Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has slugged ratepayers more than $114k in travel expenses

Ratepayers have forked out more than $114,000 to cover Nick Reece’s travel expenses as the Melbourne Lord Mayor eyes a major $20,000 China tour.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece has made ratepayers fork out more than $114,000 on his travel expenses since he become deputy lord mayor at the end of 2020.

The Herald Sun has analysed his publicly available expenses and found he has racked up a bill of $114,320.55 for local, interstate and international travel as both Deputy Lord Mayor and Lord Mayor.

Most of the expenses, more than $80,000, were for “local travel”, which includes using a chauffer driven limo to be taken to meetings around Melbourne.

The Herald Sun asked Mr Reece if the level of spending represented good value for ratepayers and how much of it was used on limos but he refused to answer.

Instead, a City of Melbourne spokeswoman said: “The expenses reflect the significant demands on the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor to attend a range of engagements, where they represent and advocate for the city.”

Nicholas Reece’s travel bill has topped more than $114,000. Picture: David Crosling

In 2023, Mr Reece cost ratepayers $16,263.38 for him to “participate in (a) business delegation lead by Australia China Business Council” that visited Hong Kong, Tianjin and Beijing in China.

On Tuesday, the council is set to vote on sending a councillor, expected to be Mr Reece, on a $20,470 overseas trip to “priority partner cities of Chengdu, Nanjing and Tianjin in China and Osaka in Japan”, with stopovers in Hong Kong and Tokyo in September.

Council Watch president Dean Hurlston said Mr Reece’s level of spending on travel seemed “excessive’.

“We acknowledge that Mr Reece is an ambassador for the City of Melbourne and this may increase expense more than an ordinary council mayor, however, given the tight economic times, we would urge City of Melbourne to reduce and limit all interstate and overseas travel, and where possible reduce any private car usage,” he said.

“Ratepayers expect prudent and careful use of public funds.

“The level of spending (on travel) seems excessive,” Mr Hurlston said

“Mr Reece needs to show prudent financial leadership as Lord Mayor,” he said.
“Previous Lord Mayors have used Town Hall like a junket hobbyhorse, this must end.”

Council Watch president Dean Hurlston labelled Mr Reece’s travel spending as “excessive”. Picture: Supplied

In December 2023, the Herald Sun revealed former Lord Mayor Sally Capp spent $31,636 on chauffeur-driven limousine trips in a year, including to events such as the 2023 AFL Grand Final where her beloved Collingwood were playing, the Melbourne Cup and the Matildas’ World Cup semi-final.

Ms Capp also ratepayers $93 for a limo trip of just 650 metres between Melbourne Town Hall and the Yarra boatsheds to make the announcement of who was selected as Monarchs for the Moomba Festival.

Ms Capp made an election commitment in the 2018 by-election, caused by the resignation Robert Doyle in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal, that she would walk, cycle, catch public transport and even use her own car for work and official events.

“That’s why I’ll be walking, cycling, using public transport and driving my own car to and from work and official events,” she told the Herald Sun in 2018 after scrapping the former lord mayor’s official car.

“I’ll still on occasion use a car service, on an as-needs basis, when that is the most appropriate and efficient transport option,” she said.

Originally published as Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has slugged ratepayers more than $114k in travel expenses