Peter Dutton’s new office set to cost taxpayers millions

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s proposed office upgrade costing a quarter of a billion dollars is set to be approved next week if The Coalition gets its way. 

The Coalition plans to use its numbers on the Public Works Committee to approve the controversial fit-out of the Immigration Department’s new office.

Believed to be the most expensive office upgrade in federal government history, it is understood the five government members on the committee will recommend the $256 million proposed upgrade — backed by Dutton. 

The “Headquarters Project” has yet to be finalised in the committee’s report and Fairfax Media has reported the four Labor members of the committee will submit a dissenting report spelling out their concerns if the upgrade goes ahead. 

The proposed main office would be set in a new state-of the-art building next to Canberra Airport while the number of buildings currently inhabited by the Immigration Department would shrink from 12 to five. 

At $3000 per square metre for the 85,700 sq m multi-building fit out, the renovation costs are well above the $1200 to $1800 per sq m target for similar projects. 

$22.6M has been budgeted for the fit-out with another $20.5M set to come from the department’s operating budget. 

The department said the remaining $212m would come from landlord “lease incentives”.

The consolidation of buildings has been linked to Dutton’s desire to create a supercharged Department of Homeland Security. 

Immigration boss Mike Pezzullo said the upgrade would ultimately deliver $200M in savings to the taxpayer over 30 years.

But both Liberal and Labor members of the committee have publicly criticised the complexity of the proposal and the department’s handling of it.

If approved, construction is set to begin in August this year, and due for completion by February 2021 with the new buildings accommodating 6000 staff. 

There will also be security upgrades worth $12 million. 

Is this taxpayers’ money well spent?