The ACT Ombudsman's office has extended an apology to a local Canberra firm, Black Mountain Construction Assurance (BMCA), for an extensive delay of over two years in addressing their grievances. The company had raised concerns about being consistently denied major government contracts despite submitting the most competitive bids. This acknowledgment of delayed action from the Ombudsman's office highlights broader issues within the agency, which is currently grappling with a substantial backlog of unresolved complaints.
ACT Ombudsman's Protracted Inquiry and Company's Frustration
In August 2026, the ACT Ombudsman officially apologized to Black Mountain Construction Assurance (BMCA), a Canberra-based company, for an unprecedented two-year delay in investigating a critical complaint. This complaint, originally filed in May 2024 by BMCA director David Parums, centered on the ACT government's repeated rejection of the company's bids for significant construction projects. Parums stated that over a span of five years, BMCA submitted tenders 18 times, consistently demonstrating superior value in terms of both price and quality, yet never securing a contract. This pattern led him to suspect the existence of an undisclosed government blacklist preventing his company from obtaining work. Parums asserted that the taxpayer could have saved an estimated $800,000 if BMCA had been awarded these contracts. The Ombudsman's spokesperson confirmed the apology, stating, "We have apologised to Mr Parums for the time taken to progress his complaint. We conduct our investigations in private, and we endeavour to finalise them as quickly as possible. We will continue to keep Mr Parums updated on the progress of the matter." This incident aligns with recent findings by the ACT Integrity Commission, which last month revealed instances of "serious corrupt conduct" by certain ACT employees who allegedly favored a specific company tied to a construction workers' union in awarding a primary school upgrade contract. While Parums did not believe his company's rejections were linked to these specific individuals or motives, he emphasized the need for greater transparency in the ACT government's contract allocation process, expressing his desire to understand why his eligible local company was consistently overlooked. Ombudsman Iain Anderson acknowledged his office's struggles, noting that as of July 17, 2026, they were managing over 7361 complaints, with 543 remaining unresolved for more than a year. He admitted that the office's performance in handling individual complaints had not met its own established standards. Following an inquiry from The Canberra Times in October, the Ombudsman's office expedited the handling of Parums' complaint, labeling it a "priority."
This case sheds light on the critical need for governmental accountability and efficiency. The extended delay in resolving a legitimate business concern not only caused financial detriment to Black Mountain Construction Assurance but also eroded public trust in the fairness of procurement processes. The Ombudsman's acknowledgment of systemic issues within his office underscores the broader challenge of managing a high volume of complaints while maintaining timely and thorough investigations. This situation prompts reflection on the mechanisms in place to ensure fair competition and transparent governance, especially in the awarding of public contracts, which are vital for economic equity and taxpayer value. Furthermore, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust oversight bodies that can effectively address citizen and business grievances without undue delay.