Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the following reports—Referrals made November and December 2016 (2nd report of 2017)and the Eightieth annual report (2016).

Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present two reports—the committee's second report for the 2017 reporting period and the Eightieth annual report. The second report for 2017 looks at two proposals referred to the committee in November and December of 2016. The first was the relocation and fit-out of the Australian Cyber Security Centre. This involves the fitting out of two buildings at Brindabella Business Park in Canberra and the moving of the Cyber Security Centre from its current location in the Ben Chifley Building into the newly fitted-out buildings. The project cost is estimated at $38.8 million, excluding GST.

The second proposal is for hardening works at the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre. Changes in the detainee cohort have led to the need for hardening works to increase security at Yongah Hill. The project cost estimate is $27.4 million, excluding GST. The committee recommends that the two projects should proceed.

I also present the committee's eightieth annual report, which reports on the committee's activities for the 2016 calendar year. In summary, despite the 2016 election, it was a busy year for the committee. Nine projects were reported on, with a total combined value of more than $1.3 billion. The committee also examined the 66 medium works proposals, with a total value of $371 million.

I would like to thank the committee members for all their hard work during the 2016 year. I would also like to thank the committee from the 44th Parliament, especially the former committee chair, Senator Dean Smith. I thank them for their commitment and their valued contribution. The committee really appreciates it. I would also like to acknowledge the work from those on the other side of the House. The deputy chair of this committee and member for Makin, Tony Zappia, works very collegially with the committee, as do other serving members.

More importantly, I would like to take the opportunity to inform the House of the outstanding work that the secretariat does in this space in building that conduit between the Department of Finance and a myriad of different bodies and agencies that make applications to the Public Works Committee. I want to make particular note of Alison Clegg and Susan Cardell, who served when I first took on the committee as chairman. Both have now moved on to bigger and better things within the department. Thank you, ladies, for the work that you did in a very professional and robust way. I welcome and thank in advance both Pauline Cullen and James Bunce for the work they do in this space helping cut through a myriad of paperwork which could be quite laborious. The amount of work that they do in preparation behind the scenes to make sure that the committee is able to table robust, well-thought-out reports is a credit to the secretariat and to the department. They are sitting in the chamber; I acknowledge both of you today.

I commend the reports to the House.