A September 2009 Walter Turnbull review of the TAMS property group obtained under freedom of information laws reveals ineffective administration and management systems within TAMS' ACT Property Group resulted in taxpayers footing the bill for mismanagement of government land and buildings worth $5.6billion and costing $80.5million to repair and maintain in 2008-09.

''There does not appear to be an overall asset-maintenance plan which is linked to the asset-management plan,'' the review revealed. ''As such, maintenance may be undertaken on a property that is listed for disposal.''

The review, which Chief Minister Jon Stanhope refused to table in the Assembly on the basis it was ''commercial in confidence'', is the second in two years to criticise the department's lack of transparency and accountability.

A similar review of TAMS conducted by Ernst & Young in August 2008 which cost taxpayers more than $400,000 and revealed departmental budget blow-outs of up to $10.5million in a single year was also suppressed by MrStanhope as ''commercial in confidence'' for a year and, subsequently, as ''cabinet in confidence''.

In lieu of tabling the report, the Assembly was promised an update on the implementation of the financial management and accountability recommendations essentially duplicated by those of the later 2009 Walter Turnbull report by December 2008.

No update was provided, but the report was tabled in August 2009, a year after the Government received the assessment.

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