Former Wagga mayor Greg Conkey defends legitimacy of Wagga funding amid ICAC findings

On Thursday, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found Maguire and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, who he was in a personal relationship with, had engaged in "serious corrupt conduct".

Former Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said given what came out of ICAC's prolonged investigation, dubbed Operation Keppel, he was not taken by surprise at the findings against Maguire.

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"What does surprise me however, are the findings against the former premier," Mr Conkey said. "She was a very strong supporter of rural and regional NSW and supported a number of projects throughout rural and regional parts of the state."

Mr Conkey served as mayor from 2016 until 2021, during the time the inquiry into Maguire took place.

The inquiry found Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust in 2016 and 2017 in relation to funding promised to the Wagga-based Australian Clay Target Association.

It found she again engaged in serious corrupt conduct in relation to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music, another project advanced by Maguire.

But Mr Conkey defended the conservatorium and ACTA as being worthy contenders for funds despite the circumstances and decried the fact they were singled out by the corruption watchdog.

"It's unfair because the state government supported organisations that hosted international events and the clay target association had bid for an international event and won that.

"As far as the conservatorium of music is concerned, they desperately needed a new premises because they were about to be thrown out of their existing site [at CSU's former Turvey Park campus].

"The state government has supported both such organisations in the past, so it's really a shame they have both been adversely affected by this finding."

Mr Conkey argued if Wagga had a different sitting member at the time, funds would have been granted on merit. "I'm sure the state government would have seen the significance of those two organisations and would have assisted them," he said.

But former Labor candidate for Wagga and sitting councillor Dan Hayes said regardless of whether those organisations deserved the funds, it's important the grant approval process is fair.

"We want the grants process to be fair, and it doesn't take away from those organisations that put their plans in and advocated for their case - that's what they do," Cr Hayes said.

"But there were probably many other organisations doing the same thing, believing they were given a level playing field, and it turns out they weren't. Instead, [the decision] was whatever Maguire wanted in a phone call to his secret partner who was the premier, and they both thought that was OK."

Cr Hayes said while conflicts of interest are unavoidable for politicians and leaders in the community, what matters most is how they are dealt with. "We don't live in a bubble, we belong to clubs, we have friends and family and we're involved in the community," he said.

"That's why it's important to have the appropriate processes in place so when those conflicts arise - which in themselves are not an issue - it's how they are managed which is the problem.

"[The premier and Maguire] knew the conflict was there, but didn't declare it. What has resulted is a lack of confidence in the processes that were in place around the decision making process."

The Wagga Liberal Party branch declined to comment but opposition leader Mark Speakman spoke out strongly against the former member for Wagga. "Daryl Maguire's actions were a reprehensible abuse of his position," Mr Speakman said.

Mr Speakman also strongly criticised the time it took to release the report. "The delays in providing a report have been unacceptable and should not be allowed to occur again," he said.

"Our community deserves a timeline resolution of investigations undertaken by ICAC, especially when they concern the senior leadership of our state."

Daryl Maguire served as the member for Wagga from 1999 until 2018 when he resigned from the Liberal Party and from state parliament just months later.

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