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NSW prefab schools’ delivery under scrutiny at public ICAC hearing.
Testimony from the ICAC’s Operation Landan hearings has exposed process inconsistencies and blurred lines around the management of prefabricated school delivery within School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW), raising questions about how advisory roles and procurement pathways were handled as modular programs scaled up. (image credit: School Infrastructure NSW.)
Appearing before the Commission on 3 June 2025, Stuart Suthern-Brunt — a senior adviser to SINSW during the early phase of its Pavilion Project — provided evidence on a range of internal processes, including contract rate negotiations, adviser appointments, and record retention. His testimony revealed that notes taken on his phone in July 2020 detailed rate comparisons, discount structures, and reference points from external consulting firms — figures that were consistent with the response his company later submitted during a post-tender clarification process.
While Suthern-Brunt confirmed he had proactively removed himself from a tender steering committee to avoid a conflict of interest, he acknowledged that material relating to modular construction and procurement had been stored on his computer after his departure. Though he characterised the files as “generic” and “marketing in nature,” he conceded under questioning that they should have been deleted.
The Commission also reviewed internal communications that preceded a 10 per cent discount applied to Suthern-Brunt’s daily rate, noting exchanges with senior SINSW staff that suggested his re-engagement was largely anticipated prior to the finalisation of the tender.
Separate evidence focused on the involvement of Kathy Jones, whose advisory role in the Strategic Transactions team was subject to contract variations and procurement briefings in mid to late 2020. Suthern-Brunt told the Commission her input was primarily in stakeholder communications, rather than procurement modelling or delivery frameworks. Nevertheless, documents tabled during the hearing revealed complex internal discussions about how her role aligned with SINSW’s governance expectations.
While the Pavilion Project was originally positioned as a scalable model for prefabricated school infrastructure, the ICAC hearings have drawn attention to the systems — and relationships — behind its implementation. The Department of Education has since cancelled the associated contract with APP Group, citing concerns unrelated to the current hearing but echoing themes around transparency, oversight and value-for-money.
Further testimony is expected to examine how modular delivery intersects with broader procurement culture across government infrastructure projects.
Find the ICAC investigation HERE
