Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 7:36:05 to 7:41:24
Senator McKenzie tables Hansard records to challenge statements made in Parliament regarding federal funding for sewage works at the Marrickville Golf Club.
Topics: Grants administration, Integrity
Speakers: Hon Bridget McKenzie, Hon Anthony Chisholm, Senator Glenn Sterle, Jacinta McDonald, Jessica Hall
requested advice from the department as to whether the $6 million grant to Marrickville Golf Club is or is not funding the sewage problem? Aside from that original brief that was sent up which outlined the funding um commitment, has she subsequently requested advice about whether the project is funding the sewage issue or not at Maricville Golf Club? I think the
point with this is uh S McKenzie is that uh when the Pierre made the announcement during the election campaign that the scope of the project was to include uh sewage work uh obviously uh once New South Wales announced that they were uh investing money in the sewage project. There was no need for the federal government to continue to do it.
>> can I just table Hansard of um the 10th of September 2026 which is a full year after the New South Wales government's decision and again on the 9th of September where Mr. Albani on the 9th says in response to uh a question from Mr. Passen said uh septic tank because it's on a flood plane when it floods in Marville raw sewage flows into the Cooks River. That is what the funding is for. on the 10th of September in response to another um going through the grants through this program in his own electorate the prime minister said one for the upgrade of the inner west councilowned Marrickville golf club included in what in that was funding to fix the sewage because it goes into the river and causes problem when it floods so the prime minister I table these this handsard because I'm being accused of actually not quoting accurately the prime minister stood up in the House of Representatives and said this grant was to fund sewage works when the brief sent [clears throat] up to Minister King as departmental officials correctly identify this grant was never for sewage.
>> Well, it certainly was and that's what
the prime minister announced. You know, m Miss M because how do you know because
the prime minister announced stop
yelling over >> when people trying to answer you ask us minister sorry
>> yelling
>> we're going to go down this path and I encourage people to ask whatever they want to ask but when you ask a question I would please let the minister or the witnesses finish the answer and then the call will come back to you.
>> The key point with this is that the New South Wales government subsequently announced that they were going to fund the sewage work. So hence uh that part of it um didn't need to be delivered by the federal government.
>> So why is the prime minister standing up in parliament a year after the New South Wales government does that saying the grants for surich
>> senator we are funding storm water and
the example you gave is a storm water issue. So I might just get miss >> McDonald to provide a little bit more context
>> so the storm water aspect of the scope of the grant is the installation of a storm water harvesting system including storage tanks and pump.
>> I was right storm water ain't sewage. I'll table the comments from Minister King yesterday which also make it clear. So Minister King's office has uh not requested advice. Subsequently about whether the grant is or isn't funding >> Um has the department reached out to Minister King to seek to um explain the difference between storm water and sewage? >> Not as yet, Senator. >> Okay. Might be helpful. Um, is the department aware that twice the prime minister stood up in parliament talking about the grant being fixing sewage issues at the Merrickville Golf Club? >> Are you aware of those comments during question time in September? >> No, told us about them. So, yeah. >> No, no, that's all right. Don't expect you to be hanging off question time if you don't have to. Um, has the department of PMNC approached the department uh requesting advice as to whether or not the sewage problem is actually being funded by the $6.05 million grant. No, >> no, PMNC hasn't reached out either. Um I just want to go through how um conflicts of interest are dealt with within the department and within the decision making process of this grant program. So um as we've found out Minister McBain signed off can we just run through because the Senate has requested through OPDS who were the actual decision makers for different um grants particularly those where ministers themselves were responsible um but we yeah I'd like to understand who were the decision makers for this grant round.