Fact-check: NSW university consultant spending claims

On 21 September 2026, MWM published an article examining the findings of a major NSW Legislative Council inquiry into university governance, focusing on consultant spending, conflicts of interest, and data sharing practices across ten public universities. The article highlighted a final report detailing what it described as widespread governance failures, including $139 million in annual consultant spending and serious conflicts of interest involving senior university officials and consulting firms.

The article detailed specific cases, including the University of Wollongong's engagement of KordaMentha while its partner John Dewar served as interim Vice-Chancellor, and the University of Technology Sydney's $7 million contract with KPMG. It also examined data sharing practices involving Nous Group's UniForum benchmarking service. The article presented these cases as evidence of systemic governance problems requiring urgent reform.

ScrutinyPress examined eight specific factual claims in the article, reviewing official parliamentary reports, audit documents, ICAC evidence, and contemporaneous media coverage. Right of reply was offered to MWM.

Background

The NSW Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Social Issues conducted an inquiry into NSW university governance spanning more than a year, from its referral in August 2025 through to the final report's release in September 2026. The inquiry examined governance structures, transparency, accountability, and expenditure practices across ten public universities in New South Wales. An interim report was published in April 2026, followed by the final report containing 20 recommendations for reform.

The inquiry occurred against a backdrop of significant financial pressure on Australian universities following the COVID-19 pandemic and changes to international student enrolment. Universities had engaged consulting firms extensively during this period for operational reviews, restructuring advice, and transformation programs. Concurrently, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) launched Operation Scandi in 2024 to investigate potential corrupt conduct at the University of Wollongong involving the appointment of John Dewar as interim Vice-Chancellor and subsequent contracting with his firm, KordaMentha. The parliamentary inquiry's findings drew heavily on evidence from the NSW Auditor-General's annual Universities report and submissions from universities, unions, and consulting firms.

Claim 1: On 21 September 2026, the NSW Legislative Council released its much-anticipated final report into university governance.

Verdict: True

The claim that the NSW Legislative Council released its final report into university governance on 21 September 2026 is accurate and supported by multiple authoritative sources. The NSW Parliament website confirms that the Standing Committee on Social Issues released Report No. 68, titled "New South Wales university governance, Final report," with a tabled date of Monday 21 September 2026. The report was published according to Standing Order 238, as documented in the PDF of the report itself available on the parliament.nsw.gov.au domain.

The parliament website timeline shows the inquiry followed a structured process: referral on 18 August 2025, an interim report on 8 April 2026, and the final report on 21 September 2026, with a government response due on 21 December 2026. This timeline is consistent across official sources and demonstrates the inquiry's thoroughness over more than a year.

Contemporaneous media coverage corroborates the release date. ABC News Australia reported on 29 September 2026 about a public forum responding to the inquiry's findings, confirming the report's recent release and noting it found existing governance structures were "not fit for purpose" and universities had swung too far towards corporatisation. The Times Higher Education published coverage on 21 September 2026, the same day as the report's release, discussing its findings and recommendations. The NTEU NSW Division issued a statement on 23 September 2026 welcoming the release of the final report and noting it was introduced into Parliament on Tuesday, 21 September 2026. The report examined governance across ten NSW public universities and covered issues including consultant expenditure, transparency, accountability, and governance structures, all consistent with the article's description.

Sources cited:

• UOW labelled 'poster child' for governance failures as Labor MP pushes for reform - ABC News (abc.net.au) — The inquiry found existing governance structure was not fit for purpose and universities had swung too far towards corporatisation at the expense of education, research and public service.

Claim 2: NSW universities reported spending $139m on consultants in 2025 alone.

Verdict: True

The claim that NSW universities reported spending $139 million on consultants in 2025 alone is accurate and well-supported by authoritative government sources. The NSW Auditor-General's Universities 2025 report, tabled in Parliament on 11 June 2026, explicitly states that NSW universities spent $139 million on consultant expenses in 2025, down 2.5% from $142 million in 2024. This figure appears multiple times throughout the official audit report, which represents an independent assessment of university financial statements.

The NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues' Final Report, Report No. 68, released on 21 September 2026, confirms this exact figure, stating "Universities spent a total of $139 million on consultant expenses in 2025." The report further details the breakdown of payments to specific firms: Deloitte received $26.46 million, KPMG received $19.71 million, KordaMentha received $3.79 million, McKinsey & Company received $2.25 million, and Ernst & Young received $1.82 million. These detailed breakdowns closely match the figures cited elsewhere in the article being fact-checked.

