Latest news with #SchoolInfrastructureNSW
The Age
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Plans for school in booming suburb ditched, despite $20 million already spent
The state government has ditched plans to build a second public school in a booming western Sydney suburb, despite already having spent $20 million on the project. The former Coalition government announced plans to build a second public school in Westmead in 2018. But visions for the school regularly shifted at the hands of School Infrastructure NSW, and was referred to as a 'problem site' at a recent Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry. After questions from the Herald about an additional $953,000 for 'Westmead school projects' in this year's budget, the state government this week confirmed it had abandoned trying to find a location for the school. Instead, it will spend that money upgrading and expanding existing primary schools at Westmead and nearby Rydalmere, Rydalmere East and Ermington West. The government is also investigating sites for new high schools in Westmead and Rydalmere, said Acting Education Minister Courtney Houssos. 'The Minns Labor government is drawing a line under two grossly flawed proposals put forward by the former Liberal-National government that they announced without adequate planning or due diligence, with potentially disastrous results,' she said in a statement, describing the plans as 'nothing more than a media announcement' with 'no plan to ever deliver'. Loading 'We know that there will be future population growth in these areas, and we are committed to building new schools to meet the long-term needs of local families with site selection work well under way.' Numbers from this year's budget show an estimated $20,485,000 has been spent on the project since its inception, a figure which includes some land acquisition.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Plans for school in booming suburb ditched, despite $20 million already spent
The state government has ditched plans to build a second public school in a booming western Sydney suburb, despite already having spent $20 million on the project. The former Coalition government announced plans to build a second public school in Westmead in 2018. But visions for the school regularly shifted at the hands of School Infrastructure NSW, and was referred to as a 'problem site' at a recent Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry. After questions from the Herald about an additional $953,000 for 'Westmead school projects' in this year's budget, the state government this week confirmed it had abandoned trying to find a location for the school. Instead, it will spend that money upgrading and expanding existing primary schools at Westmead and nearby Rydalmere, Rydalmere East and Ermington West. The government is also investigating sites for new high schools in Westmead and Rydalmere, said Acting Education Minister Courtney Houssos. 'The Minns Labor government is drawing a line under two grossly flawed proposals put forward by the former Liberal-National government that they announced without adequate planning or due diligence, with potentially disastrous results,' she said in a statement, describing the plans as 'nothing more than a media announcement' with 'no plan to ever deliver'. Loading 'We know that there will be future population growth in these areas, and we are committed to building new schools to meet the long-term needs of local families with site selection work well under way.' Numbers from this year's budget show an estimated $20,485,000 has been spent on the project since its inception, a figure which includes some land acquisition.
The Age
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Manning ICAC inquiry LIVE updates: Former head of School Infrastructure NSW to appear
Go to latest Welcome to our coverage of the inquiry Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption's public hearing in the investigation of School Infrastructure NSW. After nearly six weeks, the key subject of the inquiry, Anthony Manning, is due to give evidence from 11.50am. Manning was the first chief executive of School Infrastructure NSW, a government agency within the Department of Education set up in 2017 under the previous government to manage what was forecast to be a $2.6 billion investment in school building over the following four years. He left the role in February last year. There are two main allegations, which were outlined on day one. The first is whether Manning and others used their official functions to subvert 'appropriate recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates', improperly award contracts worth millions of dollars and misallocated funds from school projects. The second allegation is whether Manning, School Infrastructure human resource strategic adviser Wendy O'Brien and others engaged in reprisal actions against staff who made complaints. This will be the first chance to hear from Manning. His previous barrister, Tim Hale SC, had raised concerns earlier in the hearing that the arguments against Manning were 'relatively unspecific'. 