When accused of 'porkbarrelling' NSW funding Liberal Premier Berejiklian's response was 'But everyone does it!' While Nationals Deputy Premier Barilaro's comeback was 'Witch hunt!'

 

"People call me ‘Pork Barilaro’, well I’ll wear the title with a badge of honour." [NSW Deputy Premier & Nationals MP for Monaro John Barilaro, tweeting on 28 August 2020]

ABC News, 8 February 2021:

The NSW Deputy Premier will today be grilled over why three areas in non-Coalition electorates didn't receive any funding through the Government's bushfire grant program, despite suffering millions of dollars in losses.

Last year the NSW Government handed out $180 million for projects in communities affected by the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires without an open application process.

The Blue Mountains didn't receive any money even though Government data found the area suffered an economic loss of $65 million.

The Central Coast also missed out and the hit to its economy was found to be $163 million.

Both are in Labor-held seats.

The NSW Government also didn't provide any funds in the Greens-held seat of Ballina although the Byron economy was found to have suffered an economic impact of $88 million.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro will today front a parliamentary inquiry into Government grants programs that has been extended to investigate the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund.

Chair of the inquiry, Greens MP David Shoebridge, said politics was influencing who got money and who didn't.

"There is no doubt that there were some Coalition held seats that had very real damage from the fires," he said.

"But then equally we saw seats held by the Greens, held by Labor and held by the Shooters Fishers and Farmers party which had very real damage as well... and they did not get a cent.

"Now that's politics."

Deputy Premier John Barilaro defended the program, which he was responsible for overseeing, and said such criticism was a "witch hunt"….

The Deputy Premier is expected to questioned by Upper House MPs at the parliamentary inquiry about how the Government decided to allocate the funds.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has so far refused to front the inquiry.

Last year, when an inquiry investigated the $250 million Stronger Communities Fund, which distributed $141 million to Coalition seats, Ms Berejiklian admitted the Government had engaged in pork-barrelling.

"I think all governments and all oppositions make commitments to the community in order to curry favour," she said.

"But in relation to this program, [the money] went to important projects across this state, yes, more of them went to Coalition seats, but guess what — there are more Coalition seats than any other.

"It's not an illegal practice. Unfortunately, it does happen from time to time by every government."

Institute of Public Affairs produces yet another dodgy study

 

Pearls and Irritations - Public Policy Journal, 30 January 2021:

The Institute of Public Affairs has scored an epic “own-goal” by calling out the slide in quality of life. A new report by the Liberal Party think tank identifies the drop in home ownership, high incarceration rates, the low level of skills training and debt as the main culprits but declining living standards are a direct result of Liberal Party policies.

It was to much fanfare (at least in some areas) that the Institute of Public Affairs announced the hiring of Tony Abbott to “lead a new movement to defend and revive traditional Australian values”. Such a movement was deemed necessary by the release of the IPA’s report titled “The Fair Go – Going, Gone: The Decline of the Australian Way of Life, 2000 to 2020”. The report and The Australian’s accompanying editorial lamented the “collapse of living standards over the past two decades”.

However, the “collapse of living standards” is the culmination of near two-decades of policy driven by the Coalition and the Institute of Public Affairs and with The Australian as cheer-leaders in chief.

The authors analysed 25 aspects of Australian life that they believe give a representative account of the quality of life of individual Australians, across five major categories: home, work, enterprise, governance and lifestyle. Each measure is tracked across the past two decades in comparison to 2000 standards.

According to the report, major contributors to the fall in living standards include housing affordability, household debt, government debt, underutilisation rate, vocational training, and the incarceration rate.

All part of the Coalition’s plan

But such falls in living standards are all part of the Coalition’s plan. The under-utilisation rate has been driven up, and the vocational training rate down by, in particular, the deregulation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and TAFE: apprenticeships have fallen from 446,000 in 2012 to 259,000 today……

Housing is less affordable than ever, as the government steadfastly refuses to make key policy changes such as ending negative gearing, introducing the long-promised money-laundering reforms and increasing the capital gains tax…..

