Taxpayers foot the $27k bill for bureaucrats to attend Burning Man festival in America

IT’S not a bad gig if you can get — jetting around the world on luxury, all-expenses paid trips at the taxpayer’s expense.

But one particular jaunt taken by two Queensland bureaucrats to the notorious nine-day Burning Man festival in the United States has sparked outrage.

ABC News reports two Tourism and Events Queensland executives racked up a huge bill of more than $27,000 to attend the outrageous festival in 2017, held in the Nevada desert.

The purpose of the junket? To “find ideas” for events that could be held in the Sunshine State, according to official records.

Citing newly released figures, the ABC said John Drummond Montgomery travelled with Rebecca Mantle from Tourism and Events Queensland at a cost of $27,060.

The pair “met with key international event partners” in order “to gain insights into current trends, ideas, themes and logistics of a large-scale festival”.

As if that wasn’t a big enough of a job perk, the ABC said Mr Drummond Montgomery also pockets an annual salary of $317,000.

Burning Man bills itself as a temporary community based in the harsh desert where some 70,000 participants enjoy music, art and other cultural events.

A review of the 2017 festival chronicled the celebs and social media influencers who attended, as well as some intriguing sideshows.

“Sex lessons, a ‘spank bank’ and Bill Murray-themed happy hour … welcome to Burning Man,” it read. “Clothing, it seems, is optional and nipple covers, body glitter, sheer tops and knickers are basically a uniform.”

The event’s ethos is radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation and immediacy, according to burningman.org.

The revelation of the taxpayer-funded trip has raised eyebrows in Queensland, with Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander describing it as “obscene”.

A spokesman for Tourism and Events Queensland told the ABC it was legitimate trip.

“Burning Man is a benchmark event for large-scale festivals held in remote locations,” the spokesman said.

“Two TEQ representatives went to examine aspects of the event delivery to inform an Outback event concept we are currently developing.”

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