Hotel quarantine inquiry budget blows out to $5.7 million

The budget for the taxpayer-funded inquiry into Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine program has blown out by a staggering amount.

The budget of the Victorian Government’s taxpayer-funded inquiry into its botched hotel quarantine program has been blown out by nearly $3 million.

The Premier gave his tick of approval after the Board of Inquiry requested a further $2.7 million, bringing its total budget to $5.7 million.

An inquiry spokesman said the board expected its final expenditure to be less than the $5.7 million, with any unused funds to be returned to the Government.

“The additional funding is necessary for the board to complete its work due to the logistical difficulties presented by the pandemic, which included transitioning the chair, counsel and all staff to remote hearings as well as the live streaming of hearings featuring 63 remote witnesses,” they said.

Judge Jennifer Coate will hand down her final report in early November.

It was further revealed the impact of the six-week extension to the inquiry’s reporting date, the “volume and nature” of documents sought and received and the number of parties with leave to appear were among other reasons for the additional funding request.

When asked about the budget blowout at Tuesday’s press conference, Daniel Andrews said he was not aware of the reasons why the inquiry had requested more money but would support their needs.

It’s believed more than 200,000 documents have been submitted to the inquiry, probing what caused the Government’s hotel quarantine scheme to fail and trigger much of the state’s second wave of coronavirus infections.

Mr Andrews was the final witness to appear on Friday afternoon, with the inquiry this week now sifting through final submissions.

The inquiry will hand down its final report and findings on November 6.