NSW taxpayers fork out for Government House’s $228k travel bill

Taxpayers have forked out hundreds of thousands of dollars for the NSW Governor and her husband to go on overseas trips since 2019. See the breakdown of costs here.

Taxpayers have forked out hundreds of thousands of dollars on overseas trips for NSW Governor Margaret Beazley and her husband Dennis ­Wilson since 2019.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that since Ms Beazley’s appointment in May 2019, Government House has racked up more than $228,000 in international travel costs for official vice-regal visits.

It can also be revealed that a recent overseas tour, which included attending the King’s Coronation in May, cost $67,416 – more than half of which was spent on flights.

Flights for the trip to London and the United Arab Emirates trip cost the taxpayer $39,605, according to answers provided to Parliament last month.

A spokesman for the Governor would not say how many international visits Ms Beazley had been on since she took office, but her official program shows she has been on four official visits overseas.

Governor Margaret Beazley hosted a public jazz concert at Government House on Sunday.

In August 2019, Ms Beazley and her husband travelled to China for a five day “Vice Regal mission” involving official meetings and a media call with local journalists, her diary shows.

In June 2022, she travelled to London, Brussels and Paris for a 12 day tour accompanied by her husband and two staff. The Department of Premier and Cabinet’s annual report, which details the Governor’s travel, said the trip was to “strengthen diplomatic and trade ties … to support the advancement of NSW trade and investment initiatives through the promotion of NSW offices in key markets”.

Ms Beazley has been on two international visits this year: the visit to London and the UAE, and an additional trip to Asia (to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jakarta, and Indonesia) in May.

Sources familiar with the Governors travel said Ms Beazley always travels in business class, including when she flies interstate.

Governor Beazley attending Coronation events in London earlier this year as part of a trip that cost more than $67,000. Facebook.

Ms Beazley was spotted at her official residence Government House on Sunday afternoon to attend the venue’s Jazz at the House event, where bands from NSW’s prison services, police and defence force perform in the gardens each month for free.

NSW Governor Margaret Beazley travelled to the UK earlier this year on a trip which included the King’s coronation.

A spokesman for Ms Beazley said the Governor’s overseas travel is disclosed in annual DPC reports.

The Governor’s spokesman said that the total cost of all international travel since May 2, 2019 came to $228,859, but he would not confirm whether the cost included the $67,416 spent on Ms Beazley’s visit to London and the UAE.

It is also unclear whether costs for Ms Beazley’s trip to Asia in May this year were included in the $228,859 figure.

The cost included “all expenses processed up to the most recent finance report dated 30 April, 2023,” her spokesman said.

There is no suggestion that the travel spending broke any rules.

Ms Beazley’s travel to the UAE meant she missed the opening of Parliament on May 9.