Meanwhile, the increasingly punitive justice system of recent years drives the incarceration rate ever higher. In 2018 a Victorian Liberals backbencher even criticised his own party’s “law and order” campaign, warning about the dangers of populist tough-on-crime policies.

Not to mention reductions to penalty rates, and further attempts to strip rights from casual workers through the proposed industrial relations reform, which further contribute further to household debt…..

The report can in fact be summarised as a damning indictment of Coalition policy over the past two decades…...

The report was co-authored by Research Fellows Cian Hussey, Kurt Wallace, and Andrew Bushnell, and Director of Research Daniel Wild.

In research, the title “Fellow” is typically bestowed on employees of university who 1) have a PhD and 2) have a job at the university. None of the four researchers meets the first criteria; the highest degree among them is a Masters, awarded to Bushnell. The highest degree conferred on the Director of Research Daniel Wild, according to the IPA website, is an honours.

Consider the career track for a researcher in academia. It would involve first completing an undergraduate degree, then an honours degree, often followed by a stretch as a research assistant, then applications to PhD programs – which are ever more competitive as government funding falls ever lower. Then comes three years of formal research training completing said PhD, followed by a gruelling search for a job. When successful, only then might one term themselves a “Research Fellow”.

The irony is apparently lost on the Institute of Public Affairs that the Coalition has been the party in government for 14 of the past 20 years during which there has been this “collapse in living standards”.

On this report’s own measures, it makes the IPA’s decision to hire Tony Abbott a strange choice to herald a new movement for “saving the Australian way of life”. 

Read the full article here.

Try this ABC interactive postcode search to find out how your suburb is faring with regard to access to mental health care

Find out how your postcode can influence whether you need help — and if you’ll get it — at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-08/covid-mental-health-system-medicare-inequality/12512378?nw=0

This is what the search revealed about Clarence Valley in the NSW Northern Rivers region.

According to ABC News “Story Lab” interactive article on 8 December 2020:

NSW postcodes 2450*, 2456, 2463, 2464, 2465, are post codes with profiles indicating they are somewhat disadvantaged, where 13.7 per cent of people are likely to be highly psychologically distressed.

NSW postcodes 2370*, 2460, 2462, 2466 & 2469* are postcodes with profiles indicating they are most disadvantaged fifth of suburbs, where 18.3 per cent of people are likely to be highly psychologically distressed.

People in these postcodes fall into the area of Clarence Valley.

In Clarence Valley, taxpayers funded 23.49 sessions of care per 100 people, which cost $2,164. The national average is 22.87 sessions for $2,375.

In case you might have been wondering, NSW post code 2229 (where Prime Minister & MP for Cook Scott Morrison indicates his family home is located) and postcode 2063 (where NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian indicates her home is located) have profiles which are among the least disadvantaged so only 9 per cent of people are likely to be highly psychologically distressed.

In Morrison’s post code taxpayers fund 25.42 sessions of care per 100 people, which cost $2,632. That's a higher spend than the national average of 22.87 sessions for $2,375. While in Berejiklian’s postcode taxpayers funded 22.8 sessions of care per 100 people, which cost $2,659. That's nearer the national average of 22.87 sessions for $2,375.

NOTES

* Postcode 2450 predominately covers Coffs Harbour, 2370 predominately covers Inverell-Tenterfield and postcode 2469 predominately covers Richmond-Tweed, with some crossover with the Clarence Valley at edges of these post code ranges.

Lismore electorate community groups receive $300,000 to keep bringing people together in their towns and villages

 

Office of the Labor Member for Lismore, 23 November 2020:

TABLE TENNIS ANYONE?: Lismore MP Janelle Saffin recently visited the Far North Coast Table Tennis Club’s Jim Armstrong Centre where she was hosted by President Peter McGrath, Manager-Coach Graeme Townsend and other active members. The club is one of this year’s grant recipients.

Local communities will benefit from 25 worthy projects worth $300,000 announced by State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin under the NSW Government’s 2020 Community Building Partnership Program today (Monday, 23 November 2020).