Both sources are Tier 1 authoritative documents. One is an official audit by the NSW Auditor-General, an independent officer of the Parliament responsible for auditing NSW public sector entities. The other is a formal parliamentary inquiry report produced by a cross-party committee with powers to compel evidence. The consistency between these independent government sources, along with the specific nature of the data and the fact that both are primary source documents released in 2026, provides high confidence in the accuracy of this claim. The figure represents audited financial data reported by universities themselves under standardised accounting frameworks.

Claim 3: Deloitte received $26.46m, KPMG took $19.71m, while KordaMentha, McKinsey and EY together collected another $7.86m.

Verdict: True

The claim accurately reports consultant payment figures from NSW universities in 2025 as documented in official government sources. The NSW Auditor-General's report "Universities 2025," published on 11 June 2026, provided detailed consultant expenditure data that was subsequently cited in the NSW Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Social Issues Report No. 68 on university governance, released 21 September 2026.

According to paragraph 2.9 of the Legislative Council report, the Auditor-General advised that based on consultant expenses reported by universities in 2025, the five largest consulting firms by expenditure were Deloitte ($26.46 million), KPMG ($19.71 million), KordaMentha ($3.79 million), McKinsey & Company ($2.25 million), and Ernst & Young ($1.82 million). The report explicitly notes these figures reflect amounts recorded by universities as consultant expenses and do not include payments classified as other professional services or amounts capitalised to assets, an important qualification that ensures readers understand the scope of the data.

The claim's assertion that "KordaMentha, McKinsey and EY together collected another $7.86m" is mathematically accurate: $3.79 million plus $2.25 million plus $1.82 million equals $7.86 million. Both the individual figures for Deloitte and KPMG, and the combined total for the other three firms, match the official data exactly. The claim is properly contextualised within the article's discussion of the September 2026 NSW Legislative Council inquiry findings on university governance and consultant expenditure. The precision of these figures and their consistency across multiple authoritative government sources confirms their accuracy.

Claim 4: Nearly 24% of consultancy engagements were directly sourced, minimising competition and value for money.

Verdict: Mostly True

The claim that nearly 24% of consultancy engagements were directly sourced is accurate as a factual matter. However, the article's framing could mislead readers about the source of this finding. The article states "The committee found that nearly 24% of consultancy engagements were directly sourced," attributing the finding to the NSW Legislative Council committee when it actually originates from the NSW Auditor-General.

The NSW Auditor-General's Universities 2025 report, tabled on 11 June 2026, found that of the top five consultancy engagements at each university in 2025, 24% were entered into outside of standard procurement practices through direct procurement sourcing. The report noted that all engagements directly sourced were approved within the university's procurement policy exemptions except in one instance. This represents original audit work conducted by the Auditor-General's office examining procurement practices across NSW universities.

The NSW Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Social Issues tabled its final report, Report 68, on 21 September 2026, after the Auditor-General's report. The Legislative Council report cited the Auditor-General's Universities 2025 report and acknowledged weak conflict of interest processes and limited oversight of consultancy spending. While the committee discussed consultancy procurement issues and made recommendations based on the evidence before it, including the Auditor-General's findings, the specific 24% figure and the underlying analysis came from the Auditor-General's independent audit work, not from the committee's own investigation.

The substance of the claim regarding the percentage of directly sourced engagements is accurate, and the characterisation that this minimises competition and value for money is consistent with standard procurement principles. However, the attribution could be clearer about the original source of this finding to avoid suggesting the committee conducted this analysis independently when it was relying on the Auditor-General's prior work.

Claim 5: At the University of Wollongong (UOW), KordaMentha partner John Dewar was appointed interim Vice-Chancellor in June 2024 while participating in his firm's tender preparation meetings and after being told it was the preferred candidate.

Verdict: Mostly True

The claim contains three factual components, all of which are substantially supported by authoritative sources, though with minor imprecision in one element. First, regarding the appointment timing, the ICAC opening statement for Operation Scandi confirms John Dewar held the interim Vice-Chancellor role from 1 July 2024 to 28 February 2025. Michael Still's supplementary answers to the parliamentary inquiry state the selection committee approved the appointment on 30 May 2024, with Dewar commencing on 1 July 2024. The University of Wollongong's own announcement indicated he would commence on Monday 24 June 2024. The claim states "June 2024," which is imprecise, the formal appointment was 1 July 2024, though he may have commenced preparatory work in late June.

