Ballarat City mayor Samantha Mclntosh has defended the use of business class travel to the upcoming World League of Historic Cities board meeting in Turkey, saying the more expensive flights were necessary to ensure she and a chief executive Justine Linley “hit the ground running”.
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While the City of Ballarat Councillor Expenses Entitlement Policy states the standard form of travel outside of Australia is business class, flights for a similar trip to Austria in 2016 were downgraded from business to premium economy after extensive debate in the council chamber.
The total cost of flights and minor expenses on the trip to Bursa for the pair is expected to be between $12,000 and $15,000.
The host city shoulders the cost incurred by delegates while they are at the meeting.
Cr Mclntosh said given the extensive amount of heritage investment which was being made in Ballarat, it was important Ballarat leaders learnt from experience around the world.
“We're under a significant load of pressure as a growing city and we must plan wisely and we need to look at the world and look at how they're dealing with these growth examples, both good and bad,” Cr Mclntosh said.
“Once we get there we have about three hours of driving and then an international press conference so we need to be ready to hit the ground running with our heads ready for some pretty important work.”
The trip in May 2016 to Vienna drew statewide media attention when the Ballarat City Council opted to send two councillors and a council officer to World League of Historic Cities conference.
Deputy mayor Mark Harris was the only councillor to vote against sending the pair to Turkey at a general meeting on August 9.
Then-mayor Des Hudson, who was among those who traveled to Europe last year, said the premium economy class was sufficient on his trip.
“Having done a long haul flight into the northern hemisphere I found (premium economy) to be an appropriate standard,” Cr Hudson said.
Following the trip the mayor and chief executive will present a report on the outcomes of the board meeting.
Cr Daniel Moloney said while he was supportive of the trip and the use of business class travel when councillors and staff faced an immediate workload, council needed “to do a much better job of explaining the cost benefit” of overseas travel to ratepayers.
