Wednesday, 8 February 2023

Maribyrnong River flood review

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:36): (23) I have another question for the Minister for Water. Minister, when were you first advised of the serious conflicts in the position of Mr Nick Wimbush as chair of the Maribyrnong River flood review?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:36): Thank you very much for that question. I am going to have to reject the premise of the question on the basis that it seeks to conclude that there are conflicts rather than perceived conflicts. This is where again I would take you to the comments in today’s media that indicate very clearly a desire not to cloud the carriage of the independent review with a concern around a perceived conflict of interest.

David Davis interjected.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis, it is good to hear that in fact from your seat you have rephrased that to be about a perceived conflict.

Sonja Terpstra: On a point of order, President, I cannot hear the minister for the constant stream of interjections coming from Mr Davis. I think the minister is entitled to be heard in silence.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order. The minister is entitled to be heard in silence.

Harriet SHING: Thank you very much, President. Mr Davis, again, you have rephrased to refer to a perceived conflict of interest. What I also want to do is to correct your supposition that this was anything other than a resignation.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Ms Crozier, let the minister finish her answer.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis, Mr Wimbush resigned in order to make sure that this particular independent review can be undertaken to provide a process whereby affected members of the community can have their say on the experiences, the perspectives and the distress that they went through in the course of that particular flooding event.

When I look to the reportage that has been issued on that particular inquiry, I just want to let you know that a journalist had reached out prior to the publication of the detail about Mr Wimbush’s resignation and that that was the first point at which I was made aware of Mr Wimbush’s resignation. That should give you some guidance, Mr Davis, that it occurred after the decision had in fact been taken that Mr Wimbush would resign from his position as chair of the independent review.

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:39): Very interesting indeed. Melbourne Water outlined that a probity adviser was in place for Mr Wimbush’s appointment. It appears that probity adviser has failed, and I ask: will you release the probity review that was undertaken prior to Mr Wimbush’s appointment?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Equality) (12:39): Mr Davis, this supplementary question that you have asked again ignores the fact that this is an independent review. For me to run commentary on an independent review means that by extension it is no longer an independent review. I think that community members, that households, that individuals who are affected by these floods deserve an independent review. I do not have that probity advice, Mr Davis, because the very nature of an –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, I am asking about the probity adviser and whether she will release the probity adviser’s advice.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Mr Davis. The minister is answering the question.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis, you seem to think that the probity advice was something that I had a role in. The very nature of an independent review is that I am not part of this work and that in fact this is a matter for Melbourne Water. It is quite literally not my information to release, and for you to suggest that it might be my information to release seeks to undermine the independence of a review which is exactly what affected communities in Maribyrnong and around the entire state deserve.