Post by Banjo on Aug 2, 2014 8:44:48 GMT 7
Federal Government departments spending big on office upgrades
THE federal Department of Human Services is spending about $1 million a month on office upgrades and refurbishments, at the same time as it prepares to crack down on welfare recipients.
And it is not the only government department splurging sizeable sums of public money.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also splurged on a set on new lockers for public servants working at its Canberra office, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $50,000.
As dole recipients and pensioners feel the pinch of the Abbott government’s end of entitlement, hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent by the welfare department, DHS, on dozens of “minor works”, desk changes, and carpet upgrades.
Between February and June this year, the Department of Human Services spent more than $6.5 million upgrading and consolidating its Centrelink and Medicare shopfronts across the country.
Government documents returned to the Senate, on request from Labor frontbencher Joe Ludwig, also show DFAT authorised $51,000 to replace the lockers in the gym of the department’s Canberra office.
The project management fees for the expensive locker upgrade cost $4,600 alone.
DFAT also spent close to $850,000 refurbishing another part of its Canberra office, including spending $77,000 on architectural costs.
In contrast, it cost the Department of Foreign Affairs just over $5,000 to upgrade a loading dock at Sydney Airport.
Senator Ludwig attacked the government’s decision to spend taxpayers’ money on upgrading its facilities, accusing the government of having “twisted priorities”.
“The government should be standing up for working people instead of building lockers for gym shorts,” he said.
At the Department of Human Services, $159,000 was spent on “minor works and desk changes” for an Adelaide office, $38,000 was spent increasing desk numbers and carrying out minor works in Moreland in Victoria, the refurbishment of a DHS centre in Southport in Queensland cost $92,000 and “minor upgrades” to a centre in Sydney’s Surry Hills cost taxpayers $25,000.
DHS general manager Hank Jongen defended his department’s spending. He said the 140 one-stop-shops around Australia offering both Medicare and Centrelink services required ongoing maintenance.
“A large proportion of our expenditure is linked to the transition to these one-stop shops and while there is an initial cost to relocate services under one roof, there are longer-term savings to be achieved,” he said.
Mr Jongen said the department had already delivered more than $350 million in savings to the government by making its service delivery more efficient.
The Department of Foreign Affairs did not response to questions from News Corp.
www.news.com.au/national/federal-government-departments-spending-big-on-office-upgrades/story-fncynjr2-1227010555208
THE federal Department of Human Services is spending about $1 million a month on office upgrades and refurbishments, at the same time as it prepares to crack down on welfare recipients.
And it is not the only government department splurging sizeable sums of public money.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has also splurged on a set on new lockers for public servants working at its Canberra office, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $50,000.
As dole recipients and pensioners feel the pinch of the Abbott government’s end of entitlement, hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent by the welfare department, DHS, on dozens of “minor works”, desk changes, and carpet upgrades.
Between February and June this year, the Department of Human Services spent more than $6.5 million upgrading and consolidating its Centrelink and Medicare shopfronts across the country.
Government documents returned to the Senate, on request from Labor frontbencher Joe Ludwig, also show DFAT authorised $51,000 to replace the lockers in the gym of the department’s Canberra office.
The project management fees for the expensive locker upgrade cost $4,600 alone.
DFAT also spent close to $850,000 refurbishing another part of its Canberra office, including spending $77,000 on architectural costs.
In contrast, it cost the Department of Foreign Affairs just over $5,000 to upgrade a loading dock at Sydney Airport.
Senator Ludwig attacked the government’s decision to spend taxpayers’ money on upgrading its facilities, accusing the government of having “twisted priorities”.
“The government should be standing up for working people instead of building lockers for gym shorts,” he said.
At the Department of Human Services, $159,000 was spent on “minor works and desk changes” for an Adelaide office, $38,000 was spent increasing desk numbers and carrying out minor works in Moreland in Victoria, the refurbishment of a DHS centre in Southport in Queensland cost $92,000 and “minor upgrades” to a centre in Sydney’s Surry Hills cost taxpayers $25,000.
DHS general manager Hank Jongen defended his department’s spending. He said the 140 one-stop-shops around Australia offering both Medicare and Centrelink services required ongoing maintenance.
“A large proportion of our expenditure is linked to the transition to these one-stop shops and while there is an initial cost to relocate services under one roof, there are longer-term savings to be achieved,” he said.
Mr Jongen said the department had already delivered more than $350 million in savings to the government by making its service delivery more efficient.
The Department of Foreign Affairs did not response to questions from News Corp.
www.news.com.au/national/federal-government-departments-spending-big-on-office-upgrades/story-fncynjr2-1227010555208