The price tag of Labor’s National Climate Risk Assessment has been called a "complete abuse of taxpayer money", as the Daily Telegraph reveals the Australian public has forked out just short of $23 million for the controversial document.

The climate change report, released on Monday , warned that frequent flooding, increased heatwave-like conditions and tens of billions of dollars being spent on natural disaster response annually lay in Australia’s future.

Its publishing comes ahead of an expected call by Labor to announce an ambitious 2035 emissions target – which Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he had received advice on from the Climate Change Authority.

It has since been confirmed that the report has cost taxpayers $22.9 million, and that up to 350 people staff a

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