NSW Government eyes AAPT's Paul Broad

AAPT chief Paul Broad has reportedly been offered the lead job at Infrastructure NSW by the new Liberal state government.

The Sun Herald reported the poaching attempt yesterday.

Broad was understood to have been offered a salary of $350,000 a year - commensurate with other NSW public sector salaries but a fraction of what he earned at AAPT.

In the past financial year, Broad received from AAPT a base salary of just on $1 million and bonuses of a further $1 million (of which $700,000 was earned in 2009 but paid last year).

According to Telecom New Zealand's 2010 Annual Report, Broad was on a fixed-term contract with AAPT due to expire on 1 July 2011.

Broad was experienced at leading utilities. His background included roles at utilities Sydney Water, Energy Australia and PowerTel.

When PowerTel was bought out by AAPT in 2007, Broad was named AAPT's chief.

Broad presided over last year's sale of AAPT's consumer business to ISP iiNet, a move that AAPT saw as allowing the company to refocus on its core communications business.