Xafiiska Hanti-dhowrka ee Queensland oo dhaleeceeyay golaha magaalada Townsville ee maamulka mashruuca tareenka
Xafiiska Hanti-dhowrka Queensland (QAO) ayaa dhaleeceeyay Golaha Magaalada Townsville (TCC) oo ku saabsan maamulka horumarin lacag badan ku kacday. Shirkadii Northern Rail Yard Development Pty Ltd ee goluhu sameeyay ayaa la kala diray iyadoo aan oggolaansho laga helin khasnajiga Queensland.
Samaynta Shirkadda iyo Lacag-bixinta
Golaha magaaladu wuxuu abuuray Northern Rail Yard Development Pty Ltd xilligii maaliyadeed ee 2023-24, taasoo QAO ay ogaatay in aan loo helin oggolaanshihii loo baahnaa ee khasnajiga Queensland. Tani waxay ka dhigan tahay in aan la raacin shuruucdii qasabka ahayd ee golaha khuseysay.
TCC waxay shirkaddii siisay wadar $624,000 oo doolar ah oo ah lacag hawleed xilliyadii maaliyadeed ee 2023-24 iyo 2024-25. Dowladda Queensland waxay qoondeysay $35 milyan oo doolar mashruuca, kaasoo lagu horumarinayo xeryihii tareenada ee guri iyo xarun ganacsi.
Dib-u-eegistii QAO iyo Kala-dispurka Shirkadda
QAO waxay sheegtay in baaritaankii ugu horreeyay ee shirkadda golaha u ah, oo la kala diray May 2026, uu muujiyay daciifnimo xagga maamulka, kormeerka iyo warbixinada maaliyadeed. Qoraalkoodii ayuu yiri: "Resolution of these issues was not undertaken in a timely manner, resulting in significant delay of the completion of the audit."
QAO ayaa xaqiijisay in TCC aysan helin oggolaanshihii khasnajiga ee abuurista shirkadda. Wakiilka golaha ayaa sheegay in la'aantaas ay ka dhalatay is-maandhaaf sharciga degmada iyo sharciga qabanqaabadaha maaliyadeed ee hay'adaha.
Mashruuca Hadda iyo Warbixinnada Mustaqbalka
Cr Dametto wuxuu yiri: "The compliance issues identified have nothing to do with the North Railyards project underway today." Mashruuca waxaa hadda wax ka qabanaya Flinders St Rail iyagoo heshiis toos ah la leh golaha, ee aan ahayn shirkaddii la kala diray.
Goluhu wuxuu qandaraasyo la leeyahay Queensland Treasury oo maalgelinaya nadiifinta dhulka. Goluhu wuxuu ku darayaa caddeyn dheeraad ah qoraalladiisa maaliyadeed ee 2025-26, waxaana la filayaa in la sii daayo dambaadka sanadka.
The Queensland Audit Office has criticised Townsville City Council for governance and financial reporting weaknesses linked to a now-dissolved company created to oversee a multi-million-dollar rail yard redevelopment in the city.
Audit finds council broke legislative rules
The Queensland Audit Office said the council established Northern Rail Yard Development Pty Ltd in the 2023-24 financial year without the required approval from the Queensland treasurer. The office described this as non-compliance with prescribed legislative requirements applicable to the council. A council spokesperson later explained the absence of approval resulted from an inconsistency between the Local Government Act and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act, which has since been clarified.
The company received a total of $624,000 in operational funding from the council over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years. The Queensland government has allocated $35 million towards the project, which will see the derelict former Queensland Rail site developed into a housing and commercial hub in the Townsville CBD.
Dissolution prevented audit opinion
The QAO found that the resolution of governance issues was not undertaken in a timely manner, resulting in a significant delay in completing the audit. By the time the issues were resolved and the 2023-24 audit was finished, the council had decided to wind up the entity, which was deregistered in May 2026. This meant the office was unable to issue an audit opinion on the financial statements for that financial year.
The QAO told the council to prepare financial statements for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years even though the company no longer exists. As the parent entity, the council has an obligation to report to its ratepayers on the financial operations of the company, including its financial performance and position for each year it operated.
Council defends project and promises transparency
Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said the compliance issues identified have nothing to do with the North Railyards project underway today. He stated the project is being delivered by local developer Flinders St Rail under a direct agreement with the council, not the entity referenced in the audit. The council confirmed the company had entered into a confidential development deed with Flinders St Rail, which is owned and operated by Townsville developer Brad Webb.
Cr Dametto said the council will include additional disclosures in its 2025-26 Financial Statements outlining the funding provided to the entity. Council financial statements for the 2025-26 financial year are expected to be released later this year, with officers currently in discussion with the QAO on how this should occur given the entity no longer exists.
