Kim Williams’ booming travel bill amid ABC wage fight

Kim Williams spent almost eight times as much in his first 14 months in the top job as his predecessor Ita Buttrose did in over two-and-a-half years, it has emerged.

ABC chair Kim Williams. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

ABC chair Kim Williams spent almost eight times as much on travel in his first 14 months in the top job as his predecessor Ita Buttrose did in over two-and-a-half years.

Mr Williams, who took leadership of the ABC board in March 2024, spent at least $55,087.50 on airfares and car travel in the 14 months to May this year, information obtained by The Australian under the Freedom of Information Act shows.

This is compared to the $6708.51 spent on airfares and car travel by Ms Buttrose between January 2022 and March 6, 2024. Ms Buttrose chaired the ABC from 2019 until March this year.

Ita Buttrose spent $6749 on car hire over two and a half years.

ABC sources noted Mr Williams’ bumper travel budget likely reflected the months of lobbying and travel from the veteran media executive, who has visited many of the broadcaster’s bureaus since his term began.

Mr Williams, who was paid $67,050 for his role as ABC chair last year, has also been spotted in Canberra on repeated lobbying trips, with sources noting it was likely $48,338.50 of his travel spend reflected the costs of flying between the nation’s capital and his home base in Sydney.

ABC chair Kim Williams, left, in a departure lounge.

ABC data shows Mr Williams also spent $6749 on car travel over the 14 months between March last year and the end of May 2025.

An ABC spokeswoman did not address questions posed by The Australian on the matter.

“The ABC chair receives remuneration and expenses for their service on the ABC board, including allowances for travel. Rates are set by the remuneration tribunal and are reviewed each year,” she said.

Mr Williams has been pushing to boost the funding to the national broadcaster, as well as secure backing for a mooted shake-up of the sprawling government owned media giant.

The ABC chair has also made repeated public appearances in his ABC role, giving several speeches in Sydney and Melbourne.

Former Nine Entertainment boss Hugh Marks, who took over the managing director position at the ABC on March 10, is pushing through a painful restructure of the broadcaster which has seen a number of jobs eliminated in recent months.

Hugh Marks was named as the new managing director of the ABC. Picture: NewsWire

ABC sources noted Ms Buttrose’s $6708.51 spend on travel costs over two-and-a-half years reflected her limited travel as ABC chair over the period.

Data supplied by the ABC shows Ms Buttrose invoiced the broadcaster for no flights over this period, with the former chair largely confined to Sydney.

Ms Buttrose missed the ABC board’s only Western Australian meeting in 2023 amid health issues.

Her $6708.51 spending reflects mostly car hire over the period.

As previously revealed in The Australian, Ms Buttrose slugged the ABC for a string of trips around Sydney to and from her home in inner city Redfern using luxury vehicle hire firm Corporate Cars Australia.

The size of Mr Williams’ travel costs has interested several ABC sources, coming as the broadcaster seeks to hammer out a new wage deal with staff.

This has included inviting the union representing ABC workers, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, as well as back-end staff covered by the Commonwealth Public Sector Union, to sign a deal agreeing not to strike for 12 months for an immediate 3 per cent pay bump as the two sides negotiate a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

However, union negotiators rejected the approach.

ABC staff previously threatened to strike in March 2023 amid a dispute over pay and conditions, before securing an 11 per cent pay rise over three years, along with a $1500 bonus.

But it’s understood there was disagreement between the union groups over the strike proposal.

The MEAA and the CPSU have clashed in past negotiating rounds.

Originally published as Kim Williams’ booming travel bill amid ABC wage fight