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February 9, 2026
The cost of taxpayer-funded renovations to the new Greens party room has exploded to $2.2m, including carpet refurbishment costing nearly $50,000 and joinery fees exceeding $153,000.
The price tag is now nearly three times the original quote of $886,521, and almost $600,000 higher than the last figure reported to Senate estimates.
An itemised list of costs for the room, which will serve the 11-member party, totalled $2,217,962 at the end of October.
Neither Labor Senate President Sue Lines nor the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) would confirm whether the total had increased since then, and why the $2.2m figure was not revealed during Senate estimates in December.
Construction costs included $106,212 for work on the “partition and ceiling” and $21,906 for painting.
A total of $48,750 was also spent on carpet manufactured by an in-house team at Parliament House.
While the project was first agreed to by the Morrison government, works have remained ongoing since the 2023-24 financial year.
Previously, Ms Lines has attributed the cost blowouts to extensive ceiling works and the increased costs of ensuring work is completed outside work hours.
Ms Lines also rejected accusations the room design was “lavish” and said it was “in line with every other committee room” at Parliament House.
Assistant secretary for property services Paul Pak Poy also said the design needed to follow the “design intent of the original architects”. The finishes and the associated services need to be a very high standard, as befitting the status of the building,” he said.
Coalition finance spokesman James Paterson, who is expected to grill Department of Parliamentary Services officials about the blowout during Senate estimates on Monday, lashed Labor for what he described as wasteful government spending.
“It was bad enough to think Labor was willing to spend $1.6m renovating a single room in Parliament House for their Green allies. To learn it has now actually cost $2.2m is truly shocking,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“No wonder (Treasurer) Jim Chalmers can’t keep spending under control while the Albanese government presides over blowouts like this.
“Now every Australian is paying through higher inflation and higher interest rates.
“When Labor spends, you pay.”
Criticism of the $2.2m fit-out comes as Labor faces fierce condemnation over the impact of high government spending on inflation.
Although Mr Chalmers has argued private sector spending was behind the recent inflation uptick and rate hike, Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock conceded government spending added to inflation pressures.
Both Ms Lines and DPS declined to comment when approached.
A department spokesman also said they were unable to respond as staff were focused on preparing for the coming sitting week.