Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Construction of the Australian Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, China.

On 29 June 2006, the then Prime Minister, the Hon. John Howard MP, announced that Australia would participate in the Shanghai World Expo 2010. This will be the first major world exposition since Aichi, Japan, in 2005 and will take place between 1 May and 31 October 2010. In addition to the $61 million being provided through the budget, the government will seek an estimated $22 million in funding through corporate sponsorships and partnerships with the states and territories. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has portfolio responsibility for this project and will manage Australia’s presence at the expo. In terms of the potential to assist Australian business and raise Australia’s profile in a strategic market, this expo represents a unique opportunity, eclipsing in scale any previous expo, including Aichi. It is therefore essential that Australia’s presence at the expo be commensurate with our economic and strategic interests in China.

The proposal is to construct a new temporary pavilion with appropriate public exhibition areas and capacity to host VIP, business and cultural programs that make up the Australian participation at the expo. The design process created a concept for a well-designed purpose-built pavilion that will showcase Australia to the Chinese public, compares favourably to our marker countries and provides a platform for helping Australian business succeed in the Chinese market. Subject to parliamentary approval, a single contract will be awarded for the construction, exhibition production and technical operation of the pavilion. Contracts will need to be signed by mid-September 2008 to achieve construction commencement this calendar year.

The construction program requires the base building to be complete and dust proof in the technical areas by mid-September 2009. Practical completion and occupation is scheduled for 1 March 2010, with commencement of the expo on 1 May 2010. The estimated cost of the proposed works inclusive of GST is $49.38 million and includes construction and other related elements such as architecture, consultant fees, project management, supervision, exhibition, furniture, artworks, whitegoods and site office expenses. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.

I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Fit-out for the Australian Federal Police of the Edmund Barton Building, Barton.

The Australian Federal Police is the major instrument of Commonwealth law enforcement. Its role is to enforce Commonwealth criminal law and protect Commonwealth and national interests from crime in Australia and overseas. The AFP has established a strategy to integrate all of its headquarters functions in a single site within the Australian Capital Territory to achieve business efficiencies and optimise its security and risk management requirements.

The AFP currently holds leases across 16 sites in the Australian Capital Territory to perform its national role in what are essentially commercial leases. This is not suitable for the AFP’s long-term operational requirements. The majority of the headquarters functions are located in six sites that will be relinquished as part of the co-location to the Edmund Barton Building. Under current planning, there are some other headquarter elements in the remaining building that will also co-locate to the Edmund Barton Building.

The Edmund Barton Building consists of 40,000 square metres of office space, including public and support spaces, which is sufficient occupancy space for approximately 2,200 staff and accommodates the AFP workforce complement of headquarters personnel. The Edmund Barton Building fully meets the AFP requirements. It will be fully refurbished to an A-grade building with new engineering services to enable the environmental target to be achieved. The fit-out will include office space, core storage, a conference centre, a forecourt cafe facility, basement storage and, subject to review by the AFP, childcare facilities.

The proposed fit-out is estimated to cost $115 million plus GST. Subject to parliamentary approval, construction would commence in November 2008 and be completed for occupancy progressively from July 2009 to the end of 2009. I commend the motion to the House.

Question agreed to.