SA Environment Department spent $80,000 on pot plants

EXCLUSIVE: The Environment Department may own millions of trees but somehow it managed to run up a bill of $80,000 for indoor pot plants — despite its budget for the real environment being cut.

Environment Department CEO Sandy Pitcher. Picture: Mike Burton

THE Environment Department has spent $80,000 on indoor pot plants for staff, despite it managing flora-filled parks across the state.

The purchases which have created what the Opposition calls a “leafy paradise” for department officers, were racked up over two years, and despite the department’s budget being cut by 40 per cent.

The spending has come to light only because of an Opposition application under the Freedom of Information Act for details of the spending, to compare with what is spent maintaining state park areas. But while the cost has been revealed, other details of the types of plants and their uses have been kept secret.

Opposition Environment spokesman David Speirs said if Environment Minister Ian Hunter wanted to create a “leafy paradise”, he should “water his own plants”.

“This is yet another example of how out of touch the Weatherill Government is with reality,” Mr Speirs said.

“Premier (Jay) Weatherill has a reputation of treating taxpayers’ money with contempt, wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars on blatant political campaigns.”

Through a spokeswoman, the State Government justified the expense as part of a consolidation of office space from seven buildings into one new six-star environment rated building in the city, which had “walls of plants”.

“The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources is saving more than $30 million over the next 12 years by consolidating on to a 6-star approved site, savings which take into account the purchase of plants for the building which accommodates the very department that looks after the environment portfolio,’’ the spokeswoman said.

But the cost savings were forced on the department, by a cut to its funding in 2014 of 40 per cent over two years and staff being reduced by 110 people.

The spokeswoman said: “The building has energy-efficient LED lighting, uses recycled soda bottle materials and has walls of plants to increase air quality and flow for around 1000 staff who work in the building.”

Mr Speirs will try to find out how much other departments are spending on pot plants.

“If other state government departments are spending similar amounts on maintaining their indoor pot plants then that would amount to hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars being wasted each year,’’ he said.

Bunnings were yesterday selling indoor pot plants from $5.49 retail each, meaning the Environment Department could buy more than 14,500 even if it didn’t pay a wholesale price. “Minister Hunter could employ another much needed park ranger with that kind of money,’’ Mr Speirs said.