Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wollongong (UOW), Max Lu, has admitted to a Parliamentary Inquiry that the institution spend a large amount of money on consultants before embarking on cost-related job cuts.

Spending included $3.84 million to consultancy firm KordaMentha for a review of the university’s operations and the its cost-cutting restructure.

“Last year the university cut 190 jobs,” said CPSU NSW General Secretary Stewart Little. “This has a big impact on not only the university’s operations, but the economy of the Illawarra region.

“In essence they were cutting staff for the money they spent on looking at how to cut staff. It is absurd.”

Professor Lu appeared in front of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Universities.

The spending took place when John Dewar ,a partner at KordaMentha, was the university’s interim Vice-Chancellor. UOW has put out a statement that Professor Dewar was not involved in KordaMentha’s appointment.