'There is extreme doubt certainly from my client's point of view what actually is being alleged to be the corrupt conduct,' he said. 10.43am Who else is involved? Over the past five weeks, the ICAC has heard from dozens of witnesses from both inside the schools building unit and outside. Among the first was Rob Stokes, who was education minister when the agency was established, followed by past and present department secretaries, consultants and data analysts and more. On day one, counsel assisting Jamie Darams SC outlined a tangled web of connections. One group of Manning's associates is known to the ICAC as Manning's 'Cycling Group' and 'Beer and Curry Group'. Both of these featured Stuart Suthern-Brunt, a contractor engaged at $2800 a day whose companies received more than $1.7 million in work from School Infrastructure. The inquiry has heard Manning and Suthern-Brunt have known each other since 2007. The inquiry was shown detailed text messages and emails outlining the pair's numerous social arrangements from about 2017 to 2019, including morning cycling sessions, yoga, breakfasts, dinners, a beer and curry night and a buck's party. Suthern-Brunt invited Manning to his daughter's 21st birthday party and the pair discussed jewellery as a gift. The inquiry has heard of another of Manning's groups', known as the Tom, Dick and Harry Breakfast Club, which took its name from the classic World War II film The Great Escape. Martin Berry, the director of Heathwest Advisory, has had three appearances as a witness at the ICAC's public hearings. On Tuesday, Berry told the inquiry he was brought in to the school building unit in July 2019 to work on 'three property transactions' for public schools planned at Chatswood, Wentworth Point and Westmead. Berry, the sole director of Heathwest Advisory, was engaged as a contractor with the building arm on a rate of $2650 a day. Berry attended at a buck's night and housewarming party with Manning in the months before starting as a top-paid consultant at the agency. Also under examination are Manning's connections with PwC and Paxon Group. School Infrastructure NSW paid about $4.45 million to Paxon between May 2018 and November 2022. More than $1.8 million was paid to PwC in 2017 and 2018. The other example Darams highlighted in the opening was Manning's connection with strategic communications adviser Kathy Jones and her associated companies. 'The total amount paid to companies associated with Ms Jones from 31 January 2018 to 27 April 2024 was almost $9 million, most of which was paid before the end of 2022.' One witness told the inquiry that Manning had called her his 'communications fairy godmother'. 10.25am What are the allegations? The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has been holding a public inquiry into allegations concerning Anthony Manning, who was the chief executive of School Infrastructure NSW from 2017 to 2024, and other staff and contractors. There are two key allegations. The first is whether Manning and others used their official functions between 2017 and 2024, by: intentionally subverting appropriate recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates; improperly awarding contracts to friends and business associates; and misallocating funds from school projects to favour particular businesses and to fund consultancy positions for friends and business associates. The second allegation is whether Manning, School Infrastructure human resource strategic adviser Wendy O'Brien and others engaged in reprisal actions against staff who complained or made public interest disclosures. In his opening statement, counsel assisting Jamie Darams SC said if the commission found this conduct had happened, 'it would constitute corrupt conduct within the meaning of section 8 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (NSW), and it may constitute serious corrupt conduct'.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Manning ICAC inquiry LIVE updates: Former head of School Infrastructure NSW to appear
Go to latest Welcome to our coverage of the inquiry Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption's public hearing in the investigation of School Infrastructure NSW. After nearly six weeks, the key subject of the inquiry, Anthony Manning, is due to give evidence from 11.50am. Manning was the first chief executive of School Infrastructure NSW, a government agency within the Department of Education set up in 2017 under the previous government to manage what was forecast to be a $2.6 billion investment in school building over the following four years. He left the role in February last year. There are two main allegations, which were outlined on day one. The first is whether Manning and others used their official functions to subvert 'appropriate recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates', improperly award contracts worth millions of dollars and misallocated funds from school projects. The second allegation is whether Manning, School Infrastructure human resource strategic adviser Wendy O'Brien and others engaged in reprisal actions against staff who made complaints. This will be the first chance to hear from Manning. His previous barrister, Tim Hale SC, had raised concerns earlier in the hearing that the arguments against Manning were 'relatively unspecific'. 