Melbourne taxpayers cough up $30m for bureaucrat parking

You struggle to find up to $30 a day for a parking spot in Melbourne's CBD, spare a thought for the state's pampered bureaucrats.

The Napthine Government is spending a secret sum - estimated to be in excess of $30 million a year - so ministerial staff and senior public servants can drive to work.

While most Melburnians cough up for parking or squeeze on to Melbourne's overcrowded public transport, the Herald Sun can reveal the Napthine Government is leasing almost 7000 car spaces, including more than 2000 in central Melbourne, with many believed to be costing $10,000-plus a year.

Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips' office was unable to say how many of the parks used by ministerial staff are for operational vehicles or are provided as part of salary packages for public servants to drive into their offices.

The Government leases 6897 carpark bays through Treasury's Shared Services Provider group

"The Victorian Government, the largest employer in the state with more than 260,000 staff, have reduced the number of leased spaces by 4 per cent, fixing the waste and inefficiency of the previous Labor Government," his spokesman Andrew Drever said.

But Mr Rich-Phillips' office refused to say how much taxpayers are paying, claiming even a total figure was a commercial secret.

Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Martin Pakula said: "Denis Napthine and the Liberals are addicted to secrecy when it comes to being honest with Victorian taxpayers about their expenses. Denis Napthine should release the global cost of parking for his ministerial staff and bureaucrats which Victorian taxpayers are paying for."

According to documents obtained under Freedom of Information, the Government leases 6897 carpark bays through Treasury's Shared Services Provider group - 2121 at 26 CBD or CBD fringe sites, 3640 in 46 Melbourne suburbs and 1136 in 17 regional and rural cities or towns. A conservative estimate of $18 a day per CBD park, $12 for suburban spots and $6 for regional and rural parks would put the annual cost to taxpayers at more than $32 million.