City of Melbourne’s Singapore to Seattle post-Covid travel spree

Ratepayers struggling with the cost of living are forking out an eye-watering amount to cover the travel bills of well paid councillors and staff.

City of Melbourne has racked up a $130,000 in post-Covid travel.

City of Melbourne councillors and staff have gone on a post-Covid jetsetting spree with ratepayers forking out more than $130,000 on trips to places ranging from Singapore to Seattle.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp’s jaunt to a Singapore summit last July — a trip that included investigating the city state’s approach to graffiti management — cost a total $30,550 in airfares, hotels and other expenses for the three-person delegation.

While part of Ms Capp’s costs were covered by the organisers, council spent about $24,000 sending her chief of staff Jacob Clifton and city strategy director Sophie Handley to Singapore, City of Melbourne documents show.

Council travel effectively ceased during the pandemic, but from April 2021 ratepayers have stumped up $135,540 for 77 official trips, comprising $101,675 for staff and $33,865 for councillors.

Sally Capp’s Singapore trip cost $30,550. Picture: Tim Carrafa

New councillor Jamal Hakim had $12,811 in travel, including a $5961 visit to New Zealand last August for meetings on public art, libraries and the digital and creative sectors.

Also on the trip was the council’s Aboriginal Melbourne director Jason Eades at a cost of $6068.

This week, Greens councillor Olivia Ball is representing Melbourne at a healthy cities summit in London with council providing $400 for incidental costs.

While most council trips were interstate, council’s creative program director Stephanie Urruty went on a $1925 trip to South Korea in October 2022 to attend an international “art play” forum.

And last September, council’s zero carbon city manager John Griffiths flew to Seattle for a Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance meeting that cost council $382.

Council Watch vice-president Dean Hurlston said there was no need for any council to send people overseas for any purpose.

“Victorians have had a gutful of councils who just want to gouge them and use the money on junkets,” he said.

City of Melbourne councillors and staff have travelled to Singapore, Seattle, London and New Zealand. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Local councils are about local issues, if you want expensive junkets, run for state or federal parliaments.”

Dr Bella d’Abrera, foundations of Western civilisation program director at the Institute of Public Affairs, said Melbourne was still a mess with struggling small businesses after lockdowns.

“Instead of incentivising new businesses through lower rates and trying to reinvigorate the streets, the council instead is using ratepayers’ money to jet off around the world on pointless junkets,” she said.

A City of Melbourne spokesman said Melbourne was a global city and overseas travel and trade missions helped attract millions of dollars in economic benefit.

“We will continue to identify opportunities to further strengthen our economy, share knowledge, deliver our major initiatives and promote our proud cultural identity on the global stage,” he said.

The council said the Singapore world cities summit was a chance for government leaders and industry experts to look at liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships.

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