Council's Trip Cost Soaring

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday September 13, 2007

By MARIO CHRISTODOULOU

AS Wollongong's roads, parks and pools crumble for the want of funds, Wollongong City Council is spending record amounts on overseas trips, documents reveal.

Internal reports obtained by the Mercury detail the cost to ratepayers of overseas trips by councillors and council staff.

Annual reports reveal that over the past five years overseas travel spending has increased from $38,000 in 2001 to $125,000 in 2006.

Documents show some of the big spenders include council officers such as former general manager Rod Oxley, who spent $12,000 when he travelled to London in April to negotiate an insurance contract. Economic development manager Bob Doyle also embarked on a $22,000 European trip to attend a skilled migration expo.

Last month, councillors endorsed an overseas trip to China where they will tour cities and meet business and government bodies.

The trip in November will encompass seven locations, including Beijing.

Lord Mayor Alex Darling and deputy Kiril Jonovski will attend, along with members of the Illawarra Regional Development Board.

The cost is expected to come in at more than $11,500.

The trip comes at a time when the council is forced to make some hard decisions about the future of the city.

Yesterday, the Mercury revealed that the area faced a catastrophic failure of infrastructure if millions of dollars were not found to invest in the crumbling roads, footpaths, pools and parks.

Job cuts and user-pay systems were two proposals being mooted to address the problem, according to general manager David Farmer and Councillor Darling.

Cr Darling strongly defended the overseas trips, describing them as essential to growth in Wollongong.

"People that call these trips junkets have no understanding of the work load and pressure you fit into nine days," he said, and added that a trip was being planned for India.

"If you are not in bed with these countries in the next two years then you are out of it - you've missed the boat," he said. "You can't expect an immediate return on trips overseas. I would think it takes five years to cement confidence with China."

Previous trips to China had brought in about 10,000 extra visitors.

OVERSEAS TRAVEL BILL: 2001-2006

2005-06 $125,398

2004-05 $94,323

2003-04 $59,186

2002-03 $24,868

2001-02 $38,273

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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