“Mr Manning did not declare any conflict of interest arising out [of] his relationship or interactions with Mr Suthern-Brunt until about August 10, 2020, by which time Mr Suthern-Brunt’s acting executive director engagement had ended,” Darams said.
After Suthern-Brunt left School Infrastructure NSW, a consortium called APP Group, which included another company associated with Suthern-Brunt, bid for a multimillion-dollar contract for building prefabricated schools, known as the Pavilion Project.
A diagram of Anthony Manning’s Tom, Dick and Harry breakfast club shown to the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Monday.Credit: NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption
“Mr Manning personally intervened to prohibit two other companies from participating in the tender,” Darams said. APP was awarded the $39 million contract. The Department of Education has since cancelled it.
Separately, Darams outlined how Manning was sponsored by Martin Berry to work in the Sydney office of consulting firm Turner & Townsend in 2006.
Diagrams shown to the hearing detailed how Manning and Martin Berry socialised together and were members of the “Tom, Dick and Harry breakfast club” – an apparent reference to the WWII film The Great Escape. Manning went to Berry’s buck’s party and his wedding.
Former School Infrastructure NSW chief executive Anthony Manning during a parliamentary inquiry in 2022.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
“Understanding that relationship is important because between 2018 and 2022 Mr Berry and Heathwest had nine engagements with School Infrastructure NSW for which Mr Berry and Heathwest were paid over $3 million.”
Another relationship between Manning and a friend was canvassed, with the hearing told Manning had known Kathy Jones since 2011. And from 2016 onwards, caught up with each other for lunches, coffees, dinners and regular walks near where they live. Manning and his partner attended Christmas lunch at Jones’ house in 2021. After dinner together in 2017, she emailed Manning a proposal to provide strategic communications advisory services. For $110,400, she would provide services four days a month for six months.
In the coming years, more contracts were awarded, with companies associated with Kathy Jones between January 2018 and April 2024 paid almost $9 million.
The ICAC is also investigating whether Manning and human resources strategic adviser Wendy O’Brien, who was paid up to $1425 a day, dishonestly exercised their official functions by taking reprisal action against certain staff following complaints about School Infrastructure.
NSW Department of Education secretary Murat Dizdar outside the ICAC hearing into school infrastructure on Monday. He is not accused of any wrongdoing.Credit: Dylan Coker
The commission heard that Manning was also in the same cycling group as Robert Rust, who was the chair of the School Infrastructure Advisory Council, which oversaw School Infrastructure NSW, as set up by former education minister Rob Stokes.
Stokes was asked about whether Rust’s relationship with Manning in a cycling group should have been declared.
“I think it should have been disclosed, if it wasn’t,” Stokes told the hearing.
The head of the NSW Department of Education, Murat Dizdar, turned up to watch the hearing on Monday and is due back to give further evidence on Wednesday alongside former department chief Georgina Harrisson.
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