Since February 2024 Rodrigues, appointed in 2021 as the state’s first 24‑Hour Economy Commissioner, has visited Madrid, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Amsterdam, Singapore, Barcelona and San Francisco, staying in boutique hotels and flying premium‑economy or business‑class on each leg.

A standing‑order record obtained by this masthead details that the trips, which total roughly $80,000 in flights, accommodation, meals and incidentals, were undertaken to meet overseas counterparts, attend policy forums and inspect night‑time venues ranging from Barcelona’s Razzmatazz club to London’s Hoxton Shoreditch hotel.

Critics, including Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, argue the spending comes at a time when the 62‑year‑old Australian Design Centre was forced to close for lack of government funding and a parliamentary inquiry has linked the push to revive Sydney’s night‑time reputation to cuts in the broader arts and culture sector.

Minister for Arts and Night‑time Economy John Graham defended the travel, saying it helps rebuild Sydney’s global reputation after the “lockout era” and that the commissioner’s engagements with “thought leaders” at influential policy forums are essential for attracting investment and tourism.

Rodrigues’ most detailed recent itinerary was a three‑day trip to Barcelona in January‑February 2025, where he met his Spanish counterpart, attended a private event with artist Davide Quayola, dined at historic venues such as Can Culleretes and Els Quatre Gats, and observed club operations at Razzmatazz to gather “lessons learned” on safety, noise complaints and decentralised nightlife management.

The Barcelona visit, funded by Rodrigues himself while on work leave, cost about $350 a night for a four‑star hotel and formed part of a broader European tour that also included London, Amsterdam and Birmingham, a leg that alone cost roughly $10,000.

Other trips were partially subsidised: the Aspen Institute covered a $16,800 Madrid visit in April 2026 to speak at Bloomberg’s CityLab conference, and Singapore’s National Development Office paid for accommodation and airport transfers for the World Cities Summit in June 2026. A planned trip to San Francisco for the World Economic Forum in October 2025 has not yet been reported.

When questioned during August budget estimates, Rodrigues said the travel was “international engagement” aimed at ensuring NSW remains competitive globally and that all expenses complied with departmental travel policies.