Taxpayers spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for State Government departments to pay people to water their indoor plants
TAXPAYERS have been billed more than $100,000 for indoor plants to help boost the “mood” and “morale” while reducing absenteeism at the state’s environmental watchdog.
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TAXPAYERS have been billed more than $100,000 for indoor plants to help boost the “mood” and “morale” while reducing absenteeism at the state’s environmental watchdog and the agency charged with managing water systems.
Figures released under Freedom of Information laws reveal SA Water spent almost $76,000 on indoor shrubs over the past two and half years while the Environment Protection Agency splurged nearly $36,000.
But the State Government has defended the spending, arguing the list of benefits included improving “mood”, “employee morale” and “decreased absenteeism”.
The Advertiser last year revealed how the Environment Department spent $80,000 on indoor pot plants for staff despite it managing flora-filled parks across the state. Defending the spending, also revealed under FOI, the government insisted plants were needed to supply oxygen to its Waymouth St headquarters.
Opposition environment spokesman David Speirs, who obtained the information, condemned the spending.
“It’s appalling to discover that three government entities have now spent close to $200,000 on leasing and maintaining indoor pot plants,’’ he said. “This just doesn’t pass the pub test.
“Many South Australian families and businesses are struggling to pay their huge water bills and will be outraged to discover that SA Water has spent almost $80,000 in 2½ years leasing pot plants.’’
Mr Speirs called for full government disclosure about indoor plant costs across the public sector.
“Again, I am putting these departments on notice, if I am fortunate enough to become minister, I won’t tolerate wasting South Australians’ money like this,’’ he said.
An SA Water spokeswoman yesterday defended the spending because of “improvement in employee morale, decreased absenteeism, increas-ed worker efficiency and lowering the cost of airconditioning’’.
The spokeswoman said the spending, which equated to $28,400 each year, included a “small number of plants in buildings we lease at Victoria Square in the Adelaide CBD and at Torrensville’’.
“The maintenance is undertaken by a small South Australian indoor plants business.”
“This (cost) includes watering, pruning and any plant replacement,” she said.
“The plants also add to the five star energy rating of our Victoria Square building.’’
Acting Environment Minister Susan Close said pot plants were good for workers’ moods: “Is it the Liberal policy to ignore science and force public servants to work in dreary and unappealing offices with poor air circulation?”
The EPA did not respond to inquiries.
An Environment Department spokeswoman said the $77,000 cost was $14,400 to maintain the plants and a one-off cost of $43,000 to buy them.