The two-year anniversary of an inquiry into the privatisation of the South Australian Travel Centre has come and gone – and there’s still no public report.

In 2011 a tender to privatise the South Australian Tourism Commission-controlled centre was awarded to a company owned by Ben Mead, the son-in-law of then-SATC chairman Bob Foord.

The decision attracted public controversy, not just because of the connection between Mead and Foord, but also because the centre was relocated to a basement in Grenfell Street from its previous high profile position in King William Street.

Soon after the decision was made public Foord resigned, saying he was trying to save the commission from unfair criticism and innuendo.

Foord has denied any wrongdoing. The SATC maintained that all proper probity controls were in place during the tendering and the board was not involved in any way.

Then-SATC chief executive Ian Darbyshire has also moved on and is now leading the Rundle Mall Management Authority.

In June 2011 the State Government referred the entire tender process to the independent Auditor-General.

Auditor-General Simon O’Neill has not produced a public report on the matter, although a review has been completed and its findings have been given to the SATC.

A spokesperson for Tourism Minister Leon Bignell told InDaily the SATC had already implemented the Auditor-General’s recommendations.

“The Auditor-General reviewed the tender process and provided the findings and recommendations to the SATC which subsequently implemented them,” the spokesperson said.

“The matters considered by the Auditor-General will be reported on in a Supplementary Report to Parliament.

“The timing of this is at the discretion of Auditor-General.”

In December 2012 the Auditor-General’s office told InDaily O’Neill had yet to start work on a final report and was still doing “background work”.

In February last year the travel centre was handed back to the State Government by Mead’s company and reopened on North Terrace.

Media reports at the time claimed the centre was running at a loss, and there were complaints that Mead’s company had been provided with misleading information during the tendering process.

The Auditor-General did not return InDaily’s calls.