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John Nicholson / Stuff
Premier House in 2015. Officials say it is “dated and basic.”
A briefing for the prime minister has called his official residence “old-fashioned and basic” and says it urgently needs improvements.
It reveals that without recent work the building would not have met the government’s healthy home standards.
The Prime Minister has an official residence at Wellington – Premier House on Tinakori Rd, where she resides while in the capital city.
Another ministerial house, typically occupied by the deputy prime minister, is on Bolton St.
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Officials from Ministerial Services, who operate the properties, wrote in their briefing that a “significant further investment” was needed for the residence and they were interested in a decision in November 2020.
The last period an investment had been made to improve Premier House’s security arrangements, which generated some controversy.
But officials said more work was needed.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Prime Minister John Key and US Secretary of State John Kerry inside the Premier House in 2016. Officials say the interior is in need of an upgrade.
“While the properties meet minimum residential construction and leasing requirements, the condition of the residences and state reception areas at Premier House remains basic and outdated,” they wrote.
“To strengthen the long-term management of Crown-owned properties, the department seeks to identify and agree on future standards for residential and functional areas, and develop management plans to achieve and maintain these standards.”
Officials said they were considering options for “alternative governance and oversight” and “independent advice.” This suggests that the responsibility for Premier House may be turned over to a body not under the control of the prime minister, which makes decisions about whether to upgrade properties in significantly less politically sensitive ways.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Officials say that without a recent job, Premier House would not have met the government’s own standards for healthy homes.
They suggested that advancing planned investment could help the economic recovery from Covid-19.
“There are opportunities within the portfolio to support recovery by advancing planned investments that would provide jobs for New Zealand suppliers and businesses, and improve infrastructure,” the officials wrote.
“Potential opportunities include improvements to the department’s facilities for hosting official parties at Auckland Airport; undertake remediation work on property owned by the Crown; and install charging infrastructure to support the electrification of Crown’s fleet. ”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked to comment on the matter.
The briefing also revealed that 40 percent of Crown’s car fleet was now electric, although many of the vehicles could also run on gasoline.
The 77 Crown Government cars, mostly located in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, transport ministers and the leader of the Opposition.
The department aimed to be fully electric by 2025-26 and expected to be 60 percent electric by June 2021.
