Anne Stanley MP, the Federal Member for Werriwa, has welcomed this week’s announcement by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) that it would launch a second probe into the Moorebank intermodal.
“This project still has major question marks over its viability,” Ms Stanley said.
“The first audit revealed that the project isn’t doing its due diligence in ensuring costs are minimised.
“If public money is going into the intermodal, then the public needs to know that money isn’t being wasted.”
The audit also found that there have been severe protocol breaches and that oversight has been compromised.
“If the intermodal is to be built, and I’m still not convinced it should, it needs to be done well, and the only way the local community can have any confidence is with further investigation and proper transparent processes,” Ms Stanley said.
John Anderson, chairman of RAID Inc (Residents Against Intermodal Development), says his group is making a submission to the audit.
They are also eagerly awaiting for the judgement of their legal action in late 2017 against the proposal.
“We expect that to be handed down some time in February,’’ Mr Anderson said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Either way we don’t believe this project will be value for money for taxpayers.[/social_quote]
“For starters, a huge amount of money would be needed to provide the road infrastructure required for the operation of an intermodal.’’
Ms Stanley called for greater transparency of the intermodal’s environmental and residential effects in 2016, before being elected to Federal Parliament.
At the time, she stressed the need for greatly improved road and rail infrastructure.
ANAO says the objective of this new audit is to assess the Moorebank Intermodal Company’s (MIC’s) achievement of value for money and management of probity in its operations and procurement activities.
“The ANAO welcomes members of the public contributing information for consideration when conducting performance audits,’’ it says on its website.
“Performance audits involve the independent and objective assessment of the administration of an entity or body’s programs, policies, projects or activities. They also examine how well administrative support systems operate.
“The ANAO does not have a role in commenting on the merits of government policy but focuses on assessing the efficient and effective implementation of government programs, including the achievement of their intended benefits.”
Submissions to this audit will be accepted until Friday, May 25.
The report on the audit is due to be tabled in October.
If you’d like to make a submission, go to https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/procurement-processes-and-management-probity-moorebank-intermodal-company
