Procurement of services for the Park’nPay app

Media statement Thursday 14 December (attributable to Jeremy Irvine, CEO)

Parking Australia notes the release today of the New South Wales Auditor-General’s Report into the Procurement of services for the Park’nPay app.

As the report notes, “This audit assessed whether the department complied with the procurement obligations that applied at the time it procured these services” (p. 1) and “focusses on the department’s procurement and contract management processes.” (p. 1)

The report is extensive and comprehensive. In an in-depth examination and analysis of the matter, the report makes a series of important conclusions and recommendations including but not limited to the procurement strategy, for example.

In November 2021, Parking Australia called for an Auditor-General’s report into the matter. At all times Parking Australia has encouraged clear, transparent, and competitive processes to be followed. This position is in line, as the report notes (p. 9), with the NSW Procurement Policy Framework for Government Agencies whose principles “that apply to market engagement include: …. the process is fair and transparent, and agencies are to ensure maximum competition from the market.”

The report notes:

• That once the initial trial was committed to, “there was no meaningful assessment by the department of other potential vendors.” (p. 13). At the time, Parking Australia noted concerns regarding the process and raised if the processes being followed were in breach of government competitive neutrality policy and guidelines.
•  “The issue of other market competitors was not given any material consideration until after the industry body, Parking Australia (an industry group for parking management companies), raised a number of concerns with the Minister in November 2019 and December 2019 regarding the process accompanying the Park’nPay app.” (p. 20).
• “In its representations made in November 2019 and December 2019, Parking Australia expressed concerns about a perceived lack of industry consultation by the government; the government providing a service via the app that was perceived to be in competition with commercial products; [and] a lack of transparency around the process by which the app was developed.” (p. 20).

Read objectively, and in full, from the perspective of good public administration, the report is focused and considered. We will further consider the report and its conclusions and recommendations.

Going forward

Parking Australia understands, based on responses on questions on notice to Minister Dib (p. 7), that the app “remains operational”, and that “the Department of Customer Service is investigating options for the app and ways to support motorists into the future, including drivers with mobility issues. As part of this investigation, the department has consulted affected stakeholders including organisations such as the Physical Disability Council of NSW and People with Disabilities Australia. This includes holding consultation roundtables with local government and disability organisations in November 2023.”

We wrote to relevant ministers, including Minister Dib on 2 November 2023 noting media reports on the future of the app, along with queries from members. In that letter, Parking Australia sought clarification of the future of the app going forward and detail around the outcomes of these announcements and timelines for any decisions. We also sought a preliminary discussion, a formal written response that we would share with our members so that all members have the same information from government and offered to facilitate a briefing on the matter.

Being aware of the government’s roundtable in November 2023, we wrote to Minister Dib again on 22 November noting the roundtables and reiterating the offers in our original letter.

We look forward to working collaboratively with government and to responses to our queries and offers in due course.