No blowout for climate regulator branding

The federal climate change department denies there's been a massive cost blowout in the contract to establish a "brand identity" for the independent authority that will run Labor's controversial carbon tax and subsequent emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The opposition on Monday jumped on figures that the AusTender contract had blown out from $41,000 to $200,000 in less that two months.

But department assistant secretary Nico Padovan says the original advertised figure was a mistake.

"I've confirmed this morning that the original value put on AusTender was in fact incorrect," he told a Senate budget estimates hearing in Canberra.

"The correct value which should have been ascribed to AusTender at the time was $200,000."

The contract, won by Canberra-based Zoo Advertising, is for corporate communications, branding and to establish a visual identity for the Clean Energy Regulator (CER).

The $200,000 will be spent developing a logo and brand for the regulator, establishing an internet and intranet and on a range of corporate communication products including templates.

The CER will start work in early April ahead of the carbon tax beginning on July 1 with a fixed $23-a-tonne pollution price.

Former Telstra director Chloe Munro was named last week as the first chief executive of the regulator.

It was revealed on Monday she will be paid $535,000 a year to oversee the carbon tax and liaise with the 500 biggest polluters, who will pay it.

So far the government has spent $9.4 million in total on getting the regulator ready.

AAP