The prime minister's ambitious diplomatic plan aims to draw Oceania together with Asia and the eastern Pacific.

 

A Senate committee has been told the cost of trying to create the community has reached $1,404,000.

Most of the money, $912,000, was spent on the conference convened by Mr Rudd in Sydney in December 2009.

 

Queensland Liberal senator Russell Trood declared the $1.4 million spend "ridiculous".

 

"This is a ridiculously large amount of money to be spent on an idea," Senator Trood told AAP on Thursday.

 

The majority of the rest of the money went to the man charged with the work of creating the community, Richard Woolcott.

 

"This amount is made up of around $194,000 in consultancy fees for Mr Woolcott, around $298,000 in incidental costs, including travel costs for Mr Woolcott and his accompanying officer", the committee was told by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

 

"This amount does not include costs incurred by posts in supporting Mr Woolcott or the conference, or indirect costs such as time spent on the initiative by departmental officers, as they are difficult to quantify."

So far, Mr Rudd's plan has been met with a tepid response.

 

Many in the region have rejected it for already existing institutions.

 

"It was ill-conceived," Senator Trood said.

 

"It was launched without any consultation."

 

By Peter Veness