Minister described $30m western Sydney airport land purchase as 'perfectly sensible'

Audit office reveals Paul Fletcher's apparent endorsement of acquisition later found to be $27m above land's fair value

The federal infrastructure minister, Paul Fletcher, told officials from his department that their decision to buy a parcel of land adjacent to the western Sydney airport - a controversial acquisition later eviscerated by the commonwealth auditor general - seemed perfectly sensible to me".

Fletcher's apparent endorsement of the purchase was revealed by staff from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.