❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Finance about vacant government-leased office spaces and associated rental costs since October 2011. The Minister provides a detailed response, including information on a previously unmentioned vacant property and its associated costs, implying potential mismanagement by the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 59Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT
LEASE AGREEMENTS — VACANT OFFICE SPACE
59. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Finance:
Which of the
following offices leased by the government are still vacant and how much rent
has been paid on each of these sites since 31 October 2011 —
(a)
suite 3, Landgate Building, South Node, Midland;
(b)
suite 1, level 17 St Martins Centre, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth;
(c)
suite 1, ground floor, 88 Walters Drive, Osborne Park;
(d)
level 2, 1 Puccini Court, Stirling;
(e)
140 William Street, Perth; and
(f)
441 Murray Street, Perth?
LEASE AGREEMENTS — VACANT OFFICE SPACE
59. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Finance:
Which of the
following offices leased by the government are still vacant and how much rent
has been paid on each of these sites since 31 October 2011 —
(a)
suite 3, Landgate Building, South Node, Midland;
(b)
suite 1, level 17 St Martins Centre, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth;
(c)
suite 1, ground floor, 88 Walters Drive, Osborne Park;
(d)
level 2, 1 Puccini Court, Stirling;
(e)
140 William Street, Perth; and
(f)
441 Murray Street, Perth?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question. The answer I have is in a tabular form, so at the conclusion of my
verbal answer I will seek leave to have the table incorporated into Hansard . I can articulate the
information quite easily, and I want to do that.
(a) Suite 3 of
Landgate Building, South Node, Midland is vacant and since 31 October 2011, $42
480.79 has been paid.
(b) Suite 1,
level 17 St Martins Centre, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth is vacant and the
amount of rent paid has been $69 701.13. That office has some sensitivities
attached to it because of the nature of the operations of some of the
neighbours.
(c) The lease
for suite 1, ground floor, 88 Walters Drive, Osborne Park was terminated on 31
December 2011 and the amount of rent paid since 31 October is $8 176.20.
(d) Level 2, 1
Puccini Court, Stirling is occupied. However, rent in the order of $8 526.35
has been paid since 31 October 2011.
(e)–(f) In
respect of (e) and (f)—140 William Street, Perth and 441 Murray Street,
Perth—they are both occupied and the fit-out and refurbishment is
complete.
I add that this information relates
to government office accommodation managed by the Department of Finance's
Building Management and Works. These vacancies have previously been notified
through question on notice 6801 asked in the Legislative Assembly. I thought
the question was familiar, and it is familiar because there is one property
missing from this list that was on the other list. I would like to know why the
Leader of the Opposition has not asked me about that other property, because
otherwise the lists are the same. Just in case it is an oversight, I will give
members the answer. What is missing from the current list is shop 13/13A of the
Landsdale Forum Shopping Centre. That was meant to be the electorate office of
a new Labor member of Parliament. However, for reasons unknown to us—although
there was an insistence that the office be obtained—it was then not
occupied, despite initial indications. As a result, these premises stayed
vacant for 42 months at a cost to the taxpayer of $214 341.62. The only good
thing I can tell members about that is that the lease was finally surrendered
on 31 January 2012. The contrast between the earlier information requested and
that last piece of information is certainly striking.
I seek leave to table the response
and have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted. [See paper 4314.]
The following material was
incorporated —
(1-2)
Government Offices
(1)
(2) Since 31 Oct 2011
a
Suite 3, Landgate Building,
South Node, Midland
Vacant
$42,480.79
b
Suite 1, Level 17, St
Martin's Tower, 44 St Georges Terrace Perth
Vacant
$69,701.13
c
Suite 1, Ground floor 88
Walters Drive, Osborne Park
Lease terminated 31 December
2011
$8,126.20
d
Level 2, 1 Puccini Court
Stirling
Occupied
$8,526.35
e
140 William Street Perth
Occupied
Fitout/Refurbishment complete
N/A
f
441 Murray Street Perth
Occupied
Fitout/Refurbishment complete
N/A
question. The answer I have is in a tabular form, so at the conclusion of my
verbal answer I will seek leave to have the table incorporated into Hansard . I can articulate the
information quite easily, and I want to do that.
(a) Suite 3 of
Landgate Building, South Node, Midland is vacant and since 31 October 2011, $42
480.79 has been paid.
(b) Suite 1,
level 17 St Martins Centre, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth is vacant and the
amount of rent paid has been $69 701.13. That office has some sensitivities
attached to it because of the nature of the operations of some of the
neighbours.
(c) The lease
for suite 1, ground floor, 88 Walters Drive, Osborne Park was terminated on 31
December 2011 and the amount of rent paid since 31 October is $8 176.20.
(d) Level 2, 1
Puccini Court, Stirling is occupied. However, rent in the order of $8 526.35
has been paid since 31 October 2011.
(e)–(f) In
respect of (e) and (f)—140 William Street, Perth and 441 Murray Street,
Perth—they are both occupied and the fit-out and refurbishment is
complete.
I add that this information relates
to government office accommodation managed by the Department of Finance's
Building Management and Works. These vacancies have previously been notified
through question on notice 6801 asked in the Legislative Assembly. I thought
the question was familiar, and it is familiar because there is one property
missing from this list that was on the other list. I would like to know why the
Leader of the Opposition has not asked me about that other property, because
otherwise the lists are the same. Just in case it is an oversight, I will give
members the answer. What is missing from the current list is shop 13/13A of the
Landsdale Forum Shopping Centre. That was meant to be the electorate office of
a new Labor member of Parliament. However, for reasons unknown to us—although
there was an insistence that the office be obtained—it was then not
occupied, despite initial indications. As a result, these premises stayed
vacant for 42 months at a cost to the taxpayer of $214 341.62. The only good
thing I can tell members about that is that the lease was finally surrendered
on 31 January 2012. The contrast between the earlier information requested and
that last piece of information is certainly striking.
I seek leave to table the response
and have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted. [See paper 4314.]
The following material was
incorporated —
(1-2)
Government Offices
(1)
(2) Since 31 Oct 2011
a
Suite 3, Landgate Building,
South Node, Midland
Vacant
$42,480.79
b
Suite 1, Level 17, St
Martin's Tower, 44 St Georges Terrace Perth
Vacant
$69,701.13
c
Suite 1, Ground floor 88
Walters Drive, Osborne Park
Lease terminated 31 December
2011
$8,126.20
d
Level 2, 1 Puccini Court
Stirling
Occupied
$8,526.35
e
140 William Street Perth
Occupied
Fitout/Refurbishment complete
N/A
f
441 Murray Street Perth
Occupied
Fitout/Refurbishment complete
N/A
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