Brisbane’s ‘Tower of Power’ rent bill to hit $1.4 billion

The view from the 32nd floor of 1 William Street, Brisbane. Picture: Darren England.

• The Australian 12:00AM October 22, 2016
• SARAH ELKS
• Queensland political reporter Brisbane @sarahelks

Queensland taxpayers will stump up $1.14 billion for rent over the next 15 years to pay for the state’s ministers and 5000 bureaucrats to work out of a new $650 million Brisbane riverfront tower.

The first group of 900 public servants will move into 1 William Street this weekend.

The 41-level building, commissioned by the Newman government, is known locally as the “Tower of Power”.

The fit-out alone cost devel­oper CBUS $120m, and features space for 680 bikes, 316 cars (ministers and directors-general get preced­ence), and a “biomimicry” colour scheme inspired by the state’s flora and fauna.

The Treasury Department, for instance, will be housed on the 23rd floor, which is decked out in splashes of green in a celebration of the red-eyed green tree frog.

Even the trendy kitchen pend­ant lights and “collaboration pods” — known in non-bureaucratic speak as two armchairs placed together — are green.

Premier Annastacia Palasz­czuk (floor 40), her deputy Jackie Trad (floor 39) and Treasurer Curtis Pitt (floor 38) will move into the building next month. Those levels have a “water ­dragon” theme and are decorated in brown and grey. The top floor — which, like Ms Palaszczuk’s level, has a deck — is ­reserved for meetings and conferences.

Work is still being carried out on the building, which is across the road from Parliament House in Brisbane’s CBD.

Public servants will move from about 20 government buildings across the city — including the current Executive Building, built by long-serving National Party premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen in the 1970s. That building, along with two others, will be knocked down by the developers of the Queens Wharf casino area.

The Newman government gave the $47.5m parcel of land to CBUS and the developer shouldered the project cost. The former Liberal National Party government locked in a 15-year lease to pay net rent of $649.50 per square metre, with the idea that seven levels would be rented to commercial tenants. However, Mr Pitt said, all the building would now be occupied by government.

Treasury project director Paul Krautz said the move was scheduled to happen last month, but bad weather had delayed builders.

Mr Krautz said $1m had been shaved off the fit-out planned by the previous government by using fewer rugs, buying stand-up desks locally — rather than importing them — and using plaster on the upper walls, rather than a special stone.