THE Victorian Government's spending on legal services jumped by 17.6 per cent last financial year to hit a record $46.7 million.
And most of that went to 27 law firms on the Government's legal services panel that shared $38.9 million in legal fees.
The biggest single factor behind the growth in legal spending was a surge in government infrastructure projects.
In just two years, government legal spending on project and finance work has jumped by 124 per cent and now accounts for $10.9 million of the state's total legal bill.
The Department of Sustainability and Development, which has been building the state's electronic conveyancing system, has one of the fastest-growing legal bills.
Annual spending by the department on legal services described as "property" has grown from $111,254 in 2002-03 to $2.1 million in 2006-07. The surge in government legal spending is outlined in the latest report on government legal services that was made public this week.
It shows that in the past five years the Government has spent $169.9 million buying legal services under the panel arrangements. The report, which covers 2006-07, shows that while overall legal spending has grown strongly it has also triggered millions of dollars in pro bono work for those in need.
Chris Merritt | The Australian | 12 May 08
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