thought I was removing myself from the decision as to whether we were going to proceed with it or not,” he said.

The inquiry continues on Thursday.

Originally published as ICAC School Infrastucture: Texts from consultant to chief executive mate revealed