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New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive
14 November 1996
Rt Hon Don McKinnon, Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister Don McKinnon today released the design for Parliaments new Ministerial Building, with construction due to start by April next year.
The new Ministerial wing is part of the Parliamentary Service Commissions long-term accommodation strategy for the House of Representatives, Mr McKinnon said. Its construction will ensure there is appropriate and enough accommodation for Ministers, MPs and their support staff over the next 50 to 100 years.
Features of the design are -
The new building is needed because we now have more MPs and support staff under MMP. The current accommodation does not meet their needs.
The debating chamber is at the heart of the Parliamentary complex - and yet a number of MPs are housed a long distance from it in Bowen House. The new Ministerial Building will ensure all MPs are as close as possible to the debating chamber, in offices complementing the overall design of the refurbished Parliament Buildings and the Beehive.
Bowen House was a temporary accommodation solution while Parliament Buildings were being refurbished. It is a commercial office block designed for commercial purposes, with commercial rents. The lease on it runs out in the year 2000. The design of the new building will provide more flexibility in planning office layouts than is possible within Parliament House or the Beehive.
Having a building in the complex that can readily respond to the changing demands for accommodation will reduce the pressure to make unsympathetic changes within other buildings that have a high heritage value and are historically significant.
The total cost of the project is capped at $94 million. This includes furniture, professional fees and GST. Spending will be spread over four financial years with occupation expected by early in the year 2000. Tenders for the main building contract are scheduled to be called in late January.
The building is to be built on vacant land behind Parliament and on part of the land currently occupied by Broadcasting House.
The architects for the project are Designgroup Consortium Ltd. Their design was selected from a limited design competition run by the Parliamentary Service Commission in 1995.
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The attached architects perspectives show the southern and eastern aspects of the new Ministerial Building viewed from Bowen Street and the end of the Terrace.
For further information contact: Anna Hughes (04) 4719 819, Jacqueline Owen (04) 4719 714 or John OSullivan, General Manager of Parliament Service Commission (04) 4719 999.
Information and illustrations available on the Internet - http://www.parliament.govt.nz/
The new Ministerial Building and the refurbishment of the Beehive complete the Parliamentary Service Commissions long-term accommodation strategy for Parliament for the next 50 -100 years.
The strategy is designed to ensure that the debating chamber is at the heart of the parliamentary complex, and that all MPs have easy access to it and each other. The new building, located to the West of Parliament Buildings, and the refurbishment of the Beehive will ensure all Ministers and MPs are located in accommodation close to the debating chamber.
The new accommodation is needed to house the additional MPs and their support staff as a result of the change to MMP. There are at least five parties in Parliament, which increases the number of support staff. Each party has its own researchers and advisors and each party leader has their own additional support staff - all of whom need office accommodation.
The building is of a high standard and flexible design which enables coalition governments to be accommodated. Four stories plus basement storage area. Will be the same height as Parliament. It will be base-isolated.
It is utilitarian, but provides flexibility to take pressure off other buildings. Links in with the historical significance of the existing Parliament Buildings. The pillars made of Takaka marble and copper-clad roof reflect the facade of Parliament House. The windows are designed to make it easy to readjust the buildings internal office configuration.
Green space for the public to use in front of the building. It is a building of the 1990s but reflects the architecture of the existing historic Parliament Buildings. Internally it will include rimu wood panelling transferred from New Zealand House in London.
The design was chosen as a result of a design competition. A panel of experts and political representatives selected it. The architects are Designgroup Consortium Ltd.
Panel members included Professor John Hunt, School of Architecture Auckland University. Bill Toomath, retired architect and also on the selection panel for the architect responsible for refurbishment of the old Parliament Buildings.
Bob Norman, former Works Commissioner and engineer. John OSullivan, Parliamentary Service General Manager. Parliaments Speaker, Peter Tapsell. Leader of the House, Don McKinnon. Former Labour and United MP, Clive Mathewson, an engineer. Then Deputy Minister of Finance, Wyatt Creech.
A cap of $94 million has been fixed for the Ministerial Building project - this includes fitout, furniture, fees and GST. An additional $30 million is for the refurbishment of the Beehive. Funding for the accommodation strategy is already provided for in the estimates.
There is enough room for 26 Ministers and 2 under-secretaries and their staff, or equivalent number of MPs; a cabinet room, cabinet committee rooms and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Parliamentary Service Commission is ready to lodge the Resource Management Act application to get the necessary approvals from the Wellington City Council. Tenders will be called in January and awarded by April. Occupation 1999 - 2000
The Beehive is over 20 years old - and in need of major refurbishment. Aspects of it no longer comply with the Building Act. Air conditioning is at the end of its economic life. One of the main electrical switchboards has already collapsed. Work on refurbishment will start in the year 2000 - once the ministers have moved into the new building. The refurbished Beehive will be used by MPs.
Bowen House is not owned by Parliament. It was built as a commercial office building and is being leased at commercial central Wellington rents. The lease runs out in the year 2000.
It also presents logistical and communications problems because of the distance from the debating chamber. MPs currently housed in Bowen House complain about the length of time it takes to travel down from the floors in Bowen House, across the travelator to the Beehive then on again into Parliament House to the debating chamber.
As outlined above, the building is needed because the lease runs out on Bowen House in the year 2000, and there is not enough room to properly house the 120 MPs, (including cabinet) and support staff.
The design of the proposed new building is such that whatever the composition of the Executive, the office configuration can be adjusted accordingly at the minimum of cost.
A smaller Cabinet does not necessarily mean proportionately fewer support staff. In coalition Governments overseas if the Cabinet is smaller there are usually a number of associate ministers outside Cabinet.
Also under a coalition government there may be two party leaders in the Executive. The additional support staff attached to the additional leader would be housed in the ministerial building.
If there is additional space, not needed by the Executive, the design is flexible enough to enable that space to be used for other purposes, for example if in fifty years time there are more MPs.
This was considered the best option to ensure there was enough office space for the future. Other options rejected included extending the Beehive annexe (an extension itself) and altering the interior structure of the Beehive - which is protected by a Heritage Order.
The demolition of Broadcasting House is part and parcel of the project. The Crown owns Broadcasting House and the land. Radio New Zealand is moving to alternative accommodation in the first half 1997.
The Historic Places Trust has a proposal to put Broadcasting House on its register of historic places: it is not even an interim registration. It is not a heritage or protection order. This proposal is in its very early stages and the Trust is now considering registering Broadcasting House. It is inviting submissions from interested parties. No other outside party has been involved in this process to date - except the original submissioners. There is now the opportunity for submissions from other people to be made to the Historic Places Trust.
There are over 800 historic buildings on the register. Broadcasting House would be the youngest having opened in 1963. Wellington City Council has not recommended Broadcasting House on its District Plan as a building of significance. Nothing prevents it from being demolished.
The Trust report refers to the fact Broadcasting House was purpose built and identifies the merits of its set of studios. The Commercial Radio stations which had used Broadcasting House moved out in the late 1980s because the building no longer suited them. The Trust report itself refers to the fact that three of the studios (3,4 and 5) are sealed up and not used.
The Government has given its approval to proceed to tender. The Caretaker Government has consulted with the other party leaders about the release of the design. Approval from Government is needed to award the successful tender.
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