An investigation has found ex-politician and Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) board member Theo Theophanous improperly influenced government officers. 

An inquiry into the conduct of Mr Theophanous has found that he violated conflict of interest standards and influenced officers involved in an infrastructure project. 

Specifically, he lobbied on behalf of the Australian Education City (AEC) consortium, which he was engaged by, seeking payments from the consortium and using his position to advance the East Werribee project, an education precinct. 

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) launched Operation Clara in 2020 and has recently presented its findings to the Victorian parliament. 

The report highlighted the vulnerability of the system to corruption and recommended that the Victorian Public Sector Commission prohibit public entity board directors from engaging in lobbying activities and amend the guidelines for appointment and remuneration to prevent the appointment of lobbyists to a public entity board. 

Acting commissioner Stephen Farrow stressed the importance of these recommendations to safeguard against improper influence in political decision-making. 

Mr Theophanous failed to declare his conflict of interest at any VPA board meeting and did not register AEC as a client on the lobbyists register. 

IBAC found that he had indicated to clients that he had access to staff and information within the VPA to assist with their matters, and had approached AEC for direct payments for his advocacy. 

Investigators also found that Mr Theophanous obtained other benefits, including donations, for his daughter's election campaign from the AEC and a special adviser to the AEC. 

Acting commissioner Farrow said the report shows the need for reform in donations and lobbying regulation to align with other states and territories.

“Lobbyists’ main role is to influence government decisions in favour of private interests. A director on a public entity board should be impartial and should make recommendations that advance the public interest,” he said.

“Victoria’s current conflict of interest provisions do not go far enough when we have a situation where a lobbyist’s clients may be directly affected by the decisions of the board on which the lobbyist serves.”

The full IBAC report is accessible here.