Ms Saffin said phoning representatives of community groups to notify them of their success in this extremely popular small grants program was one of the more pleasurable tasks she had to perform each year.

However, Ms Saffin repeated her calls for the NSW Government to at least double the CBPP allocation for each electorate from $300,000 to $600,000 or $1 million to fund more community infrastructure projects as the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m sure all MPs struggle with the assessment process when they have to rank a large number of very worthwhile projects for an available funding pool which is over-subscribed. An independent panel also assesses all applications against strict criteria.

“I am looking forward to inspecting all of the 2020 projects as they are completed across my electorate and I will publicise the 2021 program when applications open early next year.”

Successful projects for 2020 include:

• Gungyah Ngallingnee Aboriginal Corporation, near Tabulam – Jubullum Jarjums children’s and family play area, $37,124.

• Lismore Tennis Club Incorporated – Court lighting and electrical upgrade, $20,999.

• Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) Lismore – Sports hall lighting replacement/upgrade, $20,072.

• Murwillumbah Showground Land Manager – Refurbish 100-year-old main food venue at Murwillumbah Showground, $20,000.

• Lismore Basketball Association Incorporated – Retaining wall to secure stadium, $16,257.

• Sunnyside Hall Management Committee Incorporated, Tenterfield Shire – Amenities upgrade, $15,000.

• Murwillumbah Rural Fire Brigade – Electronic sign for bushfire warnings and other essential information, $15,000.

• Murwillumbah Community Centre Incorporated – Repair and expansion of the Murwillumbah Community Food HUB, $14,241.

• Mallanganee Memorial Hall – Provide trades services for completion of kitchen renovation, $14,000.

• Murwillumbah Theatre Company Incorporated – Painting; electrical work; construction/installation of workbenches and props/costume storage, $14,000.

• Murwillumbah Rowing Club Incorporated – Renovate club bathroom facilities, $12,400.

• Urbenville & District Bowling Club Limited – Cool comfort for everyone, $11,750.

• St John Ambulance Australia (NSW) – St John Ambulance Lismore stretcher, $11,499.

• Tyalgum District Community Association Incorporated – Enhancement of Tyalgum’s social tennis court to support community participation, $11,284.

• Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue Service Limited – Engineering work stands, $10,249.

• Far North Coast NSW Table Tennis Association Incorporated – Facility enhancement for aged and disabled participants, $10,108.

• Tenterfield Poultry Club Incorporated – Replace damaged building stumps, $10,000.

• Tweed Valley Mountain Bike Riders – Towards establishing a mountain bike facility, $7500.

• Kyogle Bowling Club Limited – Install new electricity board, $6463.

• Uki Sport and Recreation Club Incorporated – Storage area, $5000.

• The Corporate Trustees of the Diocese of Armidale for Tenterfield Shire project – Torrington All Saints Church restoration, $4582.

• St Vincent de Paul Society NSW – Solar panels for Gunellabah clothes sorting centre, $4255.

• Jiggi School of Arts Incorporated – Refurbishment of hall toilets to NSW and Australian standards, $3100.

• Friends of the Pound (Tweed) Incorporated – Air-conditioning installation at its Murwillumbah South facility, $2617.

• Riding for the Disabled Association NSW – Defibrillator for Riding for the Disabled Tweed Valley, $2500.

The Community Building Partnership Program has funded more than 15,000 community projects since it was established by the then Labor State Government in 2009.

Applications for the 2021 Program open in early 2021.

For more information about the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership Program, visit www.nsw.gov.au/cbp

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin secures $1.14 million in extra bushfire support for Tenterfield and Kyogle businesses

Office of the NSW Labor Member for Lismore, media release,13 November 2020:

Janelle Saffin pays a visit to Kyogle RFS

LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin has reminded eligible small businesses in Tenterfield Shire and Kyogle Local Government Areas that they have one more month (until 15 December 2020) to apply for the $10,000 Bushfire Support Grant.

Ms Saffin said she was proud to have successfully lobbied for both LGAs to be included in the grant program, which had delivered $1.14 million in much-needed extra financial support to 114 local businesses in her electorate.

“As of this week, 80 businesses from Tenterfield Shire had been approved for the $10,000 grant and 34 had been successful in securing the grant within Kyogle Council’s boundaries,” Ms Saffin said.

“Service for Business (SfB) NSW tells me another nine applications are currently being assessed and that they welcome more applications from eligible businesses over the next month until the closing date of Tuesday, 15 December, 2020.

“I want to commend SfB NSW staff on how they have supported eligible businesses on the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands, not only with this specific grant but on a range of COVID-19 assistance this year.

“It is a shame that the NSW Government did not see fit to match its $45-million rescue package for NSW businesses impacted by the NSW-Victoria border closure because our local businesses south of the Queensland border have taken equally big hits while that closure was in force.

“The NSW Government must ensure that it continues to provide support for small business as we head into 2021 because we still have a long and uncertain road to travel as we try to recover from this once-in-a-century pandemic.”

Ms Saffin said she was also supporting grant applications being lodged by communities in Drake and Woodenbong to establish bushfire evacuation centres, which, if successful, would build resilience in these bushfire-prone areas.

For more information about the NSW Government’s Small Business Bushfire Support Grant go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/business-support-bushfire-impacted-communities or if you’re not able to apply online, visit a Service NSW Centre.

 

Round Two of the accelerated Fixing Local Roads program is now open and hopefully all Northern Rivers local councils from Clarence to the Tweed will be successful in their applications

 

From the Office of Labor MP for Lismore, media release, 3 November 2020:

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is urging the four local councils in her Electorate of Lismore to put forward shovel-ready projects for Round 2 of the accelerated Fixing Local Roads program which opened yesterday (2 November 2020).

Ms Saffin she hoped Lismore City, Kyogle, Tenterfield and Tweed shires would secure their fair share of an additional $136.4 million in funding which would be injected into regional New South Wales to generate more jobs and stimulate local economies.

“Local councils currently do the heavy lifting because they are responsible for maintaining over 85 per cent of the total 180,000-kilometre-long road network in New South Wales, including local roads (about 80 per cent of that network) and regional roads,” Ms Saffin said.

“There is no doubt that we need better and safer roads right across the Electorate of Lismore and our local communities also need extra help to recover from the economic impacts of drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Fixing Local Roads is a grant-based program, where local councils can apply for funding to repair, patch, maintain and seal priority local council roads.

“Applications can be made for a 100 per cent contribution from the NSW Government for specific works but councils are encouraged to co-contribute with funds or in-kind contributions.

“Applications for Round 2 of the Australian Government-NSW Government program remain open until Friday, 4 December 2020.

“Shovel-ready projects will need to start this financial year and be delivered within two years, according the program’s updated guidelines.”

The Australian Government committed $191 million in June this year to build on the NSW Government’s $500-million program over five years.

Guidelines and a factsheet for Round 2 of the Fixing Local Roads Program can be found here www.rms.nsw.gov.au/fixinglocalroads

List of 93 eligible regional councils can be found at https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/business-industry/partners-and-suppliers/lgr/grant-programs/fixing-local-roads-eligibility-list.pdf.

Funding eligibility guidelines are at https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/business-industry/partners-and-suppliers/lgr/grant-programs/fixing-local-roads-program-guidelines.pdf.

How will older Clarence Valley workers now without a job fare under the new employment landscape created by the Morrison and Frydenberg's JobMaker Hiring Credits?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in the Clarence Valley NSW this is how our resident population breaks down:

Resident population – 51,662 persons as of 30 June 2019

Males – 25,891

Females – 25,771

Gender ratio (number of males per 100 females) – 100.5

Median age – 49.2 years

Age composition of population total – 0-14 years 16.9%, 

15-64 years 56.6%, 65 years and over 26.6%.

There are 3,480 people aged 80 years and older and 8,709 children 

aged between 0-14 years.

The largest age cluster in people of workforce age are those aged 

between 55-64 years.

