Long-serving government executive Andrew Kirkman suddenly departed his role in the public service Thursday afternoon after 26 years, amid the growing scandal at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation that has led to calls for an independent public inquiry.
Chief Minister Lia Finnochiaro fled a press conference Thursday morning, refusing to comment or answer questions about her husband’s involvement in the growing Darwin Waterfront Corporation scandal, that saw him collect more than $400,000 in “higher duties allowance” on top of his large salary for unadvertised jobs that were created by his mates, as well as a massive $300,000 contract that did not appear to go through proper recruitment processes.
EXCLUSIVE: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s husband Sam Burke was given a made-up, part-time government job while general manager of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation, internal government documents show, that boosted his already substantial salary by $60,000 a year through a ‘higher duties allowance’ that continued for years after he left the department role, the NT Independent can reveal.
Two parking levies that Darwin Council intends to use to build its new civic centre-private office tower with developer DCOH should be scrapped, the Property Council NT has said, because councils have collected and used them largely at their own discretion without transparent governance controls.
A Federal Court application has been lodged seeking to force Darwin Council to hand over documents relating to the deal it struck with developer DCOH to build the controversial 21-storey civic centre-private office tower, along with details of how it is using ratepayer money on the project.
The Middle Arm industrial precinct could end up costing the NT Government $5.5 billion in capital outlays and a further $140 million in annual operating expenditure for the next 50 years, which would affect its ability to fund health and education, a new report by an energy economist for the Environment Centre NT has found, while a federal Labor MP revealed her government’s $1.5 billion equity investment in the project is a long way from being finalised.
An NT mine operator which runs the Warrego mine rehabilitation project near Tennant Creek has been placed into external administration, according to ASIC records.
Darwin Council is using money collected from a public car parking levy to help finance its joint venture with a private developer to build the new Darwin civic centre, in potential breach of the legally-mandated Car Parking Contribution Plan, that will see each public car parking space at the new development cost three times more than previously planned, and which will provide 202 public parking spaces instead of the 1800 pledged.
Tourism Minister Marie-Clare Boothby has refused to comment on an internal “briefing” she received last week into allegations of mismanaged conflicts of interest and possible misuse of public resources at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation, after previously claiming she would “make some decisions” about the matter.
A Katherine woman was jolted awake early Sunday morning to an unknown male in her bedroom while her house was being robbed by a group of three, NT Police said, which led to a stolen vehicle pursuit being abandoned after the driver allegedly swerved at a police vehicle on the opposite side of the road.
Five female youths were arrested over the weekend in connection with vehicle theft and aggravated robbery incidents in Nightcliff and Yarrawonga, including one stolen car driven by three girls crashing into a fence “at slow speed”, NT Police said.
Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has angered NT Police officers after falsely claiming on radio Friday morning that there were no corrections prisoners currently at the Alice Springs watch house, with the union representing police calling for him to come clean with the public and deal with the situation so police can do their jobs effectively.
