Who gets to use the facilities at Premier House?

Premier House, the official Wellington home for prime ministers, has been used 17 times for public events in the past 13 months it hasn’t been housing the prime minister.

Just two paid a $550 daily charge. Thirteen of the events were during Chris Hipkins’ tenure and four have been since Christopher Luxon was elected.

The downstairs area of the Premier House is used for official functions, upstairs is the private apartment.

But neither Hipkins nor Luxon has elected to live in the house at 260 Tinakori Rd. (Luxon decided to live in his nearby apartment, controversially claiming the $52,000 accommodation allowance because his main home is in Auckland. He then decided to pay the allowance back.)

It’s been acknowledged that the house – in use by PMs on and off since 1867 – is faded and in need of a major upgrade – to the tune of tens of millions.

The decisions on those upgrades are still on Luxon’s desk, but there are some groups still using Premier House since the last occupant, Jacinda Ardern, left.

The agency set up to figure out just what needs to be done to the Grade-1 listed heritage building, the Premier House Advisory

Board, met in the building six times last year. The Labour Caucus met there twice last year and the prime minister’s staff met there once last year.

The Prime Minister’s Literary Achievement Awards was held there in March and a school event was held in August. In a nod to Premier House’s 39-year history as a dental clinic, the 1973 Dental Nurses 50th Reunion had two tours of the house.

Since Luxon became prime minister, a public sector agency strategy day was held on January 31 – this was one of the events that was charged $550 for use.

Te Hono, an agency that focuses on the food and fibre sector, used the building for a workshop and dinner over three days – and paid the $550 daily charge.

On February 26, Luxon hosted the New Zealand and Australian Cricket teams at Premier House. The venue hire charge of $550 is charged is when an event is not hosted or attended by the prime minister.

Private events for the prime minister are not paid for by the department – one such would have been the Luxons’ family Christmas last year.

The Prime Minister spent two nights at Premier House and hosted his extended family – a group of about 25 – for Christmas celebrations.

Premier House has received more than $95,000 in upgrades since Luxon came to power.