City of Melbourne staff have reportedly spent a staggering $330,000 of taxpayer money on domestic and international staff trips over the past year.
Staff have reportedly visited New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto and Cape Town over the past year, claiming the expenses under professional development.
Counil chief executive Ben Rimmer alone racked up $30,000 in staff travel expenses in 2017, when flew to two US cities, the Herald Sun reported.
Council chief executive Ben Rimmer (pictured) alone racked up $30,000 in staff travel expenses in 2017, when flew to two US cities
The chief executive reportedly flew to Boston and New York last October to attend two taxpayer funded ‘entrepreneurship’ programs designed to benefit his role.
He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program, followed by the International Faculty Fellows Program.
On MIT’s website, the university states that its programs offer attendees a ‘practical approach to strengthening innovation driven entrepreneurial ecosystems’.
The chief executive later charged another conference to staff expenses, when he attended the MIT program ‘from vision to practical action’ in June of this year.
Senior council executive Martin Cutter and chief digital officer Michelle Fitzgerald also racked up a $24,426 bill when they flew to Europe to attend several seminars.
Mr Rimmer flew to New York (left) last October to attend an ‘entrepreneurship’ program, and later visited Japan (right) to benefit his role
It wasn’t only international destinations that were racking up expensive petty cash bills, with some domestic trips also adding to the hefty bill, the Herald Sun reported.
These included a $5,000 Sydney conference attended by Dean Robertson and Kevin Schwieker, as well as a $3,203 Brisbane performance arts market attended by Kaye Glamuzina.
Gideon Rozner, from the Institute of Public Affairs, told the publication it appeared the council has money to burn, given the amount being spent on ‘lavish junkets’.
‘It’s time for a hefty rate cut,’ he said.
Among the numerous locations visited by staff over the past 12 months was Paris (left), Los Angeles (centre) and Toronto (right)
But according to a City of Melbourne spokeswoman, staff travel is necessary to ‘ensure we are best positioned to attract and support the jobs, investment and innovation of the future’.
She said the council was well aware of the cost to travel and only agreed to fund trips that were essential.
‘Travel by staff is governed by the corporate travel policy which has strict guidelines and reporting criteria for expenses incurred,’ she said.
‘Such travel must demonstrate professional development and/or a return on investment for City of Melbourne.’