The former chief executive of the Kimberley Land Council, Wayne Bergmann, has accused The Age of racism for publishing his $450 hourly rate and his company’s $20,000 bill to an Aboriginal community for a one-day meeting.

The Age’s recent podcast series, Wrong Skin, examined the relationship between the land council, known as the KLC, and Mr Bergmann’s KRED Enterprises, which has received about $20 million in revenue since 2014 after the land council contracted out many of its heritage and commercial negotiation functions to it.

Wayne Bergmann Credit:Joe Armao

In a statement released by Mr Bergmann this week, the businessman claimed: “We query whether, if Wayne Bergmann was Caucasian, Mr Baker [would] be so quick to assume he is personally paid $450 an hour by mining companies, or that such an hourly rate (if it were paid) was unreasonable in the circumstances.”

The Age and this journalist reject Mr Bergmann’s suggestion that its reporting has been motivated by racism.