"The Tianjin office is Melbourne's gateway into China" – Lord Mayor Nick Reece
Overview of International Travel Costs (Sept–Dec 2025)
A City of Melbourne delegation to China and Japan in September 2025, led by Lord Mayor Nick Reece, cost $91,063. The total cost for Lord Mayor Reece's international travel between September and December 2025, including trips to China, Japan, Brazil, and India, was $155,669.
Tianjin Office Operations
The City of Melbourne operates a permanent office in Tianjin, China. Opened in 1998, it is staffed by two full-time employees and is the only permanent office of an Australian local government in China. The office's operating cost for the last financial year was $194,003.
City of Melbourne chief executive Alison Leighton travelled to Tianjin in June 2025 at a cost of $13,993.
Melbourne and Tianjin have been sister cities since 1980. The last publicly available performance report for the Tianjin office is from 2004. The Victorian government maintains offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, and Hong Kong.
Lord Mayor's China and Japan Mission (September 2025)
Lord Mayor Reece's travel costs for the business mission to Nanjing, Tianjin, and Tokyo were $14,210, which included $11,572 for business-class flights. Councillors Gladys Liu, Philip Le Liu, and Kevin Louey, along with one staff member, had combined travel costs of $56,139. The total cost for this mission was $70,349.
The post-trip report stated that 14 commercial arrangements were facilitated, projected to generate $28.4 million in trade benefits.
Lord Mayor's Brazil Mission (November 2025)
Reece attended the C40 World Mayor's Summit and COP30 climate conference in Rio de Janeiro. The trip was mainly funded by C40 Cities. Reece billed $1,915 for additional costs. Two staff members also joined this trip.
Lord Mayor's India Mission (December 2025)
Reece's trade mission to India cost $12,933.66, including $9,302.38 for business-class flights. He attended the Waves Film Bazaar and International Film Festival of India.
Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell and Councillor Andrew Rowse incurred combined travel costs of $34,757.92. Three council staff had combined costs of $35,711.44. The total cost for this mission was $83,403.02.
The post-trip report indicated the mission facilitated 520 new jobs, projected to generate $95 million in economic uplift.
Official Statements
Lord Mayor Nick Reece stated the Tianjin office is "Melbourne's gateway into China" and attracts investment benefiting local jobs and ratepayers. He claimed the 2025 delegation generated $53 million in economic benefits. Reece stated his travel was necessary to secure investment for Melbourne.
Councillor Owen Guest criticized the Tianjin office as an example of council overreach, citing a lack of ratepayer visibility and inefficiency due to overlapping state and federal government offices in China. Guest expressed concern about the lack of transparency and questioned the value for money of the international travel. He stated that travel discussions should occur in open sessions and costs should be declared upfront. Guest questioned the necessity of council delegations traveling to countries recently visited by state and federal leaders.