July deadline for projects in NAIF
Head of Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility faces the music
THE Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility has 18 active tourism projects on its books and will meet its goal of funding three to five major projects by July.
That was the message NAIF chief Laurie Walker tried to convey during a Senate inquiry in Cairns yesterday that was bogged down with criticism over a perceived lack of transparency and chain-dragging bureaucracy.
Economics professor John Quiggan told the inquiry he would grade the $5 billion NAIF lower than five-outof-10 on governance and transparency.
Former risk assessor Dr Noel Preece said NAIF board members’ qualifications and connections to Northern Australia were kept secret from the public and more locals should be on the board.
Coalition Senator Barry O’Sullivan took exception to both submissions, criticising the “Google research” he said witnesses had conducted instead of diligent investigation.
He pointed out the organisation’s annual report revealed all board members had either lived in Northern Australia or had extensive professional experience in the region.
Senator O’Sullivan took a swipe at new Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Pip Close, who was thrown a hospital pass as she appeared on behalf of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.
She said the industry perceived the process as “too hard” and felt precluded because they were too small.
Ms Close admitted she was unaware the $50 million minimum threshold for projects was non-mandatory, as evidenced by the $16.8 million loan granted to expand a shipping base in Western Australia – NAIF’s first confirmed deal. Ms Walker agreed the communication process should be improved, but Senator O’Sullivan called the inquiry a witch hunt and “absolute tripe”.
Labor Senator Murray Watts argued the concerns were well-founded.
“We’re trying to find out what is the problem that is preventing this fund from paying for a single job or a single project in regional Queensland nearly three years on,” he said.
He said Labor’s plan to sequester $1 billion from NAIF for tourism projects would be more transparent and have greater community input.