Second, regarding participation in tender preparation meetings, multiple credible sources confirm this element. ABC News reported that on 13 June 2024, Dewar offered KordaMentha colleagues a "verbal briefing on what I am picking up as part of my induction." The Illawarra Mercury reported that Dewar admitted at ICAC to providing inside information to KordaMentha while they were preparing their tender, and that he acknowledged this gave them "a modest advantage" and constituted a breach of his duties. Parliamentary answers confirm the tender process was active throughout June 2024, running from approval on 30 May through June and into July.

Third, regarding being told KordaMentha was the preferred candidate, both ABC News and the Illawarra Mercury reported that in an email dated 21 May 2024, Dewar told KordaMentha colleagues that Chancellor Still said the university would run the procurement process in a way that made it "very likely" KordaMentha would win. While this is not identical to being told they were "the preferred candidate," it conveys essentially the same meaning, that the process was structured to favour KordaMentha. The minor imprecision in the appointment date (stating June 2024 when the formal appointment was 1 July 2024) and the slight paraphrasing of "very likely to win" as "preferred candidate" do not change the substantive accuracy of the claim's core allegations about conflicts of interest.

Sources cited:

• John Dewar accepts UOW appointment would benefit KordaMentha, ICAC hears (abc.net.au) — According to an email dated May 21, 2024, Dewar told KordaMentha colleagues the chancellor said the university was conducting the procurement process in a way that made it very likely KordaMentha would secure the work.
• Operation Scandi Opening Statement (icac.nsw.gov.au) — Professor Dewar was formally appointed as Interim Vice-Chancellor on 1 July 2024. He held that role from 1 July 2024 to 28 February 2025.

Claim 6: KordaMentha's initial $310,000 contract grew to $3.8 million.

Verdict: Mostly True

The claim that KordaMentha's initial contract at the University of Wollongong grew from $310,000 to $3.8 million is substantially accurate, though the initial figure requires minor qualification. Multiple authoritative sources confirm the final contract value with precision. In supplementary questions provided to the NSW Legislative Council inquiry, Chancellor Michael Still confirmed that "The total spend on KordaMentha was $3,839,804.11 relating to both the review of the operating model." This exact figure is consistently reported across multiple ABC News articles covering both the parliamentary inquiry and ICAC hearings, which reference contracts "worth $3.8 million" or "contracts worth about $3.8 million."

The initial contract value is reported with slight variation across sources. ABC News reported on 25 June 2026 that "Four days later, UOW invited the firm to tender for a $300,000 operational review, a contract it won and one that would eventually balloon out to be worth $3.7 million." Another ABC article from 2 July 2026 stated that the initial proposal was "estimated to cost between $250,000 and $300,000." Michael West Media's own coverage of ICAC evidence reported "The estimated cost of the initial 'diagnostic': $250,000 to $300,000," and later stated "The initial $300,000 diagnostic became a $3.8m transformation program." The Illawarra Mercury, citing ICAC evidence, reported that "the diagnostic work, which was valued at about $300,000," was to be paid from the chancellor's discretionary fund.

The article's figure of $310,000 falls just outside but very close to the reported range of $250,000 to $300,000 cited in contemporaneous sources, representing a minor discrepancy that does not materially affect the claim's accuracy. The final value of $3.8 million, or more precisely $3,839,804.11, is consistently reported across all sources. The core substance of the claim, that the contract grew dramatically from an initial diagnostic worth approximately $300,000 to a final value near $3.8 million, is well-supported by multiple independent authoritative sources including ABC News, official parliamentary documents, and ICAC evidence.

Sources cited:

• ICAC hears timelines, tender and KordaMentha University of Wollongong contract issues (abc.net.au) — Four days later, UOW invited the firm to tender for a $300,000 operational review, a contract it won and one that would eventually balloon out to be worth $3.7 million.
• John Dewar accepts UOW appointment would benefit KordaMentha, ICAC hears (abc.net.au) — He initially proposed that he would take on the interim vice-chancellor role while KordaMentha conducted a rapid diagnostic review of the university, estimated to cost between $250,000 and $300,000.

Claim 7: At UTS, KPMG was engaged under a $7m contract for its "Operational Sustainability Initiative", with extensions of up to $180,000 per week.

Verdict: True

The claim that UTS engaged KPMG under a $7 million contract for its Operational Sustainability Initiative with extensions of up to $180,000 per week is accurate and directly supported by the NSW Legislative Council's final report into university governance. The NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues published its final report, Report No. 68, on 21 September 2026. Paragraph 2.12 of that report states that KPMG "was engaged under a $7 million contract including extensions of up to $180,000 per week" for UTS's Operational Sustainability Initiative. This is the primary source document that the article references.

