Plans have been approved for new federal department office buildings. 

The public works standing committee has given the go-ahead for the construction of new office buildings that will house the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), and the Department of Education as a sub-tenant. 

The committee expressed satisfaction with the project's “purpose, need, and value for money”, and noted that the relocation of the new offices would result in annual savings of $9 million in leasing costs. 

The proposed fit-out is estimated to cost $149.26 million for approximately 70,000 square metres of office space, at a projected cost of $2,119 per square metre.

While the committee approved the project, it expressed disappointment that other town centres in Canberra were not considered, stating that “the majority of the current 5,500 workforce across the departments are already based in the CBD, within walking distance of the new site”.

During a public hearing in February, public servants were questioned about why other locations such as Belconnen were not considered, to which they responded that the approach was limited to Canberra's CBD, and staff preferred working there.

The public works standing committee also expressed satisfaction that the fit-out design accounted for future growth. 

During the same public hearing in February, DEWR's chief operating officer Deborah Jenkins explained that the new offices were necessary as the departments’ 11 leases were ending, and consolidating into one building would result in benefits in working and connecting, as well as financial savings for the Commonwealth. 

Jenkins added that moving into new buildings would also save money on maintenance costs for the older buildings currently housing the departments. 

The new offices will be located at London Quarter, opposite the Melbourne Building.