A PROJECT being pushed by Gladys Berejiklian's secret lover was dismissed by public servants as not worth funding, but they revised their assessment on the premier's request, a corruption inquiry has heard.
Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire had already announced the government would fund an upgrade of a shooting club in his electorate to the tune of $5.5 million by the time public servants concluded in 2017 it was not worth the cost to the public.
They gave the proposal a benefit–to–cost ratio score of 0.88 after engaging external consultants to develop the "unsatisfactory" business case the Australian Clay Target Association had put forward.
It needed to score 1.0 or above to qualify for the grant funding.
But that was not the end of the road for the clay shooting facility.
Latest Stories
Instead, Department of Regional NSW Deputy Secretary Chris Hanger says he heard from then deputy premier John Barilaro's office that he "needed to revisit the business case".
He understood that request ultimately came from the office of then premier Gladys Berejiklian, Mr Hanger told the Independent Commission Against Corruption on Thursday.
"I was clearly of the impression that the premier's office and the premier wanted that business case revisited," Mr Hanger said.
Asked by counsel assisting the inquiry Scott Robertson whether he "understood the request was made to see if the benefit–to–cost ratio could become a one?", Mr Hanger replied, "Yes".
"You understood that the request was made by the premier herself?", Mr Robertson asked.
"Yes," Mr Hanger said.
The ratio was eventually revised to a 1.1, qualifying the association for the multi–million–dollar grant.
At the time, Ms Berejiklian was in a clandestine intimate relationship with Mr Maguire. The former premier has previously told ICAC she did not divulge the relationship to anybody.
The inquiry is examining whether her failure to reveal the relationship meant she engaged in corrupt conduct.
Mr Barilaro's staffer Peter Minucos – who is slated to give evidence next week – had already had a "peculiar" involvement in the project, Mr Hanger said.
The staffer was providing advice directly to the external consultants working on the business case – something bureaucrats, not political advisers, would normally do.
Mr Hanger agreed the way the project was dealt with was "unusual".
In February 2018, Mr Maguire issued a press release announcing the Riverina Conservatorium of Music would be moving to Wagga Wagga, where a "world–class music recital space" would be developed.
Mr Hanger told the commission on Thursday that at that time the conservatorium had not secured the site and there was no allocation of funds to develop a recital space.
The conservatorium would later receive $30 million in funding.
Mr Hanger said he was told to find a funding stream for the $20.5 million development of the recital hall to allow Ms Berejiklian to make an announcement during the Wagga Wagga by–election campaign prompted by Mr Maguire's resignation.
Ms Berejiklian, who denies any wrongdoing, will give her version of events when she gives evidence to the inquiry on Thursday and Friday next week.
Mr Maguire has been called to give evidence on Wednesday, while Mr Barilaro and Mr Minucos are scheduled to appear on Monday.
Ms Berejiklian resigned as premier on October 1 when the ICAC revealed she was the subject of a probe, saying the situation made her position untenable.
