Warwick Arthur Watkins (1950–2019) was a disgraced senior New South Wales public servant and former member of the Australia national rugby union team, the Wallabies.
Early life
Watkins was born in Newcastle, New South Wales on 8 February 1950. He was educated at Grafton High School and Hawkesbury Agricultural College.
Australian Rugby
Watkins was selected in the Australian Rugby team, the Wallabies, and was a reserve in the three Test match Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand in 1980 held in Australia.
New South Wales government career
Watkins held a range of senior New South Wales public service positions including: Commissioner of the NSW Soil Conservation Service Director-General of the Department of Lands 2003–11 Chief Executive of the Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA), 2000–11 Surveyor-General of New South Wales 2000–11 Registrar-General, 2003–11. He also held a range of inter-governmental appointments including Deputy Commissioner of the Murray Darling Basin Commission 1992–95, Chair of the Total Catchment Management Coordinating Committee and Deputy Chair of the CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Board. Watkins was Chairman of the Australian New Zealand Land Information Council, 2000–2011.
With a career of 41 years, Watkins was dismissed from the NSW Public Service in July 2011, after having been stood down in March 2011. In the week prior to his dismissal, Watkins resigned from his positions as NSW surveyor-general, registrar-general and commissioner of the soil conservation service. The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in delivering its official findings in December 2011 reported that Watkins acted corruptly. Watkins admitted to ICAC he had used a letter backdated by former planning minister Tony Kelly to mislead investigators.
Currawong land deal – ICAC investigation (Operation Napier), Prosecution and Convictions On 20 June 2011, ICAC announced that it would hold a public inquiry into matters arising from the purchase of property at Currawong, Pittwater by the NSW Government. Specifically, purchase involved four properties at Currawong, Pittwater, were purchased for $12.2 million on 15 March 2011 by Watkins on behalf of the NSW Government from the owner, Eco Villages Australia Pty Limited. The properties were previously owned by a NSW union. ICAC held a public inquiry over 11 days during June and July 2011. The ICAC Commissioner, the Hon. David Ipp AO QC, presided at the public inquiry. Twenty-one witnesses gave evidence. ICAC concluded its investigation in mid-December. ICAC found that the Minister for Lands Tony Kelly engaged in corrupt conduct with respect to the purchase of the property by the NSW Government. Specifically, ICAC found that Kelly, authorised the purchase even though he knew he was not authorised to do so, and that he backdated a letter to before the caretaker period of government commenced, knowing that it would be used by a public servant to falsely represent that written authority had been given to authorise the purchase. That public servant was Watkins, Director General of the Department of Lands.