Victoria hid true COVID-19 spending for four years, auditor reveals
Victoria's Auditor-General found no transparent reporting of the state's total COVID-19 costs. Previous estimates put the spending at roughly $39.8 billion.
The Victorian Auditor-General's Office published a report on Thursday. It found the government failed to provide clear accounting across departments for pandemic response spending.
In 2021, the auditor recommended the Department of Treasury and Finance publish regular pandemic spending updates. The Andrews government stopped doing so after 2021-22, claiming spending had dropped off.
The auditor said this move went against the original recommendation. The state kept spending money beyond the early pandemic years.
These included ongoing legal fees and managing flawed payments. Departments continue to write off the costs of expired masks and protective gear.
These costs are estimated at more than $770 million over 2023-25. The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions wrote off at least $72.5 million in badly distributed COVID grants by mid-2025.
A separate anti-corruption investigation found the government spent an estimated $257 million on COVID support grants. These grants went to 9000 ineligible businesses.
Senior officials covered up the extent of losses from superiors. The auditor also found that some reports on consultant spending may be incomplete.
- $39.8 billion
- Estimated total spending
- $770 million over 2023-25
- PPE equipment writeoffs
- $72.5 million by mid-2025
- Flawed grants written off
- 9000 businesses
- Ineligible grant recipients
Why it mattersTaxpayers have a right to know how public money was spent. They should know why transparency broke down. This matters especially when losses reach hundreds of millions.
AustraliaVictorian households funded the state response and deserve a full accounting of where that money went and how much went to ineligible recipients or was wasted.
Corroborated bythecourier.com.au·bendigoadvertiser.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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