Transport Accident Commission chief Tracey Slatter defends executives’ trip to New Zealand amid staff concern

Some TAC staff are angry that four executives headed to New Zealand for meetings in the week prior to the government’s delivery of a debt-ridden budget.

The TAC, which employs more than 1200 people, recently installed a new leadership team.

Transport Accident Commission boss Tracey Slatter has raised the ire of some staff after she took three of her executives to New Zealand last week.

Several employees said the two-night trip was a bad look for the organisation in the lead-up to Tuesday’s state budget that contained little good news for families already struggling with a cost of living crunch.

Ms Slatter was accompanied by executive general managers Jennifer Rebeiro, Andrew Holt and Katherine Gobbi for two days of meetings with their Accident Compensation Corporation counterparts.

The total cost of the trip was $9460, a figure well within TAC’s travel policy guidelines, a spokesman said.

Tracey Slatter joined the TAC in July after previously heading up Barwon Water.

However, one source with knowledge of the situation said staff were “sh***y as”.

Another source said a “Zoom (meeting) would have done the trick” in a tough economic climate that saw the Labor government forecast state debt of $187.8bn by 2028.

Ms Slatter, who joined the TAC in July last year after previously heading up Barwon Water, spruiked the trip in an all-staff email.

“Facing similar opportunities and challenges, TAC leaders met with their New Zealand counterparts this week to explore how our two countries can work together to reduce road trauma and improve client outcomes,” the email read.

Asked about the trip, a TAC spokesman said the organisation was continually looking at ways to improve the scheme as part of its mission to eliminate road trauma and be a world-class social insurer.

“The TAC’s short visit to New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation was a highly valuable opportunity to identify improvements to the performance of our scheme, and gain critical insights to help us further reduce the personal and financial costs of road trauma in Victoria,” he said.

A spokesman for TAC Minister Danny Pearson said the trip was an organisational decision.

The TAC headquarters on Brougham St, Geelong.

Meetings were held with ACC executives, as well as police, transport authority personnel and key technical experts.

Ms Gobbi, Ms Rebeiro and Mr Holt have all joined the TAC in recent months as part of a leadership shake-up.

“Together, we’re looking forward to building upon an already high-performing culture at the TAC,” Ms Slatter said in December.

Their appointments were a result of an organisational review that followed Ms Slatter taking the top job.

Victoria’s road toll for the past 12 months was 286, 24 higher than the previous period and well above the five-year average of 239.

There was a notable drop in the road toll during 2020 when Covid lockdowns peaked.

Originally published as Transport Accident Commission chief Tracey Slatter defends executives’ trip to New Zealand amid staff concern