Joyce's drive through flooded creek writes off $80,000 official car

NATIONALS Senate leader Barnaby Joyce has written off an $80,000 government Toyota LandCruiser wagon by driving it into a flooded creek on the way to his northern NSW grazing property.

By InvestSMART · 15 Feb 2011

By InvestSMART ·
15 Feb 2011

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NATIONALS Senate leader Barnaby Joyce has written off an $80,000 government Toyota LandCruiser wagon by driving it into a flooded creek on the way to his northern NSW grazing property.

The incident happened before Christmas when Senator Joyce tried to cross the Burren Creek, near Walgett.

Defending his action last night, Senator Joyce said there had been a sign warning people to drive slowly across the creek, but the road had not been closed. Also, the flood level gauge on his side of the road had been pulled off the pole. Traffic had been coming in the other direction as he approached the creek.

When the vehicle got into the creek, the engine stalled. As the water started rising, he climbed out of a window. He said the creek was "not a torrent more like a slow moving lagoon".

He waded to the other side, where a farmer was driving a tractor nearby. The farmer got his ute and Senator Joyce hooked his vehicle to the farmer's tow bar and dragged it out.

Although it started, it quickly stalled again. Senator Joyce said that when he took it to a mechanic he was told the electrical system had been damaged and the vehicle would be a write-off.

He contacted parliamentary authorities and filled out the relevant forms. Senator Joyce said insurance covered the cost.

He stressed last night that he had "done nothing wrong" and broken no law. He had also spoken to the local council and asked whether it would like to close the road.

Senator Joyce said that under the arrangements for parliamentarians to have vehicles for their work, he was entitled to drive his for private use. His salary was adjusted to cover this.

Senator Joyce, who lives in St George, Queensland, has a property of about a thousand hectares at Baradine.

He admitted that in hindsight he should not have crossed the creek. "I was looking at it, the sign said drive slowly. I thought, 'Well, that must mean it's all right.' The farmer said I was the third person he pulled out. If you stopped every time there was any water across the road, you'd probably go nowhere."

Government rules say politicians can use their vehicles for private purposes but not for commercial ones.

Senator Joyce said he did not use the vehicle for commercial purposes.

"I don't use it on the place you would do the tyres it's not a farm vehicle."

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

What happened when Barnaby Joyce drove a government Toyota LandCruiser into a flooded creek?

According to the article, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce attempted to cross the Burren Creek near Walgett before Christmas in a government Toyota LandCruiser. The engine stalled when the vehicle entered the creek, water rose, he exited through a window, and a local farmer helped tow the vehicle out. A mechanic later found electrical damage and the vehicle was written off.

How much was the government Toyota LandCruiser worth and who paid for the write-off?

The vehicle was reported to be an $80,000 government Toyota LandCruiser. Senator Joyce said he contacted parliamentary authorities, filled out the relevant forms, and that insurance covered the cost of the write-off.

Did Barnaby Joyce break any laws or face discipline over the vehicle write-off?

Senator Joyce stressed in the article that he had ‘done nothing wrong’ and had not broken any law. He also said he had spoken to the local council about possibly closing the road and followed parliamentary reporting procedures after the incident.

Are members of parliament allowed to use government vehicles for private purposes?

The article states that government rules permit politicians to use their allocated vehicles for private purposes but not for commercial use. Senator Joyce said he did not use the vehicle for commercial purposes and that his salary had been adjusted to cover the private-use entitlement.

What immediate steps did Senator Joyce take after the LandCruiser stalled in the water?

After the engine stalled and water rose, Senator Joyce climbed out and waded to the other side, where a farmer helped with a tow. He later took the vehicle to a mechanic who found electrical system damage, contacted parliamentary authorities, and filled out the required forms.

Why was the LandCruiser written off rather than repaired?

The mechanic reported that the vehicle’s electrical system had been damaged after the water incident, and because of that damage the vehicle was assessed as a write-off.

Were there any safety warnings or conditions at the creek when the incident happened?

Senator Joyce said there had been a sign warning drivers to ‘drive slowly’ across the creek but the road had not been closed and the flood level gauge on his side had been pulled off the pole. He described the creek as more like a ‘slow moving lagoon’ and later admitted in hindsight he should not have crossed.

Does the article say whether taxpayers ultimately bore the cost of the write-off?

The article reports that Senator Joyce said insurance covered the cost and that he had submitted the necessary paperwork to parliamentary authorities. It does not provide further detail on whether taxpayers ultimately bore any expense beyond the insurance claim.