Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 44:16 to 49:15
Discussion regarding the high frequency of international trips for regulatory services, offshore inspections, and the total financial cost of travel.
Topics: Travel and event costs, Exports
Speakers: Speaker 5, Matthew Gson, Speaker 3, Mr. Matthew Gson
that one on notice as well. >> Okay. All right. Um okay. Um just moving on to um international travel. Um uh a quan I won't bother reading out the um the the preamble anymore but 569 on your numbering system. Um um that asked about the number of official international visits uh across the department. There's been 235 between the 1st July and 30th November last year, 170 from the department itself, others in agencies. Is that can I just clarify what does that mean? Does that mean there's been 235 separate trips overseas by departmental or agency staff?
Um, Senator, could I just clarify that the was that 569? >> Yes, 569. >> And that was international visitors.
>> The table I've got here is number of official international visits is the column heading. And the table, as I said, 170 from the department, but a total of 235 when including agencies.
I'll just ask my team to get a copy of that. Senator Um, the Senator Senator, my team's just grabbing a copy of that briefing. Thank >> Yes. So, Senator, that is correct. So, that is the the 174 department and the remainder does sit with the portfolio
agencies, >> right? Seems like a lot. like that's um you know it's only a 5 month period as I say so we're talking 150 160 days and there's been 235 trips that's mean there's every day there's more than one on average departmental staff leaving the country seems like a lot is that correct
>> Senator obviously I'm uh pretty new to the space but my my experience has been mostly those are driven by you know meeting with importing countries about you know certification requirements that they require of us. Um so bio security and trade related travel is not uncommon and probably more frequent in this portfolio than than some others but um again I think maybe we could provide a
bit more detail on notice >> does that include so would it include people who are based overseas traveling between countries
>> that's what I was wondering myself obviously we have a significant council
>> tell me you said I I would if it's traveling between countries
potentially yes >> well can you on notice break this down again and updated obviously to the from 1st July last year to whatever date you can um uh uh before this estimates uh to break out how many of these trips are trips that depart from Australia.
>> Y um and Senator I'm aware that also with the departments working with 170 international visits that will also include things like offshore inspections where the department is traveling to perform regulatory services uh for goods coming in. So it there will be a combination of activities where it is uh performing a regulatory activity verse where we're actually going and representing Australia to for you know
>> sure on it. >> Sure. >> How much is the cost of the international travel?
>> Um so international travel from the 1st of July to the 31st of December uh is 2.359
million. >> Right. Okay. Uh do you have how many trips that was? cuz mine are mine to the end of November. >> Not trips, sir. No. >> Okay. Um uh were any of these uh this international travel to support the live sheep export uh ban?
Uh Senator, I might need to ask my colleagues in the other outcome where they were. don't have the level of detail on the visits uh to um to be able to answer that, but I might need to take that on notice and check with my
colleagues. Um okay, anyone I'll maybe take that on notice as well. Uh moving on to advertising. Um has uh yeah, another uh answer to a quan 56. Is it the same one? It must be the same one. 569, I think. Well, that's what I've got in front of me here. Um, or maybe I got my numbers wrong. Maybe the international visits was 619. Sorry. Sorry. Yep, I did. I mixed that up before. Sorry if I confused you. So, the other one was 619 was the international travel um 569 and now I'm I'm now moving to 569, which is