'There is extreme doubt certainly from my client's point of view what actually is being alleged to be the corrupt conduct,' he said. 10.43am Who else is involved? Over the past five weeks, the ICAC has heard from dozens of witnesses from both inside the schools building unit and outside. Among the first was Rob Stokes, who was education minister when the agency was established, followed by past and present department secretaries, consultants and data analysts and more. On day one, counsel assisting Jamie Darams SC outlined a tangled web of connections. One group of Manning's associates is known to the ICAC as Manning's 'Cycling Group' and 'Beer and Curry Group'. Both of these featured Stuart Suthern-Brunt, a contractor engaged at $2800 a day whose companies received more than $1.7 million in work from School Infrastructure. The inquiry has heard Manning and Suthern-Brunt have known each other since 2007. The inquiry was shown detailed text messages and emails outlining the pair's numerous social arrangements from about 2017 to 2019, including morning cycling sessions, yoga, breakfasts, dinners, a beer and curry night and a buck's party. Suthern-Brunt invited Manning to his daughter's 21st birthday party and the pair discussed jewellery as a gift. The inquiry has heard of another of Manning's groups', known as the Tom, Dick and Harry Breakfast Club, which took its name from the classic World War II film The Great Escape. Martin Berry, the director of Heathwest Advisory, has had three appearances as a witness at the ICAC's public hearings. On Tuesday, Berry told the inquiry he was brought in to the school building unit in July 2019 to work on 'three property transactions' for public schools planned at Chatswood, Wentworth Point and Westmead. Berry, the sole director of Heathwest Advisory, was engaged as a contractor with the building arm on a rate of $2650 a day. Berry attended at a buck's night and housewarming party with Manning in the months before starting as a top-paid consultant at the agency. Also under examination are Manning's connections with PwC and Paxon Group. School Infrastructure NSW paid about $4.45 million to Paxon between May 2018 and November 2022. More than $1.8 million was paid to PwC in 2017 and 2018. The other example Darams highlighted in the opening was Manning's connection with strategic communications adviser Kathy Jones and her associated companies. 'The total amount paid to companies associated with Ms Jones from 31 January 2018 to 27 April 2024 was almost $9 million, most of which was paid before the end of 2022.' One witness told the inquiry that Manning had called her his 'communications fairy godmother'. 10.25am What are the allegations? The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has been holding a public inquiry into allegations concerning Anthony Manning, who was the chief executive of School Infrastructure NSW from 2017 to 2024, and other staff and contractors. There are two key allegations. The first is whether Manning and others used their official functions between 2017 and 2024, by: intentionally subverting appropriate recruitment practices to benefit friends and business associates; improperly awarding contracts to friends and business associates; and misallocating funds from school projects to favour particular businesses and to fund consultancy positions for friends and business associates. The second allegation is whether Manning, School Infrastructure human resource strategic adviser Wendy O'Brien and others engaged in reprisal actions against staff who complained or made public interest disclosures. In his opening statement, counsel assisting Jamie Darams SC said if the commission found this conduct had happened, 'it would constitute corrupt conduct within the meaning of section 8 of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (NSW), and it may constitute serious corrupt conduct'.
The Age
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Friend of schools boss worked on $600,000 contract before it was approved, ICAC hears
A long-time friend and colleague of former School Infrastructure NSW boss Anthony Manning received millions of dollars in contracts which either 'pushed the boundaries' of, or breached, government procurement rules, the state's anti-corruption watchdog has heard. In one case, Martin Berry, whom the Independent Commission Against Corruption has previously heard had known Manning as a friend and colleague since 2006, appeared to have begun work on a contract worth almost $600,000 about a month before it was approved 'outside normal procurement thresholds'. 'Cart before the horse stuff,' is how Paul Hannan, a senior Department of Education official who appeared before the commission on Friday, described it. 'Rare, super rare stuff,' he said during the second day of his extensive and often tense questioning by counsel assisting Jamie Darams. In total, ICAC has heard that between 2018 and 2022 Berry and his advisory firm, Heathwest, were engaged nine times by School Infrastructure and paid more than $3 million. The two men met in 2006 when Berry gave Manning a job in the Sydney office of consulting firm Turner & Townsend. They socialised together, and Manning organised Berry's buck's party and attended his wedding. They were both members of the 'Tom, Dick and Harry Breakfast Club' along with various other consultants who were also contracted to do work for the school building agency. Berry appeared in the witness stand for the first time on Friday afternoon, and Darams took him through a long history of text messages with Manning dating back to 2015 and early 2016. They boasted about cricket – both men are English, and took pleasure in their Ashes victory at Trent Bridge that year – arranged to catch up for beers on Sydney's northern beaches, and discussed work.
