Main Menu
Sub Main Menu
sunshine coast
noosa
coolum
national
world
2:02PM Wednesday 03 December, 2008

‘Pandora’s Box to open’

22 August 2008

| By Grant Reynolds

The man behind the inquiry into the Noosa National Park visitor centre has vowed to go public with information he says opens a Pandora’s Box regarding the deal for Noosa Parks Association to manage it.

And NPA is not taking the criticism lying down.

Sid Pate, of Holiday Media Network, said he would soon publish on a website information he had received through freedom-of-information requests. But NPA member and co-author of its submission, Michael Gloster, said NPA had launched its own FOI application and the public could decide which submission had more merit.

Mr Pate had lodged an Expression of Interest with the Environmental Protection Agency to manage the centre under the banner of Holiday Media Network.

His application was unsuccessful and access to information about the NPA’s winning application was requested, which Mr Pate said revealed serious concerns about the transparency of the process.

The EPA had an independent auditor review the process and, despite revealing numerous flaws, recommended the EPA continue negotiations with NPA about the visitor information centre.

Mr Pate said the information would speak for itself once it was made public.

Mr Pate has allowed Noosa News access to the FOI information.

Noosa News understands Mr Pate will pursue an appeal to the ombudsman and seek further information through FOI.

Mr Gloster said he was “totally relaxed” about the information going public.

“We challenge Mr Pate to publish his own submission on the website,” he said.

Mr Gloster rejected any suggestions of underhanded dealings throughout the EOI process.

“The probity audit found that,” Mr Gloster said.

“Any question about impropriety is dead and buried.”

An EPA spokesperson said the organisation was implementing all the recommendations of the probity auditor’s report on the EOI process.

He said the EPA met with Mr Pate on Wednesday to provide a wider debriefing on issues of concern.

Have your say

We welcome comments on our stories and blogs - after all it's your site. Please note comments should be on-topic and not abusive. Comments are checked before publication.