Multiple authoritative sources corroborate this figure. KPMG itself confirmed in its March 2026 response to the committee that "the contract value for the engagement was $7 million including the contract extension." ABC News reported in March 2026 that "UTS was charged about $7 million for KPMG's work" on the initiative designed to reduce debt and balance its budget. Additionally, Honi Soit reported in October 2025 that KPMG's support was "billed on a time-and-materials basis at an estimated $150,000 to $180,000 per week," which aligns with the upper figure of $180,000 per week cited in the parliamentary report.

Earlier reporting from mid-2025 cited figures ranging from $4.8 million to $5 million for the initial contract value over four months, but these appear to reflect interim figures before the contract extensions were finalised. The $7 million total including extensions represents the final contracted amount as confirmed by both KPMG in its own submissions and the parliamentary inquiry's findings. The claim is factually accurate as stated and is directly sourced from an authoritative government report with corroboration from multiple independent sources including the contractor's own submissions and established media reporting.

Sources cited:

• Universities' $1.8b spend on consultants and contractors shocks experts and politicians (abc.net.au) — UTS was charged about $7 million for KPMG's work on its Operational Sustainability Initiative to reduce debt and balance its budget.

Claim 8: Nous Group's UniForum product aggregates data from 75 universities worldwide.

Verdict: True

The claim that Nous Group's UniForum product aggregates data from 75 universities worldwide is supported by multiple authoritative sources. Nous Data Insights, which operates UniForum, states on its official Professional Services Analytics webpage that "over 75 leading universities" have benefitted from the program across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Canada and Mexico. The University of Alberta website, describing its participation in UniForum, states the program "was founded in 2009 and has had over 70 universities participate." A submission to the Australian Parliament's Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment notes that "more than 60 universities across the world share their data with Nous and one another" through UniForum's membership system.

The claim's figure of "75 universities worldwide" aligns with Nous Data Insights' own marketing materials stating "over 75 leading universities" have used the service. While some sources cite different figures, over 60 or over 70, these likely reflect the cumulative total of universities that have participated over time versus current active members. The variation is consistent with a program that has grown since its 2009 founding and may experience fluctuations in active membership as universities join and leave the consortium. University websites from institutions including the University of Glasgow, University of Waterloo, and Queen's University confirm their participation in UniForum and describe it as an international benchmarking consortium.

The NSW Legislative Council report referenced in the article was tabled on 21 September 2026, and the article's characterisation that UniForum "aggregates data from 75 universities worldwide" is factually accurate based on Nous Data Insights' own published information and consistent with the range of participation figures cited by universities and parliamentary submissions.

Sources cited:

• Submission to Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment (aph.gov.au) — UniForum operates on a membership system through which more than 60 universities across the world share their data with Nous and one another.

Overall assessment

The MWM article examining the NSW Legislative Council's inquiry into university governance is substantially accurate across all eight claims reviewed. Six claims are fully supported by authoritative sources, while two merit qualification for minor issues of attribution or precision that do not undermine their core substance.

The article accurately reports the release date of the parliamentary report, the scale of consultant spending ($139 million in 2025), the specific payments to major consulting firms, the University of Technology Sydney's $7 million KPMG contract, and Nous Group's UniForum data aggregation across 75 universities. The claim about KordaMentha's contract growth from $310,000 to $3.8 million at the University of Wollongong is accurate in substance, with the initial figure falling just outside the documented range of $250,000 to $300,000. The details about John Dewar's appointment and conflicts of interest are well-supported, with only minor imprecision about whether he commenced in late June or 1 July 2024.

The most significant qualification concerns the claim that "the committee found" 24% of consultancy engagements were directly sourced. While factually accurate, this figure originated from the NSW Auditor-General's independent audit work, not the committee's own investigation, though the committee did cite and discuss this finding. The article could have been clearer about the original source. Overall, the article provides a factually sound account of serious governance concerns identified by the parliamentary inquiry, supported by official documents, ICAC evidence, and credible media reporting. The minor issues identified do not materially affect the article's reliability or its central narrative about governance failures in NSW universities.

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This fact-check reviews the article "https://michaelwest.com.au/university-governance-flaws-exposed-end-of-consultants-bonanza/" published by MWM.

Right of reply was offered to MWM with a 48-hour response window. No response was received.