Council's global trip costs ratepayers $85,000

Vern Walsh

Auckland City councillors Vern Walsh and Penny Sefuiva, accompanied by two senior officers, spent $85,016 of ratepayers' money on a round-the-world trip before returning home and voting to raise household rates by 13.4 per cent.

The two City Vision councillors, and recreation and community services manager Cameron Parr and community planning manager Mark Vinall, flew business class visiting art galleries, museums and sporting facilities in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Cities on the 27-day "study tour" from April 16 to May 12 included San Francisco, Vancouver, London, Paris, Bilbao, Valencia, Prague and Berlin.

The trip was made shortly before Mr Walsh delivered his second budget as chairman of the finance committee.

His first budget raised household rates by 9.7 per cent.

This year he hit households with an average 13.4 per cent rise and he plans a 10 per cent increase next year.

Last night, Mr Walsh said he had no qualms about going on the trip, saying the cost was "reasonable and value for money".

"In terms of the largest city in New Zealand and a budget of around $500 million, that amount is only a very, very, very, very, very, very tiny portion of that.

"I think it sends a message about advancing Auckland to becoming a more global city.

"We have to continue to look at ideas of best practice around the world.

"We have to continually look at the mistakes some cities have made.

"We have got huge infrastructural investment to be made over the next 10 years."

Mr Walsh said the four were close to finishing a detailed report on what they had learned from the trip and which he hoped would lead to benefits and savings for the council.

He said it was difficult to quantify what the savings would be but there were ideas for the $320 million redevelopment of Eden Park and things as basic as street cleaning.

Figures provided to the Herald under the Official Information Act show the council under-estimated the cost of flying the four business class around the world.

In April, communications manager Mark Fenwick estimated the business class airfares would cost $26,400.

The final cost was $42,225, 60 per cent above the estimate. Spending on accommodation was $26,989 and expenses such as meals, taxis and entrance fees totalled $15,802.

Mr Walsh, who is in charge of finding savings within the council, said he had no intention of reviewing business-class travel for councillors.

After years of travelling economy class, the previous council under Mayor John Banks, with the backing of City Vision leader Dr Bruce Hucker, changed the policy in November 2003 for business class travel for journeys longer than seven hours.

Mayor Dick Hubbard and councillors have overtaken the previous council's record spending on overseas trips.

In the first two-and-a-bit years of the John Banks-led council, councillors ran up $92,300 on overseas travel.

Mr Hubbard's council has spent more than $105,000 in less than two years at ratepayers' expense.