The ABC’s independent complaints watchdog has quietly built up a sizeable bill, with newly released documents revealing more than $117,000 spent on software and travel last year. Much of that taxpayer-funded outlay went on technology and international trips.
Freedom of information material shows the ABC ombudsman’s office, staffed at the equivalent of 6.6 full-time roles, incurred $117,782 in expenses in the last financial year, excluding GST. Around $73,543 went into “computer software and development” which made technology its single biggest cost.
Overseas airfares and accommodation accounted for $13,974, while domestic travel added another $23,779. Those figures outline how the relatively new unit is being resourced and where its budget is flowing.
Documents confirm the ombudsman’s office was set up in 2022 after an independent review into the ABC’s troubled complaints-handling division found systemic problems. It was positioned as a more independent and robust layer overseeing audience concerns.
Former ABC leadership argued the office would safeguard editorial standards and reassure viewers about how grievances are managed. Spending on software suggests a focus on systems or tools to manage complaints workflows, though the specific platforms or upgrades are not detailed.
Questions remain over the purpose of the international trips charged to the ombudsman’s budget, especially given its core role is domestic complaints oversight. The Australian approached the ABC’s media unit and the ombudsman about the nature of the overseas travel but received no explanation.
Silence from the broadcaster leaves uncertainty around how travel supports the office’s mandate to uphold standards at the national broadcaster. It also sharpens scrutiny on how the ABC allocates limited public funds to a unit designed to rebuild trust in its complaints process.
