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Wool research funding 'misused'
29 Aug 2003
A Senate inquiry was told on August 28 that Col Dorber, former head of Australian Wool Innovation, misused funds and employed his own children. Mr Dorber also hired a public relations company using AWI funds to campaign for existing board members during a ballot of woolgrowers, the inquiry was told.
The accusations were made by AWI's new management and include details of how Mr Dorber was forced to ask for AWI's $500,000 donation to the Farmhand drought appeal in 2002 to be returned, after it emerged that he did not have the right to make the contribution.
AWI's new management commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to report on the body's financial affairs. The report stated that 34 projects worth $14,342,846 were approved by Mr Dorber's board without executed contracts in place. Another 34 projects, worth $8.265 million, were not the subject of binding agreements.
Although the AWI board raised concerns about Mr Dorber's performance during a 2002 review, he was still given a $50,000 tax-free bonus.
The Australian, 29/8/03, page 3.
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