Part 4 Report on activities

Building and Security Division

Introduction

The Building and Security Division comprises the Building Services Branch, Capital Works Branch and Security Branch. The division provides ongoing maintenance services for the building and landscape, in addition to security operations and project delivery services to support the Parliament.

The Australian Parliament House complex occupies a 35-hectare site, comprises approximately 4,700 rooms across four levels, and has a total floor area of more than 267,000 square metres. The building contains more than 100,000 maintainable assets, including plant, fixtures, fittings, furniture and operating equipment, all of which are maintained by the division.

Divisional highlights

Building Services Branch

The Building Services Branch is responsible for: building maintenance and logistics; landscape services; building information and building maintenance contracts; furniture, strategic accommodation and office fit-outs; and strategic asset management.

The branch is made up of three sections which report to the Assistant Secretary:

  • Building Information and Contracts
  • Building Strategy and Services, and
  • Maintenance Services.

Key highlights of the branch include:

  • responding to 5,040 incoming calls for assistance to the DPS Maintenance Help Desk, which manages building services requests, responds to alarms, assigns rapid response trade staff and provides 24-hour system monitoring and response functions
  • implementation of a new customer service workflow management tool, JIRA, to capture and report on customer service requests made to the Help Desk via othermechanisms
  • finalisation of a new cleaning contract for Parliament House, which came into effect on 1 July 2018, combining three work packages: internal, external and specialist cleaning
  • staff supported the filming of the ABC documentary The House with Annabel Crabb (the episodes aired from 8 August to 12 September 2017), and The Living Room (the episode aired on 25 May 2018)
  • the review and updating, in collaboration with other areas of DPS, of the Parliament House Site Book and the DPS Standards for Project Documentation. Bothcontain important information for contractors undertaking works at Parliament House or creating or amending drawings on behalf of DPS
  • modifications to a parliamentarian suite to improve accessibility, and upgrades to four open plan office accommodation areas and three areas in the public zone, and
  • establishment of a furniture team to effectively manage the Parliament House furniture collections.

Security Branch

The Security Branch is responsible for the provision of security services, including daily operational security, policy management, building security, parking services, visitor access, security risk management, departmental security vetting, internal security training, resilience planning and emergency management. The Security Branch works in partnership with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to ensure the safety andsecurity of Parliament House occupants and visitors.

The branch is made up of two sections which report to the Assistant Secretary:

  • Security Operations (responsible for the Parliamentary Security Service), and
  • Security Policy and Governance.

Key highlights of the branch include:

  • work associated with the review of the APH CCTV Code of Practice, including the establishment of more robust security data management processes and business practices. The revised code was approved by the Presiding Officers, with implementation to occur in the second half of 2018
  • implementation in August 2017 of the Security Awareness Training Policy, which outlines the key principles and responsibilities for mandatory security awareness training in DPS. By 30 June 2018, 78 per cent of DPS staff had undertaken this mandatory training, with remaining staff to be trained in the first quarter of 2018–19
  • screening of approximately 750,000 visitors through the entry points of Parliament House, and
  • responding to approximately 70 first aid incidents.

Capital Works Branch

The Capital Works Branch is responsible for delivering building infrastructure projects that enable Parliament House to function effectively as a safe and accessible building, and facilitates the Australian Parliament House Security Upgrade—Implementation Plan.

The branch is made up of two sections, which report to the Assistant Secretary:

  • Project Coordination, and
  • Program Delivery.

Key highlights of the branch include:

  • the large-scale replacement of glazing in four of 12 link-ways and other roofelements
  • substantial upgrades to physical and electronic security systems
  • completion of the Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System project
  • continued lift refurbishment upgrades across the building
  • progressing security upgrades at the Senate and House of Representatives entrances, and
  • completion of perimeter security fence installations.