Arabic version: اللجنة المستقلة لمكافحة الفساد تحقق مع جامعة وولونغونغ بشأن منصب تنفيذي بقيمة 400,000 دولار وتعاقدات استشارية

The proposal for a $400,000-a-year vice-president strategy and executive affairs position at the University of Wollongong (UOW) has become the focus of a major Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry after the role was never filled.

According to ABC News, evidence heard by ICAC examined recruitment decisions, consultant engagements and governance reforms, with the university’s Governance and Policy division at the centre of the scrutiny. Multiple witnesses told the inquiry former chief governance officer Alyssa White was closely involved in developing the proposal and planned to take on the role herself; UOW chief people and culture officer Alison Bourke said she was “shocked for various reasons” when the proposal arrived on her desk.

Ms Bourke also told the inquiry that “a report had come through from the external whistleblower, complaints pertaining to the recruitment of Mr Matthew Dawkins”. The ICAC heard concerns about recruitment inside the Governance and Policy division, including the employment in 2024 of Mr Dawkins, described as a friend of Ms White who had a commerce degree but worked as an electrician and had no governance experience. Witnesses alleged some candidates received “preferential assistance” such as help with position descriptions, resumes, cover letters and interview preparation. A SafetyNet report by the chair of UOW’s Workplace Health and Safety Committee described the establishment of the proposed role as a “traumatic event” that contributed to a poor organisational culture and erosion of staff morale, motivation and psychological fatigue.

Evidence presented to the inquiry also examined a $3.8 million consultancy contract awarded to KordaMentha for an enterprise-wide review. Interim vice-chancellor John Dewar conceded that the chancellor had informed him the procurement process was designed in a way that KordaMentha would win the contract; Mr Dewar was a partner at KordaMentha while engaged in discussions about the procurement process. The chancellor later rejected suggestions the process was designed to favour that firm.

What began as questions about a proposed executive position expanded into scrutiny of recruitment practices, conflicts of interest, consultant influence and transparency across the university’s transformation program. The inquiry followed broader reporting, including a Four Corners investigation that found Australian universities paid external consultants and contractors an estimated $1.8 billion a year without full disclosure of which firms were engaged and how funds were spent. A parliamentary committee previously recommended a formal report into university commercial activities and stronger disclosure of consultant spending; the government said it will consider that recommendation after the ICAC concludes.

What happens next: the inquiry will resume hearings on Monday with more UOW academics set to give evidence, and the ICAC is due to table its report at the end of August.

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