By 31 March 2020 the Clarence Valley over all unemployment rate was 6.3% - higher than both the New South Wales and national unemployment rate.

A relatively high unemployment rate is a feature of the valley’s economy and from time to time when a new government employment program comes along our communities hope for some relief for the unemployed in their midst.

On 11 July 2014 then Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Warringah Tony Abbott launched the Restart programme.

Restart is a financial incentive of up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) to encourage businesses to hire and retain mature age employees who are 50 years of age and over who have been out of work for out of work for six months or more.

Employment under this scheme was to be for a guaranteed 26 weeks with the hope that employers would retain the subsidised workers as part of their regular non-subsidised workforce after that.

However, in the last six years and four months it appears over half of the funding eamarked for Restart has remained in federal government coffers, only est. 51,190 older workers were employed under the Restart program and 40 per cent of those were out of work within.

This program bears all the features which would make it capable of being gamed by both job service providers and employers.

Now due to the current economic recession in Australia, the Morrison Coalition Government has decided to continue forgetting that older workers exist and, focus instead on those unnempoyed individuals between 66 and 35 years of age receiving JobSeeker, Youth Allowance (Other) or Parenting Payment.

This new program which was due to commence on 7 October 2020 is called the JobMaker Hiring Credit. A total of $4 billion in funding has been allocated to this programe from 2020-21 to 2022-23.

It seems that this too will be a program likely to be gamed by employers…..

ABC News, 31 October 2020:

The Federal Government's new wage subsidy hasn't passed Parliament yet, but some employers are already advertising for young workers who will qualify for the program.

So how does that sit with Australia's anti-discrimination laws, and will the scheme make it more difficult for people who don't qualify to find work?

Here's what we know.

Who will be covered by the wage subsidy?

The JobMaker Hiring Credit will provide wage subsidies to businesses if they take on extra workers, between the ages of 16 and 35, who have been receiving JobSeeker, Youth Allowance (Other) or Parenting Payment.

Employers will be able to claim $200 per week for staff aged between 16 and 29, and $100 a week for those aged 30 to 35.

The $4 billion program, announced in the recent Budget, is currently being examined by a Senate committee, which has received a mixed response so far.

But some online job advertisements are already asking for candidates who fit the criteria.

"This is a newly created role under the JobMaker program and as such candidates will be expected to demonstrate eligibility with the JobMaker provisions," one advertisement read.

"Please confirm your age is between 16y and 35y."

Ads have begun appearing specifically asking only for people who meet the eligibility to apply.(ABC News)

Another ad asked for candidates who would be eligible for the higher Hiring Credit rate.

"To be successful in this role you will have: Eligibility for the JobMaker program (ie be aged 16 to 29 years old and have received income support, such as JobSeeker or Youth Allowance, for at least one of the prior three months)."

Nicole Newport-Ryan lost her job in March, and while she has since picked up part-time work, the 48-year-old is still hoping for a full-time position.

"They may as well write, 'If you're over this age please don't even read the advert,'" she said.

"You know like, don't even bother applying, don't read it, we're not interested in you.

"I think it's absolutely discriminatory."…..

What does the law say?

In a statement, Treasury said Australia's Age Discrimination Act generally made it unlawful to discriminate against someone on the basis of age.

"However, the JobMaker Hiring Credit falls within the exemptions from this general prohibition," it said.

"Individual circumstances will vary, and employers should seek their own legal advice as to how the law will apply to them."

Alysia Blackham, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, pointed to a couple of exemptions that could apply.

"One of them is if it complies with another law, so once this is passed in legislation, it's possible that it will be exempt on that basis," she said…..

Youth unemployment is also a persistent concern in the Clarence Valley and, I sincerely hope that local employers who are able to hire take up JobMaker Hiring Credits and employ younger people in newly created positions. 

At the same time I hope local employers consider hiring older workers as well, using the Restart program to subsidise their wages for the first six and a half months. The Employer Hotline on 13 17 15 will be able to point prospective employers in the right direction.

