National Party deputy leader Bridget McKenzie has spent $150,000 more establishing her Wodonga office compared to retired Indi MP Cathy McGowan in setting up two offices in her electorate following her first election victory in 2013.
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Details have emerged of Senator McKenzie's well-publicised relocation from Bendigo to Wodonga earlier this year with the final bill to taxpayers being more than $530,000.
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"As the Nationals Senator for Victoria it is appropriate the Senator represents regional Victoria from a regional base," a spokesman said.
"The electorate office relocation included the addition of a ministerial office.
"Senator McKenzie is the only Victorian Senator whose office is outside Melbourne and currently one of only two ministers with a ministerial office outside a capital city.
"The other being Nationals' Senate colleague Matt Canavan."
Four electorate staff occupy the Wodonga office on a permanent basis with ministerial staff also using the building.
Senator McKenzie was appointed federal agriculture minister following the May election.
The bulk of the costs were for the fitout of the former bank building totalling nearly $480,000.
High Street is home to offices of three politicians with Victorian Upper House member and former Wodonga councillor Tim Quilty opening his new office across the road recently.
The federal finance department permits Dr Haines to have two offices due to the size of the Indi electorate.
She will have five people working in her two offices in addition to her senior staff members including chief of staff, parliamentary adviser and media and communications adviser.
Senator McKenzie's present Senate term ends in 2022 when she would be free to consider a switch to the lower house.
Speculation raged Ms McKenzie was considering a tilt at Indi at the most recently following the retirement of Ms McGowan, who served two terms.
But she opted to complete her Senate term and former Wodonga mayor Mark Byatt unsuccessfully stood as the National Party candidate in Indi.
The Nationals can field a candidate again at the 2022 federal election due to Ms Haines trumping the two-pronged Coalition assault from Mr Byatt and Liberal Steve Martin.
Senator McKenzie also lives in Wodonga when not attending to a hectic schedule of ministerial commitments in the agriculture portfolio.
The finance department confirmed recently she claimed the most in travel expenses last year.