The federal government has again delayed its decision on a new headquarters for its Border Force and Immigration Department, as questions were raised about Canberra developers trying to influence the minister, Peter Dutton.
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This week marks a year since the department announced its intention to move to a new complex that could house all its ACT-based employees, after the merger of immigration and the former customs service.
However, the project became highly controversial after the ACT's Liberal and Labor parliamentarians publicly opposed any outcome that would shift immigration staff from Belconnen, saying such a move would gut the town centre and destroy local businesses.
A decision on the joint headquarters is now almost seven months overdue.
Developers bidding for the project were expecting to receive on Friday the Finance Department's revised property principles, which would give them a clearer understanding of the government's new approach to managing its office space.
Yet, amid the confusion surrounding the federal cabinet reshuffle, no principles were published.
Meanwhile, the ABC reports that a Liberal fundraiser hosted by Mr Dutton and ACT senator Zed Seselja earlier this month was attended mostly by property developers, including those vying to rebuild the headquarters in Belconnen.
Fairfax Media has subsequently been told that six of the 11 dinner guests, each charged $995 to attend, were associated with the Belconnen bid, led by Graham Potts from Amalgamated and Barry Morris from the Morris Property Group.
Mr Dutton's office said he "did not take part in any discussions around the detail of office space" for the Immigration Department, and that in any event the tender was a matter for the Finance Department.
"The Department of Finance has carriage of the whole-of-government accommodation process though Project Tetrus."
However, asked whether the tender was discussed at the dinner, Senator Seselja's spokeswoman said the senator "does not comment on private conversations".
"However, the senator's position on the Department of Immigration staying in Belconnen is well known," she said.
"While this is a matter for the department, he is hopeful that a decision will be taken soon."
The department and Border Force presently employ about 3400 staff in Belconnen, where immigration has long been based, and 1700 in Civic, in the old customs headquarters.
Developers competing to build the new complex are understood to have proposed sites in Belconnen, Civic, Barton and the airport's business park.
The government announced in May it was adopting a new approach to managing its office space in Canberra, which would require it to consider the "local impacts" of moving staff from one location to another.
However, the delays may force the Immigration Department to temporarily reshuffle its staff, as the leases for about one-third of its Belconnen office space will expire in February.
Federal Labor MP Andrew Leigh, who opposed shifting immigration employees out of Belconnen, said it seemed no progress had been made on the project.
"The Belconnen community has been left completely in limbo, with local businesses and workers unable to plan for the future because this government can't even run a basic procurement process properly," he said.
"There is a clear risk of conflict of interest when tenderers for the immigration project are paying almost $1000 a head to attend a local Liberal fundraiser.
"Canberrans want to know the delays in this project aren't being exploited for party-political gain."
