Travel clamps on back burner

MORE consistent rules regarding travel could be on the cards for elected members with the Local Government Association of Tasmania saying there is a desire among councils to further develop common travel policies.

But this will take a back seat to other issues such as the use of credit cards among council staff and elected members and council member allowances.

It was revealed this week that spending by Hobart City Council aldermen, excluding allowances, over the past three years increased to more than $470,000.

Spending on travel and conferences by aldermen blew out by almost $190,000, with overseas trips rising from nine to 26 in a six-year period. Hobart spent more than the Melbourne City Council on travel.

Local Government Association chief executive Katrena Stephenson said because only a handful of the state’s 29 councils sent aldermen or councillors overseas, travel by elected members was not an issue regularly brought up members.

“At the moment it’s still a matter for individual councils,” she said.

However, Ms Stephenson said travel rules could be included in discussion between her association and the Department of Premier’s Local Government Division — after work on other issues are finished.

“I think there is a general desire to map ways we can have things a bit more consistent in the sector,” she said.

“But at the moment we are looking at council allowances and we are also working with the Local Government Division to develop a statewide policy on credit cards that the AuditorGeneral recommended.

“After that we could look at other issues [like travel].”

The Auditor General could again look at the way Hobart City Council aldermen spend money, with Ald Peter Sexton saying he was concerned that the council was in breach of its own policies.