![Sacked: Intelligence analyst Mitchell Stitt had his employment terminated a day after raising serious concerns about the Department of Planning's mining titles systems. Sacked: Intelligence analyst Mitchell Stitt had his employment terminated a day after raising serious concerns about the Department of Planning's mining titles systems.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pBvqKxHgUnSrdaeEwDT49F/733618ac-5a4c-4333-8c64-47c4285aa0ac.jpg/r0_4_306_355_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
AN intelligence analyst who alleged he was “used up and spat out” by the NSW Department of Planning after raising serious concerns about mining titles systems has taken initial steps to sue the NSW Government.
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Mitchell Stitt will never return to work after just one year with the department before his employment was terminated in June, said Slater & Gordon senior associate Josh McKay.
“We are investigating reports Mr Stitt was actively obstructed in his work by senior officers in an effort to conceal substantial technological issues,” said Mr McKay.
“Mr Stitt has sustained a severe psychological injury as a result of bullying in the workplace. He is now permanently impaired and will never return to work.”
Mr Stitt is the fourth senior Department of Planning employee to blow the whistle since November 20 after former mining titles operations manager Rebecca Connor told the Newcastle Herald she was sacked after raising corruption allegations and because “I wouldn’t play ball”.
Mr Stitt was responsible for providing processes and systems advice to the department’s assistance, programs and performance unit.
Mr McKay said Mr Stitt “identified significant underperformance” in areas that included mining titles that “exposed the agency”.
Mr Stitt “sought to provide frank and fearless advice” to senior officers, Mr McKay said.
Mr Stitt warned the Department of Planning it was “regulating blindly” a day before his employment was terminated by email in June, 2018.
![Sacked: Former Department of Planning mining titles operations manager Rebecca Connor made corruption allegations before her employment was terminated. Picture: Marina Neil. Sacked: Former Department of Planning mining titles operations manager Rebecca Connor made corruption allegations before her employment was terminated. Picture: Marina Neil.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pBvqKxHgUnSrdaeEwDT49F/54c1edb1-f3ad-4ab1-919a-3bbd35e6c70a.jpg/r0_162_4554_2722_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He alleged senior staff gave a department executive incorrect information about a database overhaul of mining title conditions that left the department “regulating blindly” because of “gaps” he had identified, but which he alleged the department did not address.
He was granted workers compensation in November after insurers accepted he suffered a psychological injury when a department executive emailed that his services were no longer needed.
The department’s woeful mining titles systems were exposed in August, 2017 during the damaging Ridgelands Resources case when a mining company attempted to reduce a secret community fund condition of its exploration licence over land at Muswellbrook from $5 million to $500,000.
Mr McKay said he was investigating instances of bullying and harassment in the NSW Government.
“We urge anyone who may have been a victim of bullying and harassment in this, or any, government department to reach out to us,” he said.
A Department of Planning spokesperson said no staff have had their employment terminated due to whistleblowing actions.
The department challenged some of the matters raised by Mr Stitt.
It acknowledged “his concern about a lack of a database of conditions of title was already known by the department and a program to remedy this was in progress when it was raised”.
“The digitization of all conditions on all titles was completed in August and allows all conditions on all titles to be searched electronically. This work is currently being integrated into the new titles management system,” the spokesperson said.
The first stage of the system, dealing with exploration licence applications, went “live” in early December, the spokesperson said.
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