'Can't be put off forever': Beehive could be vacated for up to 18 months for repairs

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Beehive could be vacated for refurbishments, with Parliament's Speaker saying a decision on repairs to the executive wing would probably be made in the next Parliamentary term.

Completed in 1981, the building houses most government ministers and their staff, as well as the Cabinet meeting room and the theatrette where prime ministers deliver their weekly press conferences.

There is also a cafe, restaurant and function rooms.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee said a decision on whether to vacate the Beehive may need to be made next term.

"The Beehive needs a lot of work done on it, and the best way to do that would be to vacate it for about 18 months, and let it be all done at once," he told MPs.

Appearing before Parliament's Governance and Administration Committee on Wednesday, Brownlee said the building had had "a couple of interior goes at it", but ventilation systems, outside windows, and other structural aspects were showing "significant" deterioration.

"It can't be put off forever, but that's a conversation that's ongoing at the moment," he said.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee.

Photo: VNP/Phil Smith

Speaking to media after the hearing, Brownlee said vacating the building was an "option" that might be considered.

"It's not something that's on the cards at the moment. The reality is all buildings, once they get to that 50-plus year age bracket, start to show signs of needing a fairly significant upgrade. The Beehive is heading towards that point," he said.

"I think it's a decision that would be made probably during the term of the next Parliament, but it's something that is just out there as an awareness at the present time."

The Beehive's current occupants were "aware" that something needed to be done in the future, Brownlee said.

He would not give a view on what his preferred option would be.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to suggest what the most optimal programme might be for something that probably is not going to happen for a few years. But the reality is that if you've got structural work being done on the exterior of the building, just the noise factor alone for those who work in there would be quite distracting."

A new six-storey building is being constructed on Museum Street, behind Parliament House.

The building is set to be completed by early 2027, and will have space for about 600 people. It is expected some MPs and Parliamentary staff will be relocated there.

More sitting hours?

Brownlee also had a proposal to change Parliament's sitting hours, and expressed a "strong view" that Parliament did not sit long enough.

During sitting weeks, Parliament usually sits from 2pm until 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (with a dinner break from 6pm to 7.30pm), and from 2pm until 6pm on Thursdays.

Governments can move motions to extend sitting hours to the following morning, or put the House into urgency.

The proposal could include extending Parliament's sitting hours, but Brownlee would not tell media the specifics of his proposal, saying it would be "unreasonable" to do so while parties were considering it.

"While people have a view that Parliament only sits for 30 weeks a year, and it sits for about 17 to 18 hours per week for 30 weeks a year, that is just a fraction of the work that gets done here. Select committees sit during the mornings, caucuses meet during the morning. There are numerous evening meetings," he said.

Huge increase in public submissions

Clerk of the House David Wilson told the committee that half of all public submissions on bills received in the past 30 years had come this term of Parliament.

Wilson said some of that was related to bills that were "contentious", but the number of bills receiving more than 1000 submissions had also increased greatly.

He said the Office of the Clerk had received a significant funding uplift, including more investment in technology, which he hoped could be used to find more efficient ways to deal with that volume of work.

The Office had also been speaking to the Standing Orders Committee about whether there were "alternative" ways for people to indicate their views about bills.

At the other end of the legislative process was the Committee of the Whole House stage.

Brownlee said the Standing Orders Committee would also be looking at the process MPs use to submit amendments on bills going through the House.

He said proposing amendments was a right, and there was no desire to cut it off, but observed that other parliaments had provisions in their standing orders to limit how many amendments could be made.

"In essence, you can't have on the one hand a capacity to endlessly propose amendments to legislation, but at the same time say, 'well it's terrible that we're having to take these extra hours to try and achieve things.' So it's a bit of a chicken and egg, I think."

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