On the eve of a parliamentary enquiry into the troubled move of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to the deputy Prime Minister's New England seat, Fairfax Media has revealed those staff allowed to stay in Canberra will likely have to have their homes connected to a secure computer network, also estimated to cost millions. That cost comes on top of the estimated $26m relocation cost of the move to Armidale.

Under the rules pushed through as part of the federal government's attempts to decentralise agencies out of Canberra, Commonwealth entities with agricultural policy or regulatory responsibilities are to be located within 10km of a main regional university campus, but no closer than 150km to a state or territory capital, including Canberra.

Those rules mean Canberra-based staff cannot share a local office, instead requiring each scientist to have their homes wired into the secure system, allowing them to work remotely. Nevermind that staff in Armidale were recently found to be relying on the free wi-fi at a local McDonald's restaurant to get their work done. One can only assume that each time a Canberra-based staff member leaves or joins the agency, they will have to be disconnected or connected to this secure network, again at additional cost.

The ridiculousness of the policy becomes even more difficult to defend when considering the assessment of the parliamentary library, which concluded the relocation rules meant agencies could only feasibly go to four places in Australia, three of which are in Nationals' seats, and the fourth in a marginal electorate the party would dearly love to win.

Labor's Joel Fitzgibbon has already delivered a scathing assessment of the policy, declaring it harmful to the agricultural sector and a great waste of taxpayer money. It is also a policy that threatens to harm the national capital and erase the synergies of working in close proximity to those in other related areas of government.

But for all the evidence suggesting moving the APVMA - and potentially other agencies - out of Canberra is a bad idea, there seems little chance of a change of heart from Mr Joyce or Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

For months they have been told that the policy does not pass a cost-benefit analysis, that many in agricultural industries that rely on the agency are opposed to the move, and that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to attract and retain the highly skilled staff required to do the work.

No doubt those making submissions to the enquiry will present yet more evidence to the government of potential issues associated with a relocation away from Canberra. If the Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister have stopped listening, perhaps Treasurer Scott Morrison, as he contemplates the finishing touches to his Federal Budget, will be.