A high-ranking bureaucrat who led an agency responsible for building schools has been found guilty of corrupt conduct by an anti-corruption watchdog. The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) determined that Anthony Manning, the former chief executive of School Infrastructure NSW, engaged in corrupt behaviour by manipulating recruitment and procurement processes to divert taxpayer funds to benefit his friends and business associates.
Details of the Misconduct
In a 205-page report released on Wednesday, ICAC outlined how Manning spent millions of dollars earmarked for school projects on consultants and temporary workers who were his personal acquaintances. Although the watchdog did not find that Manning obtained a direct personal financial benefit, Commissioner Paul Lakatos described his actions as a 'clear case of cronyism'.
'Public money that had been set aside to build and improve schools for NSW children was instead spent on jobs for friends and associates of the chief executive,' Lakatos stated.
Financial Mismanagement
Under Manning's leadership from 2017 to 2024, the agency spent $344 million on contingent workers. A significant portion of this sum was sourced from funds allocated for school projects across the state to conceal the total expenditure on recruitment. Twenty-six of these roles were paid at or above the level of a deputy secretary.
One such worker received the equivalent of approximately $644,000 per year and obtained the position without a proper recruitment process. Manning also awarded contracts worth millions to Price Waterhouse Coopers and another firm, bypassing standard procurement procedures. In one instance, a consultancy headed by a friend of Manning's won an initial tender worth $145,000 and was subsequently paid nearly 30 times that amount for additional work that was not put out to tender.
Reprisals Against Whistleblowers
Manning's conduct also included retaliatory actions, with several staff members being dismissed after they questioned his decisions. The report also criticised the NSW Department of Education for its inadequate oversight of both School Infrastructure NSW and Manning, noting that it failed to respond to warning signs and did not address poor financial practices.
Political Reaction
NSW Education Minister Prue Car stated that the findings vindicated the thousands of families in Western Sydney who had informed the previous government that 'schools were needed (and) instead of being listened to, they were gaslit'. She added, 'It is clear the former Liberal-National government's mismanagement let families across NSW down.'
The anti-corruption body recommended that the government seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the potential prosecution of Manning and others involved.
