3 June 2022

Mr Grant Hehir
Auditor-General
Australian National Audit Office
38 Sydney Avenue
FORREST ACT 2603

Dear Mr Hehir

I refer to a Request for Audit published on the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) website in relation to Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements from Senator Malcolm Roberts.

The webpage record includes Senator Roberts’ correspondence dated 28 October 2021 and your response dated 19 November 2021.

Senator Roberts’ correspondence includes false statements and a request for you to confirm that, as CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, I attended Canberra to lobby against a call for a Senate Inquiry to investigate allegations of misuse of Disaster Relief monies by some allegedly corrupt councils in Queensland. It also alludes to a collusive relationship between myself and the CEO of the Local Government Association of Queensland that is also false.

Your response published on the webpage does not answer Senator Roberts’ questions, but merely notes that the questions have been superseded by, and will be responded to through the established Senate Estimates process.

Your ultimate response to Supplementary Budget Estimates 2021-22 Question 188 correctly confirms that the ANAO has not met with me, however it is not published on your webpage, nor is there is a link to it. I also note that it requires some knowledge and considerable effort to find this response through the Parliament of Australia website.

I am concerned that your website publishes Senator Robert’s false allegations regarding my actions without correction or meaningful response.

I request that you please rectify this as soon as possible through either removing or redacting Senator Robert’s correspondence, or by publishing your Senate Estimate response within the record on your website.

I would appreciate being notified once this action has been undertaken.

Yours sincerely

Brendan Moon
Chief Executive Officer

28 October 2021

Mr Grant Hehir
Auditor-General
Australian National Audit Office
38 Sydney Avenue
FORREST ACT 2603

Dear Mr Hehir

We last spoke at Senate Estimates hearings on 22 March 2021, where we discussed the alleged misuse of NDRRA funding at the local government stage on receipt of NDRRA funds.

Your 2015 Audit Report warned of identified problems with NDRRA and DRFA funding by some Councils and other entities.

You may recall me asking you during the Senate Estimates session for an update on the implementation of recommendations made to bring these problems to an end.

Your response was that there had been no other audit on those programs since the problems were identified in the 2015 Report.

Of particular concern has been the failure of Emergency Management Australia, in conjunction with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, to properly carry out their duties of investigation and oversight owed to the taxpayer.

It was the CEO of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Mr Brendan Moon, a long-term personal friend of Mr Greg Hallam, and Mr Hallam, CEO of the Local Government Association of Queensland, who both attended Canberra to lobby against a call for a Senate Inquiry to investigate allegations of misuse of Disaster Relief monies by some allegedly corrupt Councils in Queensland.

1. At your request, after we spoke on this issue at the March Estimates hearings, I raised these issues formally with you with a view to your agency conducting a further audit along the lines of the 2015 Audit that was reported. I note from your website that such an audit is now being considered for the 2021-22 period and I thank you for that.
   
   Can you please tell me the state of play of the proposed audit being considered?
    
2. Can you confirm that no such detailed audit has been carried out to date by your agency since the 2015 Report was completed?
3. Did Mr Moon and Mr Hallam meet with the ANAO in 2021 to discuss allegations of NDRRA fraud in Queensland?
   
   If so, what transpired?
    
4. Are you aware of a 2021 Report prepared by Mr Moon with reference to alleged misuse of NDRRA/DRFA funding?
5. Are you aware if any of the 2015 Report’s recommendations were ever implemented?                                                                                                                                                                     
6. Can you confirm that the proposed audit will be a full, boots on the ground audit with genuine interviewing of parties, as was the case in the 2015 Audit?

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours sincerely

Malcolm Roberts
Senator for Queensland