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ABC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Auditor-general finds there 'could have been fraud' at government-owned entity DevelopmentWA
An audit into DevelopmentWA, sparked in part by the conviction of a former public servant who stole millions of taxpayer dollars, has found significant vulnerabilities to fraud at the government-owned entity. DevelopmentWA is one of Western Australia's biggest land and property developers, but unlike commercial developers, it is owned by the state government — meaning any profits or losses belong to taxpayers. Auditor-general Caroline Spencer said the intention of the audit, which looked at transactions between 2017 and 2022, was to determine whether there were irregularities in public land sale information that could indicate fraud, corruption or misconduct. "We have the dubious honour here in WA of the largest known public sector fraud with Paul Whyte," she told ABC Radio Perth's Drive program. "He was the head of the housing authority within the Department of Communities, and so we saw through the Corruption and Crime Commission's hearings that land was identified as a way that you could settle gambling debts if someone was given the heads up — you know, 'buy this land because the government will be buying it in the future'. "And so we saw there a case where a seller got $260,000 profit just by, if you like, buying it in advance of a government purchase. "We wanted to see if there was any unreasonable growth in value, or properties selling too low, over a five-year period [at DevelopmentWA]. Ms Spencer said her office was able to identify a number of serious issues that meant DevelopmentWA was unable to demonstrate value for money had been achieved in all of the public land sales. "We found that one property sold for more than 50 per cent lower than its most recent valuation, with no formal rationale documented on the files, so the most recent valuation was $800,000 and then it was sold for $385,000," she said. "We found 50 per cent of 1,100 properties under a regional stimulus program, during the audit period, didn't demonstrate compliance with approved pricing methods. "We've got a case study of a piece of land that's four times larger than the lot next door drop to the same price with no justification why." Much of the detail in the report highlights issues with appropriate documentation and the following of proper processes, which Ms Spencer said led her to the conclusion that fraud could have been taking place. "If you look at it like Swiss cheese, that you get too many holes and gaps in process and people not doing their job reviewing what's being done by the staff around them and you line up those holes, then you can get things getting through," she said. "So absolutely there could have been fraud within this period." Ms Spencer stressed the importance of DevelopmentWA, and those who work for it, understanding why following appropriate processes was so important. "What you have to understand in this environment is there are commercial interests here … third parties that DevelopmentWA interacts with, they are going to want to sell property for the highest value or buy property from government for the lowest value," she said. "And so every decision that is made by this agency to sell property needs to be properly documented, it needs to be on an approved basis." Another area of concern for the auditor-general was the lax way in which conflicts of interest, gifts and benefits had been handled at the government agency. "Being aware that people are going to seek to influence you and maintaining impartiality so you can have fair dealing with all developers, with all residential or industrial buyers of state-owned land is really important," she said. "We had 891 invitations where the information was incomplete to understand what was the benefit to DevelopmentWA, what was the actual management of that potential conflict of interest by the entity for those staff members." In both her audit and in talking on ABC Radio Perth, Ms Spencer highlighted that a change in leadership at the board level had led to a better culture within DevelopmentWA in recent times, but stressed those changes needed to continue. A number of recommendations were made in the audit, and DevelopmentWA responded by saying while it "believes it has solid foundations of well-defined policies and procedures, it acknowledges best-practice requires constant evolution and improvement". "DevelopmentWA's Board and Executive will build on these audit findings and continue to strive for the highest standards in governance and decision-making robustness," it finished. Ms Spencer tabled the Fraud Risks in Land Transactions by Development WA report in parliament on Wednesday and said her office would continue to have oversight. "This is the biggest audit that my office has done on this organisation. It doesn't normally get this level of scrutiny," she said. "But … we're going to continue to monitor the governance and the transactions and the transfers of state land to ensure that the public interest is served."
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Five things to do in Carlow to make the most of the sunshine this weekend
According to recent forecasts, it seems that the glorious sunshine and hot weather is here to stay for at least another few days. With temperatures expected to reach up to 20 degrees this weekend in Carlow, you may want to start making plans to make the most of the sunshine….while we still have it. With that it mind, here are five outdoor things to do in Carlow to make the most of this gorgeous weather. Altamont Gardens With summer finally here and the sun making an appearance or two, Altamont Gardens is the perfect place for you and your family to get outdoors this weekend. Located near Tullow in Co Carlow, Altamont is known as one of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland. Take your family on a riverside walk or visit the walled garden or an old arboretum. There is also a café onsite in the form of quaint tea garden. Altamont Gardens, cultivated since the 1750s and gifted to the nation by Corona North are in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and looked after by Head Gardener, Paul Whyte and the OPW team at Altamont. Often referred to as 'the jewel in Ireland's gardening crown', both the gardens and the old house it surrounds are steeped in Irish history. It is thought that Altamont was originally the site of a convent, but that hasn't been proved yet. However, the house that exists today was built on the remains of an older dwelling dating back to at least the 16th century. ADVERTISEMENT The gardens were originally created by the St. George and Doyne families in the mid-1700s. During this time the house was also transformed by the two families. In the 1850s, the house and gardens came under the new ownership of the Borrors family who added a library wing to the house and in 1871 they built a butler's pantry. The famous lake situated in Altamont Gardens was dug out by hand in order to offer employment to the local population after the Irish Famine. Huntington Castle and Gardens Huntington Castle and Gardens in the historical village of Clonegal in Co Carlow is open daily to the public from 11am until 5pm. The castle has been in the Robertson family home since 1625. Visitors can choose to take a tour of the castle or explore the stunning gardens, or of course do both. Tickets are available for castle tours daily at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm, while tickets for the gardens, which are open daily from 11am to 5pm, are also available to purchase on-site. You can also enjoy a coffee and treat from local artisanal bakers in the seventeenth century tea room. Ducketts Grove If you are looking to get outside and enjoy some fresh air while also exploring the history, ruins and gardens of an old Carlow estate, then the nineteenth century Ducketts Grove House and Estate is perfect. The supposedly haunted Ducketts Grove has been a part of the Carlow landscape for over 300 years since it was abandoned by its former owners, the Duckett family. The ruins and walled gardens are open and free to visit and with its surviving towers and turrets, Ducketts Grove is one of the most photogenic historic buildings in Ireland. There is also a café onsite if you get hungry or want some refreshments during your visit. Delta Sensory Gardens Located in Carlow Town, the Delta Sensory Gardens, described by many as an 'oasis of peace and tranquillity' are award winning gardens set on 2.5 acres. The Delta Sensory Gardens are a series of interconnected gardens designed to appeal to your senses. From beautiful limestone sculptures, a game of snakes a ladders, water features and much more, the Delta Sensory Gardens are the perfect way to spend a sunny day. Café Thyme is also onsite if you need to refuel with some tasty treats. The Nine Stones Viewing Point If you want to spend your weekend out in nature and enjoying the beautiful countryside Carlow has to offer, The Nine Stones Viewing Point is definitely worth a visit. Located at the top of Mount Leinster, The Nine Stones Viewing Point is one of Carlow's hidden gems and offers one of the most scenic views in the county. On a clear day, eight counties (Carlow, Laois, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary) can be seen from this spot.
