About $1 million has been spent on work at Wellington’s Premier House over the past two years, including replacing its roof, new furniture and painting interior and exterior walls.

The Thorndon property, where Prime Ministers normally stay while in the capital, has recently been the site of what the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) describes as “critical remedial work”.

This includes a full roof replacement, cladding repairs, a full exterior repaint and “functional improvements” to staff and function areas.

Briget Ridden, general manager of ministerial services at DIA, told the Herald the remedial work was intended to address “areas of the property that have significantly degraded and require urgent repair”.

“Work is required to ensure the property is weathertight, its heritage is protected, and it can continue to be used as a residence and function venue.”

Various types of upgrades have occurred at the property near Parliament over the years, but Ridden said the last “significant refurbishment” to the exterior was in 1990.

Issues with the property were identified in a 2023 report, which mentioned that it suffered from “significant deferred maintenance”.

The DIA would not say how much had been spent so far or what had been budgeted when the Herald asked this month, as it said the work was ongoing. It said costs would eventually be released once the project was completed.

However, Labour has been asking Prime Minister Christopher Luxon written parliamentary questions (WPQs) about spending on the property over the past two years.

They include questions about expenditure on scaffolding, curtains, carpet, the roof, improvements to staff and function areas, carpentry, furniture and painting.

The WPQ responses from Luxon don’t break down what is specifically included in each category. It’s unclear whether anything has been counted across more than one category, or whether any costs have not been covered by the responses.

Adding up the dollar amounts in Luxon’s responses, the amount spent across the full 2024-25 financial year (FY24-25) and as of February 28 this financial year is about $1.36m.

When the Herald said to the DIA that expenditure so far appeared to be in the region of $1.3m, the figure was not disputed.

Diplomatic and sporting events are often held on the grounds of Premier House. Photo / Hagen Hopkins

In terms of furniture, Luxon said $7300 had been spent this financial year (as of February 28). While exact items weren’t listed, the Prime Minister said the furniture was “NZ-made and manufactured and has been sourced from available products”.

“Officials investigated options to repair or refurbish existing furniture, but this was not cost-effective. The last time the State Room furnishings were replaced was approx 20 years ago. At that time, secondhand furniture was sourced and reupholstered.”

He said some furniture in the function rooms of the house had been “damaged” or was “no longer functional”.

One of the biggest costs has been scaffolding and building wrap, which cost $200,000 in FY24-25 and $175,081 this financial year. Another large expense, the roof replacement, had cost $242,961.

Labour asked about the cost of cladding repairs, but Luxon said Ministerial Services could provide only the total cost of all carpentry work, which came to $283,764.

Interior painting occurred in FY24-25, costing $67,639. Exterior painting costs had reached $240,183.

There was $30,703 spent on curtains and blinds in FY24-25 and $18,534 this financial year.

Improvements to staff and function areas cost $48,153. Luxon wasn’t specific about what they included.

Carpet upgrades cost $38,758 in FY24-25, while $3411 had been spent as of February 28 this financial year.

“All new carpet installed is 100% New Zealand wool. Replacement was required as the carpet was showing significant wear and tear and was last replaced in 1990,” Luxon said.

This Government has championed the wool carpet industry, including directing public entities to use woollen fibres where practical and appropriate in government buildings.

A spokesperson for Luxon told the Herald that final decisions on the maintenance and upkeep of Premier House were operational matters for the DIA.

But they added: “The Prime Minister’s office has made clear to officials that remediation work should be done at minimal cost.”

A 2015 file image of a main function room in Premier House. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Given that it is the Prime Minister’s main residence in Wellington, upgrades at Premier House often receive attention.

Money has previously been spent on an upgrade to security measures, urgent repairs, and to meet healthy homes standards, according to a briefing given to former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern in 2020.

There was also around $180,000 worth of maintenance and other work undertaken before Luxon moved into the house. That included everything from painting to air conditioning installation to a Sky TV connection.

Luxon didn’t initially stay at the residence when he became Prime Minister. He instead opted to remain in his own apartment across the street from Parliament, saying maintenance was needed at Premier House. He eventually moved into the house in the second half of 2024.

In 2023, an independent report from the Premier House Board said the property needed “urgent investment” to “arrest the decline” in its condition and “to conserve the heritage fabric of the property”.

“There is significant deferred maintenance, and dated fittings and fixtures require replacement. Refurbishment, as well as remediation, is necessary to reinstate the mana of Premier House and to improve how the property is used and experienced.”

That report estimated that a full refurbishment would cost $33m “to address immediate heritage, seismic resilience and functional and performance requirements”. Long-term maintenance would cost about $1.3m a year or $27m over 20 years.

However, it was reported last year that DIA was not going ahead with the $33m refurbishment option, but instead a smaller programme of remedial work.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.