A Department of the Victoria government spent $1.
2 million to accommodate 33 employees, two floors of an urban office building were renovated.
The rail project group hired consultant Sinclair Knight meerz for a fee of $99,000 for taxpayers to manage the renovation of Level 7 and 8 of Nauru House on Collins Street.
According to documents obtained in the era of freedom of information, the railway project group spent $1.
26 million of the projects completed at the end of last year.
The group is a small department of the basic communications department and is overseeing fast-
The railway between Melbourne and Bendigo, Ballarat, Giron and tralagon will cost $0. 55 billion to build.
It is also responsible for the $0. 7 billion reconstruction of the Spencer Street depot, which will be completed by the private sector consortium Civic Nexus.
The group has been taking care of the planned airport railway line before it was canceled.
Opposition traffic spokesman Leigh said the spending was a huge waste of taxpayers' money, as the projects would be primarily the responsibility of the private sector.
He asked how much work the group had done.
It is revealed that the organization spent $10,000 on art works that decorate the walls of the new office.
"They have a lot of meetings," Mr. Li said of the organization's activities.
"They held a meeting to discuss the tolls on Giron Road and used TAC road safety funds for railway projects.
"The organization is controlled by transport minister Peter Bachilo.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the minister said the modification was standard.
"Obviously we need a place to accommodate the rail project group," he said . ".
"In order to do this, we need to decorate the two floors at Nauru House, and the standard cost of the renovation is $1. 2 million.
"However, the change in the original contract shows that the electronic whiteboard costs $8260 and the kitchen bar costs $6593.
Mr. Leigh said that the railway project group, which has 33 employees, is often referred to as "Peter's pig pen," with reference to the amount spent by the group and the lack of activity.
A government spokesman disagrees.
"They are taking care of the two largest infrastructure projects in the state," he said . ".