28 Jul 2014

CERA staff flights 'a waste'

8:23 pm on 28 July 2014

Airfares for government workers flying between Wellington and Christchurch have cost the taxpayer $1.8 million in the past three years.

The Labour Party's Earthquake Commission spokesperson, Clayton Cosgrove, said government figures show 7286 flights for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority staff.

Mr Cosgrove said on Monday that an average of 200 flights a month was excessive for an organisation based in one region and a waste of money as Cantabrians were still waiting for solutions.

He said given CERA was in its fourth year, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee should have moved the necessary officials permanently to Christchurch or replaced them with skilled Cantabrians.