Queen to Get a $2m Aussie Party

TAXPAYERS will spend nearly $2 million to entertain the Queen, world leaders and delegates attending the opening ceremony of the CHOGM talks later this month.

Government tender documents confirm Australians have already been handed a bill for $21 million to stage the talks, a cost expected to nearly triple to $58 million.

The Great Big Events company, which produced the Sydney Olympics, has secured the contract for the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Perth later this month.

A further $500,000 will be paid to Globecast Australia to organise broadcast services.

Luxury hotels in Perth will secure a $10 million payday. But the majority of that money will eventually be reimbursed to Australian taxpayers by member states attending the talks.

Leaders from 54 nations including British Prime Minister David Cameron will fly into Australia for the meeting which will run from October 28 to 30.

While the government will foot the accommodation bill for world leaders, foreign ministers and one senior official to attend the talks, member states will be asked to reimburse taxpayers for the cost for additional delegates.

"The Commonwealth currently has contracts in place with a number of accommodation venues worth approximately $10.1 million," a spokesperson for the CHOGM Taskforce said.

"The figure represents the total contract value. Deposits were paid in order to secure accommodation in Perth for member states and operational staff, and the deposits will be refunded to the Commonwealth. The majority of rooms held under these contracts will be paid for by the attending member states."

World leaders will stay at the Pan Pacific and the Hyatt which has secured $3 million in contracts. But the cost to taxpayers of world leaders accommodation is expected to be around $500,000.

Responsibility for security arrangements for CHOGM 2011 is shared between the Australian government and the Western Australian government. Preparations are in full swing in Perth with motorcades operating practice runs at 3am this week.

The total cost of the security operation will not be known for months.