Housing staff at home on phone

Housing New Zealand has topped the big-spenders list of state-sector departments after ringing up almost $1.3 million in cellphone bills last year.

Information obtained under the Official Information Act showed the department spent an average of nearly $107,000 a month last year on call costs - a total bill of $1.2 million. A total of 827 Housing NZ employees have cellphones.

Executives in the corporation also spent $23,391 on overseas travel.

Tom Bridgeman from Housing NZ said cellphone use was an essential part of the job because most staff worked out of the office.

"Many staff are in and out of an office dealing with tenancy matters, sub-standard housing in isolated rural areas, and maintenance and improvement of homes," he said.

Mr Bridgeman said the cellphone cost was also high because landline-to-mobile calls were included.

He said mobile-to-mobile calls in 2005 came to about $760,000.

The 40 departments who responded to the Herald on Sunday's request for details on cellphone and travel costs spent almost $9 million on overseas travel and cellphone calls last year.

Second-highest on the list was New Zealand Customs, which spent more than $600,000 on overseas travel and almost $350,000 on mobile phone calls.

The amount spent on overseas travel included all customs staff - not just senior management.

John Kyne from NZ Customs said the business operated 24 hours, seven days a week and had an international focus, so travel was high.

"We are part of the World Customs Organisation, so we spend time in other countries developing standards. We go to the US, Australia and also countries like China and other Asian countries the Government is developing free-trade agreements with," he said.

Customs officers flew business class if the travel time exceeded nine hours. Otherwise economy tickets were bought. "Business class bumps the price up but we need our staff arriving to these places fresh and ready. Time is money for us."

Overseas travel figures for the New Zealand Police were not available because they were before the select committee. Cellphone bills for the police came to $756,198.

The state broadcaster, Television New Zealand, did not respond to requests for details on overseas travel and cellphone costs.