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DougHaigh_JenMercer
Joined: 05 May 2006
Posts: 654
Location: Mary Valley
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 Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: Cost of Queensland Water Commission almost $28m a year |
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Cost of Queensland Water Commission almost $28m a year
By Ainsley Pavey
June 15, 2008 12:00am
| Quote: | SPENDING on the Queensland Water Commission has blown out by 14 times the initial estimate of $2 million a year - to a staggering $28 million last year.
State Budget figures show the independent commission is leaking money, with staff costs, including salaries for an "army of spin doctors", rising to almost $10 million.
Set up to tackle the water crisis in April 2006, the commission was tipped by former premier Peter Beattie to cost "approximately $2 million to $2.5 million" a year. It has cost almost $44 million so far.Claims have also been made about staff numbers being "hidden", after a job advertisement last month revealed there were 16 employees in the commission's "communications and external relations" section.
State Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg branded the commission a "bloated bureaucracy".
"While the Opposition supports legitimate advertising to ensure southeast Queenslanders are aware of water restrictions, the Water Commission seems to have a sizeable army of communications staff dedicated to pumping out spin and glossy brochures," he said.
"The Bligh Labor Government is racking up a debt of $65 billion, with an interest bill of more than $10 million a day, yet they still seem to have plenty of money to splash on spin."
The job advertisement, which appeared in May, revealed there were 16 staff in the communications section. Two months ago the commission claimed to have only seven staff in the section.
Mr Springborg said the commission had hidden media staff by "rejigging their structure to shift some of those people into corporate policy".
Last month's Budget papers show 85 staff will be employed at the commission in 2008-09, with a budget of $27.8 million.
Mr Springborg said the extra $25.8 million in taxpayers' money provided to the commission could have funded rebates for 17,200 plumbed-in rainwater tanks, 129,000 water efficient washing machines or 860,000 showerheads.
Queensland Water Commission CEO John Bradley defended the staffing levels, saying some jobs on the organisational chart in May were unfilled or short-term.
He also denied moving media staff to avoid scrutiny.
Some new staff had to be employed to handle the growing number of calls, letters and emails from the public, he said.
"There has been a legitimate increase in staff to reflect the amount of work the commission is now doing," Mr Bradley said. "Staffing levels will go up and down as we complete more projects."
The initial estimated running cost of $2.5 million a year had been calculated before the commission's corporate structure, functions and resource needs were finalised, Mr Bradley said. |
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23862649-3102,00.html
Emphasis is mine |
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arawajo
Joined: 13 May 2006
Posts: 628
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| Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:21 am Post subject: |
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For that amount of money they could have set up a rain water tank factory and given tanks away free to all rate payers!
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When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes obligation" - Steve Biko |
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Darren E
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2075
Location: Dagun, Qld
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:40 am Post subject: |
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$2 million per year, $28 million per year - hey it's only an error of 1,300 percent.
I wonder how accurate the TCD cost estimate is?
The ISF / University of Technology Sydney / Cardno report last year estimated that viable alternatives to Traveston Crossing Dam would have an average cost of $1.15 per kL. So $28 million per year could deliver 24,000 ML per year - one third of the way there!
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"There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the means by which to detect lies" - Walter Lippman |
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