$16,000 bill sinks ‘completely unacceptable’ TAC, VicRoads party at Melbourne Aquarium

PUBLIC servants have been caught out trying to splash taxpayer cash on a lavish, after-hours dinner in the Melbourne Aquarium’s Fish Bowl room to celebrate the end of the financial year.

A lavish party for VicRoads and TAC staff to have been held at Melbourne Aquarium has been cancelled. Picture: Mike Keating

PUBLIC servants have been caught out trying to splash $16,000 of taxpayer cash on a lavish, after-hours dinner at the Melbourne Aquarium.

Staff from VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission, and their partners, were to celebrate the end of the financial year in the aquarium’s “visually stunning” Fish Bowl room last Friday night.

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But bosses sank the party after questions from the Herald Sun.

The lavish event, to cost $14,000 to $16,000, promised 100-odd guests drinks and a fully catered feast.

It is not clear how much money will be recouped after the 11th-hour cancellation, but it is unlikely the cost will be fully refunded.

TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Invitations, seen by the Herald Sun, were issued for all Safe System Road Infrastructure Program staff “to help celebrate the EOFY and what we have achieved so far”.

The two organisations have begun a formal investigation and promised “appropriate disciplinary action”.

TAC boss Joe Calafiore and VicRoads acting chief executive Kerry Thompson said the party was “completely unacceptable” and “a clear breach of both VicRoads and TAC guidelines … We’ve commenced a full investigation into how it happened. The SSRIP team is doing a fantastic job in rolling out the biggest investment in road safety in our state’s history, and we thank them for it — but this is a fundamental misjudgment and simply not appropriate”.

Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Tim Smith.

The program is responsible for safety initiatives such as the rollout of controversial wire rope barriers across Victoria.

Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Tim Smith said the party was “grossly indulgent”.

“While Victorians are facing ever increasing cost of living pressures, like car registration fees, the Andrews Labor government and VicRoads staff spent thousands of dollars of taxpayers money to congratulate themselves with a grossly indulgent pat on the back,” he said.

Evan Mulholland, from the Institute of Public Affairs, said Victorians have had “a gutful of this kind of nonsense”.

“This is extraordinary extravagance from an arrogant public service,” he said.

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