Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 5:03:29 to 5:09:42
The committee examines FOI documents related to the Maitland project, with officials citing Public Interest Immunity (PII) regarding cabinet deliberations and Prime Ministerial correspondence.
Topics: Freedom of information, Integrity
Speakers: Senator Maria Kovacic, Jessica Hall, Lok Potticary, Unknown Speaker, Senator Glenn Sterle, Interjection
>> Thank you. Um I want to draw your attention um to page 81 of um documents released under FOI 26- 110 and I would like to table that now. >> [clears throat] >> Um the department identifies a record dated the 27th of March 2025 um described as uh formal PO 2025 decision from the PM. Are you you able to tell me whether that decision included the $und00 million commitment to the Matland flyover?
>> I'll need to see the document that you're referring to. What what was the FOI in relation to, Senator? So the FOI
was in relation to um this specific
>> Have you got a copy? >> The um officers a copy if you're referring to it, Senator.
>> Yeah, I've asked for it to be taken.
>> So, I've got the page in front of me. Senator, could you please repeat the question?
>> Yes. So it relates to um item number eight. So um the page is numbered 81 of 95. Um and the department identifies a record on the 27th of March described as formal PIO 2025 decision from the PM and I would like to understand whether that decision included the $und00 million commitment to the Meland flyover. So,
Senator, this has a um PII ground attached to it. So, it's got public um immunity. So, we'd have to take that on notice and have a conversation with the minister in regards to how we best answer your question.
>> Thank you. And and that's that's something that I thought about. But the next line, item nine, relates to correspondence on exactly the same date noting PII ground of cabinet deliberations. Um but the additional information says um PM to Minister King. So the the prime minister has written to the prime minister. The prime minister has written to the minister on that date. That's not um PII grounds are um applicable to that given it's a letter from the prime minister to the relevant minister.
>> It might be the finalization of a cabinet process though. Might be a finalization of the hunting license
process. Yes. So, we'll find out.
>> We'll find out and come back to you
>> and and if not, that's a document that can be supplied to us. Copy of that letter.
>> We'll we'll come back to you. We Okay.
>> Are you able to tell me what project specific costing advice supported that
Um these are all um uh part of at the moment from what I can tell from the information that you've tabled all looks like they are all ERC um budget decisions. So we'll work out what we can tell you and come back to you
>> on notice. Thank you very much. >> Could you tell me whether the government received a construction cost estimate from transport for New South Wales in relation to this and if so when and what that estimate was?
>> So I think that's in regards to the um conversation um and the questions that you asked Mr. Pottery previously. I am very conscious that they are going through a business case process and a strategic um assessment at the moment which will actually determine um what will be the scope of what is to be built. Um and I'm presuming that they will build within that $und00 million. So we will come back to you with all of
that information. >> But my specific question is not about where it is now. What I'm interested in is at the time of that announcement whether the government had in fact received anything from the New South
Wales government. We will find out all of that, Senator.
>> Um, and my next question relates to that. So, you may have a similar answer between Miss Swanson's comments on the 20th of March where she said, you know, the coalition hadn't costed this and, you know, this >> was perhaps airy fairy and the decision from the government 7 days later on the 27th of March. Was any additional costing or planning work completed to inform the government's um commitment to your knowledge or the to the
>> Well, we'll have to take that one on notice as well, but we'll come back to you on
>> Okay. Thank you. So, so we we don't have that information at hand today. >> Okay. Thank you. Um I now have table uh document B to table if that is okay. Um and it's turning to page 17 of that FOI um where on the 31st of March 2025 the department was prefer uh preparing PIO wording for the $und00 million flyover commitment on the 31st of March. Can you tell me what supporting um project cost information infrastructure provided to the department of finance for that? If we could take that document Oh, they're all out. Oh, thank you. So that's the page numbered 17 of 95.
>> So Senator, we might take that on notice as well. I think that the information that you've um tabled that was part of the FOI was around finalizing details for the PO.
>> Correct.
>> Yep. So I think that's that's around finalizing wording for a doc for the PO document. I think your question um goes to uh costing information which I'll
take >> correct. So what was there any costing information additionally during that one week period or up until that point on the 31st of March that was provided before that wording was completed?
>> And I'll take that on notice as well consistent with the um the previous responses.