Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

The Government's Operation Tetris has successfully filled over 42,000 square metres of previously vacant and surplus office space under lease in and around Canberra.

As a result of a more coordinated approach to property leasing arrangements on a whole of government basis, Operation Tetris, has delivered almost $200 million in savings so far since the last election from the significant reduction in unnecessary leases.  

These significant savings are the result of the following Departments and agencies having taken up vacant office space through the Finance coordinated Operation Tetris: 

• The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has taken up 10,217m² within the Australian Taxation Office’s spare office space in Civic;
• The Shared Services Centre taking up 10,873m² within Garema Court in Canberra City;
• The Australian Electoral Commission, Digital Transformation Office and the Department of Education taking up 7,550m² at 50 Marcus Clarke Street; 
• Safe Work Australia, taking up 1,885m² in the Nishi Building, New Acton; and
• The Department of the Environment having signed a heads of agreement to move into the John Gorton Building when the Department of Finance vacates later this year.  

The Government is working to fill a further 18,000 square metres of office space that will become available during 2016.  

To help realise more opportunities, the Australian Government Office Occupancy Report, was recently finalised and provides valuable information on office space owned or leased by the Australian Government and their current occupational density. This will be a useful benchmark to assist in future planning.   

After its successful implementation in Canberra, Operation Tetris will now be rolled out nationally, with 55 per cent of Government leases scheduled to end over the next three years.