Rodd Staples resigns

Rodd Staples has resigned as head of Transport for NSW. CREDIT:WOLTER PEETERS. NSW's transport agency was in chaos on Wednesday night after the sudden resignation of its chief and the referral of the department to the anti-corruption watchdog ICAC about a toxic land deal in Parramatta. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has referred his government's purchase of contaminated land to the state's corruption watchdog ICAC, after revelations it was bought for three-times its estimated value. The deal delivered its previous owner a $15 million windfall just months after it had bought the site. However, it was far less lucrative for Transport for NSW, with the site clean-up estimated to reach $100 million. Prior to his role as secretary, Rodd Staples worked as a leading engineer and was head of the Sydney Metro rail project. Last night, he resigned.