$250-million NSW Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLER) Fund opened yesterday and bushfire affected North Coast communities have until 11 December 2020 to apply for funding

 

The $250-million Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (jointly funded by the federal and state government) which opened for applications yesterday is available to bushfire affected communities in 47 local government areas, including Tweed, Richmond Valley, Ballina, Byron Bay, Kyogle, Lismore and Clarence Valley.

Application deadline in 2pm (AEDT) Friday 11 December 2020. 

Funding is available in the following three categories: 

Infrastructure projects, such as roads to support increased industrial development. 

Environmental projects, such as regeneration activities. 

Programs including social, business and environmental education initiatives.

The grant funding for individual projects is dependent on the project type. 

• Infrastructure projects must seek a minimum of $400,000 with a maximum available grant of $20 million. 

• Environmental projects including rehabilitation, remediation and resilience improvements must seek a minimum of $200,000 with a maximum available grant of $4 million. 

• Programs, including social, business and environmental education initiatives must seek a minimum of $200,000 with a maximum available grant of $4 million. 

Funding will be prioritised to support applications from areas most impacted by bushfires.

Details can be found at https://www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/bushfire-local-economic-recovery-fund.

Those eligible to apply for funding are Councils, Joint Organisations of Councils, Not-for-Profits including business chambers, industry associations and charities, research or academic organisations, Local Aboriginal Councils and State Government corporations.

Labor Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin welcomes the announcement of this new funding. “Every little bit helps and this is more than needed in the lead-up to the Christmas season. Goodness knows we need it – bushfires, drought, more bushfires, floods and COVID-19” Ms Saffin said.

Once again the NSW Premier and her Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government are the subject of corruption allegations

 

On 3 July 2020 a NSW Legislative Council committeee, the Public Accountability Committee (PAC), began an Inquiry into the Integrity, efficacy and value for money of NSW Government grant programs.

Thus far public hearings have been held on 21 September, 16 October and 23 October 2020 with further hearing dates scheduled for 27 November and 9 December 2020.

Six of the seven local government councils in the NSW Northern Rivers region – Tweed Shire, Richmond Valley, Ballina, Kyogle, Lismore and Clarence Valley - made submissions to the Inquiry outlining both satisfaction and frustration with the current grants system. These submission can be found here.

The Inquiry’s public hearings to date have generated media interest given these followed on the heels of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Keppel public hearings which revealed the six year intimate relationship between NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maquire both when he was a member of her government and after his forced resignation from state parliament in 2018.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 October 2020:

Senior advisers from Gladys Berejiklian's office have been called before a parliamentary inquiry to explain why the NSW Premier handed out $250 million in council grants without any signed paperwork.

The grants scheme is emerging as a major issue for Ms Berejiklian on the back of her appearance before the corruption watchdog, which is investigating her ex-lover Daryl Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian will know the direction of findings from the Independent Commission Against Corruption on December 7, when submissions from counsel assisting are sent to "relevant parties".

In an unusual move, Ms Berejiklian's former chief of staff Sarah Cruickshank and present senior policy officer Sarah Lau will give evidence to the public accountability committee on Friday.

Ms Cruickshank also gave evidence at the ICAC hearing into Mr Maguire, which is investigating whether he used his position as an MP for financial gain, including brokering property deals.

Finance Minister Damien Tudehope has confirmed that no signed approvals exist for 249 grants rubber-stamped between June 27, 2018 and March 1, 2019 from the Stronger Communities Fund, established after council amalgamations.

Ms Lau was the author of emails such as one sent on June 28, 2018 which said: "The Premier has signed off further funding for metro councils. Outlined below is what is been approved."

Ms Berejiklian directly approved more than $100 million in grants, but the only records of her approvals are in the form of emails from advisers.

Staff in Deputy Premier John Barilaro's office also emailed approvals, including one dated August 24, 2018 which said: "The DP has approved funding of $600,000 to Edward River Council."

But Mr Barilaro, who returned from four weeks' mental health leave on Wednesday, distanced himself from the fund, and said "everything was correct" in a similar fund for regional councils.

