Page 2341 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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public servants who travel infrequently and have rare opportunities to attend cocktail parties, which, unfortunately, some members of the community may not perceive. As I have already said, their working conditions are far worse than those we enjoy here in our Assembly offices.
The Federal Government, when considering this matter, had only two options. The first was to construct the new building at York Park at a cost of $187m. The second option was to refurbish the existing building. This option was rejected on the following grounds: The refurbishment would occur on a staged basis with continued occupancy by the department. This would take seven years and cost $140m. It would also mean continual uprooting of the officers of DFAT to relocate during this seven-year period and would mean that for seven years the department would be scattered throughout Canberra in different areas at different times. At the end of this seven-year process the Administrative Building would have room for 250 fewer officers and the department would be spread through five separate locations.
For a cost comparable to total refurbishment, a new building would provide space for the entire department, excluding AIDAB. This building would be provided in three years - less than half the time it would take to refurbish the Administrative Building. This difference in timescale is significant, not only in cost and efficiency, but also in the relief of the current occupational health and safety problems. (Extension of time granted) I will be very brief, depending on the interjections. The new building will provide about 46,300 square metres of office space. It will be good quality office space, but I stress that it will have none of the prestigious extras that Federal and local - - -
Mr De Domenico: Very good quality.
Mr Humphries: Yes, very good.
MS ELLIS: There you go. It will have none of the prestigious extras that Federal and local oppositions have so wrongly suggested. It has also been put about by the Opposition that York Park will be the largest office building in the ACT excluding Parliament House. In the Financial Review on 25 August Dr Hewson was quoted as saying:
At more than 46,000 square metres, it would - - -
Mr Humphries: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. Ms Ellis is again quoting Dr Hewson. Dr Hewson is not mentioned - - -
Mr Kaine: No, she is quoting the Bulletin.
Mr Humphries: The Bulletin is quoting Dr Hewson, which is - - -
Mr Connolly: You do not want to hear about him?
Mr Humphries: I am happy to talk about Dr Hewson in a motion that refers to Dr Hewson, but the motion does not do that. It talks about - - -
Mr Berry: These are frivolous points of order.
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