$30m cost to fix 'uncomfortable' Premier House

The New Zealand Herald has seen part of the report from the Premier House Board which advises the Prime Minister on the condition of the Wellington house. The Premier House Board report had noted other ministers could rent far superior accommodation on the private market. It says running Premier House would cost the same whether the Prime Minister was living in it or not, so there were no savings. The report also points to the history of Premier House as a political football, saying that the politicisation of Premier House had contributed to its current bad condition. It noted that elements of the last refurbishment of Premier House in the 1990s had been to the detriment of the layout and heritage of the house.