"The Stronger Communities fund is not a fund that I administer. The Stronger Country Communities fund is something that I administer under my department in regional NSW," Mr Barilaro said.

"There's an allocation made to every single local government area so it's not the beauty contest that we normally get, everybody gets a slice of the fund."…...

The government was dealt a humiliating blow late on Tuesday when its most senior minister of the upper house was suspended from Parliament in a rare move last used more than 20 years ago.

Leader of the government Don Harwin was removed from the chamber by the Usher of the Black Rod over a failure to produce documents showing signed paperwork relating to the grants.

Labor's leader in the upper house Adam Searle told Parliament the government's failure to produce signed approvals could amount to "maladministration, corruption or illegality"…...

The grants, which Labor's MP John Graham told the house were worth "two-and-a-half times the federal sports rorts" scandal, were distributed almost exclusively to councils in Coalition-held seats…...

The head of ICAC Peter Hall QC has said the methods used by the government in its administration of the council grants fund could open the door for corrupt conduct.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October 2020:

An inquiry wants answers as to whether Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a conflict of interest in her position on a committee that signed off on $30 million for a Wagga Wagga conservatorium following lobbying by former MP Daryl Maguire.

The NSW upper house inquiry into allegations of grant rorting on Friday heard the the Regional Cultural Fund awarded $10 million and $20 million to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, for the construction of a new recital hall, in 2017 and 2018.

Chris Hanger from the Department of Regional NSW said the latter portion was a pre-byelection commitment from the government following the exit of Wagga MP Mr Maguire, who resigned in disgrace after a corruption inquiry heard he sought commissions from a developer.

After Mr Hanger testified that the funding was signed off by the Expenditure Review Committee, of which Ms Berejiklian is a part, Greens MLC David Shoebridge asked, "are you aware whether or not a conflict of interest was ever placed on the record by the Premier, given she was in a close personal relationship with Mr Maguire?…..

Jonathan Wheaton, executive director of regional programs at the department, told the parliamentary inquiry that, given the ERC was a subcommittee of the cabinet, he was unsure whether that level of information could be shared publicly.

The Sydney Morning Herald has sought comment from the Premier's office about whether or not she was obliged to declare a conflict of interest, and whether or not she had…..

The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 October 2020:

Gladys Berejiklian gave her lover Daryl Maguire's Wagga Wagga electorate six grants totalling $40,000 from her discretionary fund, while an inquiry heard one of her advisers shredded documents showing the Premier's approval of projects under another scheme.

In a parliamentary speech made before resigning from the Liberal Party in disgrace in 2018, Mr Maguire thanked Ms Berejiklian for providing $5134 from the special fund to the Ladysmith Tourist Railway, near the regional city, to cover the cost of replacing railway sleepers stolen by "scoundrels".

"It was a cowardly act to steal the sleepers, but I thank the Premier for helping to replace them," Mr Maguire said in June, also announcing the receipt of $5000 for the erection of a memorial to World War I Victoria Cross recipient Jack Ryan in Tumut. That money had also come from the fund.

Other grants included $10,400 for the Wagga branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia for a firearm cleaning safety enclosure, which Mr Maguire announced to local media in October 2017, and $5000 towards the Talbingo Men's Shed……

ABC News, 23 October 2020:

Documents which Premier Gladys Berejiklian used to approve millions of dollars in grants to local councils were later shredded, a NSW parliamentary inquiry has heard. 

One of the Premier's senior policy advisers, Sarah Lau, told the inquiry she also deleted electronic copies of the notes.....

Nearly all the grants were awarded to local councils in Coalition-held seats.

The inquiry heard that $141.8 million of the grant funding was allocated by the Premier, with $61.3million allocated by the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and $48.9 million by the Minister for Local Government.

In addition to the ICAC and PAC inquiries, the NSW Auditor General has announced an intention to review a selections of grant programs and, the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre has also announced a new project regarding grant programs, highlighting the need to better understand key fraud risks and learn about effective fraud prevention methods particularly given there are elevated integrity risks for government grants in times of crisis or emergency.