The City of Melbourne has defended its overseas travel expenses record after 9NEWS revealed almost $500,000 has been spent on foreign trips over two years.

9NEWS can also reveal that between October 2015 and December 2017, 49 overseas visits made by councillors and bureaucrats were paid either in part, or in full, by external organisations.

The council could not tell 9NEWS who paid for all of the trips as it says it has no legal obligation to ask.

An examination of council documents showed between October 2015 and November 2016, $172,188.39 was spent on bureaucrats travelling abroad - $73,982.36 was spent on councillors.

Spending by City of Melbourne councillors and administrators between October 2015 and December 2017.

In the 12 months that followed, $41,873.54 was spent on councillors' trips abroad while $179,358.30 was spent on bureaucrats.

The figures have prompted outrage from think-tank the Institute of Public Affairs.

"Half a million dollars seems excessive. It's not your money. It's ratepayers' money," the IPA's director of policy Simon Breheny told 9NEWS.

Among the trips taken by council staff are:

• A nine-day trip to the US by CEO Ben Rimmer for an entrepreneurship program that cost about $14,000. Bonnie Shaw, from the Smart City Office, accompanied him on that same trip - the cost for her was a little over $3000.

• In May last year Steve Nagle - the then Director of Tourism - went to a three-day conference in Montreal, but spent almost another week in the US racking up $22,000 in expenses.

• Linda Weatherson, the Director of City Communities, accrued a $7000 bill on a 10-day trip to a food systems workshop in Sweden and London.

• Kate Vinot, director of City Strategy, spent $9000 on a week-long trip to a mayor's summit in Mexico.

• Councillor Kevin Louey accrued a bill of more than $34,000 travelling to China the Philippines and India.

• Deputy lord mayor Arron Wood spent more than $22,000 including attending a climate change conference in Paris where he was photographed with Al Gore.

Deputy lord mayor Arron Wood with Al Gore at the Paris Climate Conference.

• Also at that conference was Cathy Oke; ratepayers forked out about $8000 for her visit.

• Former Lord Mayor Robert Doyle's trips cost almost $18,000, but the cost of a trip to London is yet to be finalised.

Repeated requests from 9NEWS for an interview with City of Melbourne CEO, administration staff or councillors, were declined.

A spokesperson issued a series of statements to 9NEWS.

"Travel, both locally and internationally, is key to Melbourne’s prosperity," the statements read.

"In recent years our relationships, travel and trade missions have delivered millions of dollars in investment back into Melbourne in the areas of biotech, urban design and planning, and education.



"The City of Melbourne is mindful of its travel expenditure and carefully considers each opportunity to ensure that any travel is justified and provides a benefit to the city.

"Occasionally councillors and City of Melbourne staff and are required to travel interstate or internationally to undertake business, research or professional development on behalf of the Council and the wider community.

"Travel by staff is governed by the Corporate Travel Policy which has strict guidelines and reporting criteria for expenses incurred.

"Staff travel is approved by a branch manager, director or Chief Executive Officer.

"Travel must demonstrate professional development and/or a return on investment for City of Melbourne, as per the policy wording. Councillors are also required to provide a post travel report to council for international travel.

"The City of Melbourne is required by law to collect and make public information about some of the councillors and council administration activities, roles and responsibilities.

"We also publish information that is not required by law as we’re committed to transparent and open governance.

"The City of Melbourne is legally required to maintain a register of all interstate or international travel undertaken in an official capacity by any councillor or employee.

"We choose to publish the register on our website as part of our commitment to open and transparent governance. It is available here ."

The register includes the:

• Name of the Councillor or member of Council staff

• Dates on which the travel began and ended

• Destination of the travel

• Purpose of the travel

• Total cost to the Council of the travel, including accommodation costs.

The council also made a glaring admission.

In responding to 9NEWS' questions about which external organisations had paid for councillors or staff to undertake foreign travel, the following statement was issued.

"We are not required to record the details of travel or related expenses paid for by external organisations," the statement read.

"However, this information may be known by the City of Melbourne if it is provided by a councillor or staff member and it may also be detailed in Councillor travel requests, post-travel reports or recorded on the register in some instances."

But not in all instances.

"All councillors and staff members are also required to declare any gift (including travel or accommodation above $500) other than a gift received as hospitality at an event or function which they attended in an official capacity," the spokesperson said.

"Additionally, Councillors and staff members are required to avoid and declare any conflicts of interest which may arise in the course of performing their duties."

Robert Doyle resigned as Lord Mayor this month amid sexual harrassment allegations against him.

9NEWS also raised questions about partners or family members joining councillors or staff on foreign visits.

9NEWS asked whether there were any trips where families had accompanied a staff member or councillor on a foreign trip and if Council ever paid for a partner or family member's travel.

"The City of Melbourne does not fund travel or related expenses for the partners or spouses of councillors or employees, nor do we collect information about partner or spousal travel paid for by external organisations," the spokesperson said.

The fact council does not know which external organisations are paying for overseas trips for staff, councillors or even family members has raised questions about the transparency of council travel expenses.

"It's incredibly important we have transparency. There's got be a significant amount of scrutiny," the IPA's Mr Breheny said.

9NEWS' investigation was sparked by the release of a report into a council funded trip to Brussels, Hamburg and Barcelona taken by a councillor and two bureaucrats.

Councillor Rohan Leppert's 10-day trip cost more than $7000 but the report, which found in part the council should continue to explore relationships with Hamburg Council, did not say how much the bureaucrats' travel cost.

The entire sum for the visit came to almost $32,000.

And council has a big expense looming, with a trip to China and Japan next month to promote Melbourne at a summit set to cost more than $50,000.

City of Melbourne Travel Register

November 2, 2016 - December 31, 2017

Councillors

Administrators

October 2015 - November 2016

Councillors

Administrators