We win the war against Service NSW ‘indian giving’ grant audit

May 30, 2024

Vindicated!

The year-long ‘audit’/’compliance review’ by Service NSW (New South Wales Minns Labor Government) into the $15,214 pandemic compensatory grant paid to my business Nature Trail has just been finalised by Service NSW on 3 May 2024, without any penalty of debt obligation upon me being imposed.

The matter is closed.

See the email below by Tina Dougherty, Director, SNSW Business Bureau, Business Customer Service.

Their initial unsubstantiated default fraud claim against me since 11 April 2023 and their phone calls and email threats demanding I refund the NSW Government’s pandemic compensatory grant monies of $15,214 paid to my impacted business was a stressful burden enduring a whole year!

So this is finally a win and it was not by luck.

My grant application of 1 August 2021 had been assessed and approved by Service NSW on 11 August 2021, ten days later (it was not automatic as the callers falsely claimed nearly 2 years later)
I kept every record of lodgement, of evidence, of all communications (emails phone calls taped and the .MP3 file stored– as they did) on this matter diligently,
organised and indexed, so that I could back up my situation should I have to later on. Wise in hindsight.
During the subsequent so-called ‘audit’ by Service NSW from 11 April 2023, I provided every requested supporting documentary evidence of Nature Trail’s
eligibility for this grant funding that was asked of me. I was transparent in every way – I had nothing to hide.
I lodged two formal complaints about the intimidation and incompetence of Service NSW callers to the CEO
I sought legal advice through my solicitor
I went public with my online blog campaign on the Nature Trail website ‘Mountains Drums’ – this online publicity attracted many readers – numbering 1796 views to date (see attached) for just one of the articles I wrote about this unjustified intimidation by government
7. More than a dozen micro business victims similarly impacted contacted me directly. I supported them with advice what the actions I was taking
8. I complained to my local NSW member of Parliament for the Blue Mountains, The Hon Trish Doyle MP – who was particularly helpful and supportive along with
her electoral office team – I am about to communicate this to her and thank her immensely
9. I wrote a letter of complaint to the various NSW Government ministers responsible including to the Premier Chris Minns I have spent countless hours on this legal battle. I’ve now won. It was not by luck. I was right all along and had done nothing wrong.

Hits to our blog post (see link at end of this post)

This is their final email to us. Read the pertinent last paragraph:

From: businessinfo1@service.nsw.gov.au <businessinfo1@service.nsw.gov.au>
Sent: Friday, 3 May 2024 12:21 PM
To: steve@naturetrail.com.au
Subject: 2021 COVID-19 Micro-business Grant [ref:!00D4a08aWL.!500RE05uzty:ref ]

RE: Micro-business Grant COL-8718f31-MBSD

Dear Steven Ridd,

I refer to your correspondence to Mr Greg Wells, CEO of Service NSW in relation to your application for the 2021 Covid-19 Micro-business Grant for your business Nature Trail and subsequent compliance audit. I am responding on behalf of Mr Wells.

Compliance audits play a crucial role in administering the NSW Government’s grants and rebate programs. When a customer submits an online application, they must provide supporting documentation and consent to potential compliance audits. Additionally, customers are obligated to adhere to the grant Terms and Conditions, which include retaining documentation for five years. Service NSW regularly completes compliance reviews of NSW Government grant and rebate programs, which ensures responsible use of public funds in alignment with program guidelines.

Applications were accepted and funds paid where customers’ responses in their application demonstrated eligibility and adherence to the Terms and Conditions, even if some supporting documentation was incomplete. In these cases, the compliance audit process allows customers to submit evidence of their eligibility.

Service NSW reviewed the application for your business, Nature Trail, for the 2021 COVID-19 Microbusiness Grant and initiated contact to your business due to missing evidence requirements. On 17 November 2023 Service NSW wrote to you advising that the compliance audit for the Microbusiness Grant has been paused pending review of the audit process. This review has now been finalised and the compliance program has resumed.

Upon the resumption of the compliance audit, Service NSW has completed a review of the further documentation you have supplied and has identified that you have not currently provided sufficient evidence to support eligibility of your application.

However, after careful consideration of your application and subsequent communications, Service NSW can confirm your application has been withdrawn from any pending compliance review and note no further action is required by you or your business.

Kind regards,

Tina Dougherty

Director,
SNSW Business Bureau
Business Customer Service (Service NSW)

No response to my repeated written insistence to specify what other documents they bloody wanted as further evidence to support eligibility – well after the fact of grant approval 11th August 2021 nearly two years prior
No apology for the baseless accusations against me of fraud
No apology for their threats of debt collection from Revenue NSW
No apology for the dozens of phone calls and emails to me
No apology for the Service NSW incompetence in accounting and tax matters
No reply from cowardly CEO Greg Wells to our two written detailed formal complaints
Director Dougherty and her Service NSW Business Bureau henchmen are still hounding other small businesses to try to claw back the Chinavirus pandemic grant compensation – caused by the government abject failure in quarantine.

This was our main blog post published within a month of all the crap ‘audit’ starting: