State of Premier House slammed
PM’s residence would not have met Govt’s healthy homes standards
The Prime Minister’s agency has warned Premier House is in dire need of some work, describing the heritage property’s interior as “dated and basic” — and revealing it would not have met the Government’s own healthy homes standards without recent improvements.
The Ministerial Services briefing to Jacinda Ardern said Premier House needed “significant investment” for structural repairs and work including roof replacements.
It said recent work had been done to upgrade the security at Premier House and make changes needed so Premier House met the ‘healthy homes standards’ the Government had put in place for rental properties.
Ministerial Services is in charge of managing Premier House, as well as the cottage next to it, and the only remaining ministerial house on Bolton St.
The Bolton St property’s last resident was Winston Peters.
The report said work was needed on both — and said it would talk to Ardern about the need for a top-up to the usual maintenance allowance in the next Budget package.
“While the properties meet minimum building and residential tenancy requirements, the condition of the residences, and of the state reception areas at Premier House, remains dated and basic.
“We will seek to work with you on options and priorities for addressing necessary repairs at the properties, and restore their condition and functionality as residences and, for Premier House, as a venue for public and official functions.”
The Prime Minister’s residence has long been something of a political football for politicians, making Prime Ministers reluctant to spend money on refurbishments.
In 2018 the Government signed off on about $3 million worth of work on Premier House, which it said was primarily maintenance and to upgrade security.
In 2011, Labour MP Chris Hipkins criticised then Prime Minister John Key for spending $275,000 on Premier House, including re-painting it, as well as re-carpeting and new blinds. Hipkins said it was more than some people spent on an entire house. Key defended it, saying it was part of a “rotational maintenance programme” and it had to be properly maintained.
It is used as a venue for conferences and events, as well as housing the Prime Minister in the upstairs apartment. It has been used to host dignitaries including Prince William and US Secretaries of State John Kerry and Rex Tillerson.
It last had a major renovation 30 years ago and Ardern said she had no plans to change that.
One room had been made into a basic nursery for Ardern’s daughter Neve, and the PM had put a beehive on the grounds.