Member for Davidson and Chairman of the WasteWatch Committee, Jonathan O’Dea says the extent of waste and mismanagement reported by people throughout NSW is staggering! In December 2009 he announced a $1,000 reward from his own money to any person who reported the worst example of waste and mismanagement in NSW.
“Over $17 billion of waste has been revealed in NSW in this parliamentary term, including train lines that were never built, transport ticketing projects that never materialised, public servants still being paid to do nothing, IT project costs blowing out, expensive office refits, unpaid fines written off and … the list goes on…,” Mr O’Dea said.
“Other specific examples submitted for the competition included the new Revesby Railway Station Rail Turnback and the repeated re-naming of government instrumentalities such as the Maritime Services Board of NSW renamed as the Waterways Authority and then NSW Maritime, demanding the reprint of stationery, insignia or logos on vessels, motor vehicles and offices,” he said.
“Another submission questioned the waste associated with the buses and the water cannon the State Government bought for the APEC Conference. A visit to the Portman Avenue Police Yard in Zetland will show some of the buses have been left to rust away,” Mr O’Dea said.
The winning entry from Ken Quick of Castlecrag highlighted the costs associated with the unnecessary and very expensive desalination plant, as well as misinformation regarding the supply and service of the drinking water, including the cost of filter membranes. Mr Quick said:
“As a consumer, I am also outraged at having to pay more than $100 a year extra on my water bill because of the wasteful and unnecessary desalination plant.”
Shadow Minister for Natural Resource Management, Katrina Hodgkinson said:
“The Sydney desalination plant will stand for years to come as a testament to the many failures and waste of the State Labor Government.”
“At the initial launch two months ago, the State Government misled the public by announcing the desalination plant had come in on time and under budget,” Mr O’Dea said.
“To help arrest all this government waste I will be launching an exciting new interactive WasteWatch website in the next week to facilitate more feedback about NSW Government waste and mismanagement,” Mr O’Dea concluded.
