The board and chief executive of the ACT government's Suburban Land Agency have declared 29 potential conflicts of interest since it was established in July last year, but the government is refusing to detail the issues.
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Despite being set up as one of two new agencies to replace the Land Development Agency with stronger corporate governance, the agency has confirmed board members and the chief executive have declared 29 individual potential conflicts to date.
But the government has refused to detail the board members' and chief executive John Dietz' issues, despite a Freedom of Information request to do so, arguing it would be too onerous to consult with the third parties involved.
Only one potential conflict has been publicly released in summaries of board meeting minutes, revealing board member and former chief executive of Defence Housing Australia, Peter Howman, has also been awarded $160,000 in consultancy work with the Suburban Land Agency's sister agency, the City Renewal Authority.
Mr Howman runs a consultancy, which was one of three the authority invited to quote for the work, initially winning a $110,000 two-month contract in April this year, and a second $50,000 contract for further two months in July.
Contracts show Mr Howman was paid $2420 a day to help chief executive Malcolm Snow draw up a strategic plan for the authority, obtain board approval of the plan and assess the authority's executives in "improving their capability against the ACTPS executive capabilities".
The arrangement was approved by Mr Dietz - himself a former senior executive working alongside Mr Howman at Defence Housing - and planning director-general Ben Ponton, who both told the board they saw "no unmanageable" conflicts in the arrangement, minutes show.
But the government has released the number of potential conflicts declared by each board member and Mr Dietz, with Mr Dietz declaring four potential conflicts of interest or association to date.
Board chairman John Fitzgerald and deputy chairwoman Suzanne Jones have each declared five potential conflicts, Mr Howman three; and board members Angus Dawson and Julie Garland McLellan each declaring six potential conflicts of interest or association.
Mr Ponton and Suburban Land Agency deputy chief executives Neil Bulless and Tom Gordon have not declared any potential conflicts of interest to date.
Asked why details of the potential conflicts declared were not publicly revealed, a spokesman for the agency said issues were disclosed in every board meeting as a standing item, and recorded internally in board papers, but for privacy reasons, the personal details of third parties were not recorded.
Since the agency began operating in July last year, only one board member had recused themselves from a discussion during a meeting, but the agency has refused to name the board member, or reveal any details pertaining to the potential conflict or issue discussed.
A spokesman for the agency said the fact Mr Dietz and Mr Howman had worked together at Defence Housing was discussed during Mr Dietz's initial interview for the position, and Mr Dietz also declared he had many relationships with Defence Housing employees, and as such a perceived conflict should be managed accordingly.
"Mr Howman also provided a verbal declaration to the chair and was subsequently excluded from any evaluation in regards to Mr Dietz appointment," he said.
Despite board meeting minutes showing Mr Ponton was also involved in assessing Mr Howman's potential conflict over his work for the authority, the spokesman said he had had no role in the matter.
He also said Mr Howman had extensive professional experience in the public and private sectors relevant to the authority's work establishing new business systems and providing strategic management advice.
"The work Mr Howman undertook for the City Renewal Authority was not related to, and did not affect, his role as a Suburban Land Agency board member," he said.
The spokesman said Mr Howman's work for the authority had no interaction with the Suburban Land Agency, he declared the appointment to the agency's board and Mr Dietz.
He said the agency and authority boards and chief executives were responsible for the day to day management of their operations, including potential conflicts of interest, not the planning directorate.
