One of the four members of a board set up to oversee South Australia’s public transport system has been awarded a $1.4 million “consultancy” contract to help privatise Adelaide’s rail system.

A former transport boss in Auckland and Sydney, Fergus Gammie has been engaged as project director for outsourcing of rail services as part of the Adelaide Rail Transformation program.

The contract is set to be the focus of questions to Department of Transport and Infrastructure head Tony Braxton-Smith, from the State Opposition, at a Budget and Finance Committe in State Parliament on Tuesday.

“It’s staggering that the Marshall Liberal Government are giving one consultant from NSW more than $1.4 million to sell an asset owned by South Australians,” Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis told The Advertiser.

Mr Gammie worked with Mr Braxton-Smith as deputy directors in an overhaul of NSW’s transport department in 2011.

Department of Transport and Infrastructure head Tony Braxton-Smith.A department spokesman said Mr Gammie “was identified and engaged through single source” after a 2018 search for a similar project “was unsuccessful as the selected suppliers were unable to provide a project director with specialised skills and experience to support the department throughout the rail program”.

“Had the department gone with a consultant from a ‘Big 4’ firm to undertake this work, the cost could have been three times more,” the spokesman said.

“Mr Gammie has extensive experience leading programs to deliver transport reforms and service improvements in Australia and New Zealand.”

In 2016 Mr Gammie became the chief executive officer of NZ Transport Agency.