Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for PARKS and ENVIRONMENT, Mr DUIGAN
Last week, my colleague in the other place – Ms Badger MP – had you table a letter from yourself to the director of Wild Drake Pty Ltd and the liquidator that now controls that company. The letter effectively serves to extend the lease on Halls Island, the licence and deed of agreement, until the 31 March 2025.
Minister, this is a very strange situation created by your policy to privatise national parks. You have effectively given an exclusive possession lease over World Heritage land to the director of a company that is being wound up. Minister, was it lawful, and did you seek advice from Crown Law before reassigning that lease to the individual Daniel Hackett?
ANSWER
I thank the member for the question. I will quickly seek some advice.
In terms of the question of advice, I have acted on advice, including advice from Crown Law. In regard to the lease, I will update the House. The lease remains current. What is relevant here is that there has not been any deregistration or declaration in relation to Wild Drake Pty Ltd at this stage. Wild Drake is in liquidation, but no determination has been made on the company being insolvent.
Again, as I have said previously, because a process is underway in relation to liquidation matters, I will not deal in hypotheticals or pre-empt any of the outcomes. I am advised the liquidator requires the environmental organisation to complete a process as part of liquidation proceedings. Until that has occurred –
Ms O’Connor – Excuse me, just for clarification, what environmental organisation? What are you talking about?
Mr DUIGAN – I am advised the liquidator requires the environmental organisation to complete a process as part of the liquidation proceedings. Until that has occurred, the matter cannot be resolved. In the event that the company was declared insolvent, there is a provision in the lease for termination.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Ms O’CONNOR – First of all, I need some clarity on your last answer. The liquidator requires what environmental organisation to do that? Are you calling Wild Drake Pty Ltd an environmental organisation, rather than a developer? Could you clarify who you are talking about and can you confirm that Crown Law gave you advice that your action in signing and reassigning that lease to Daniel Hackett, when a liquidator has been appointed for Wild Drake – was your advice from Crown Law that that action was lawful?
Mr DUIGAN – Mr President, as I say, Wild Drake which is – just allow me to seek some advice here. As I have said, Wild Drake is in liquidation, but Wild Drake is named on the lease, not Daniel Hackett. So, it is a lease between Wild Drake Pty Ltd and in terms of seeking advice, I have sought advice including from State Counsel and I have made my decision based on that advice.
