GPO kōrero – December 2025

GovProperty Connect

It was great to see so many agencies at the Connect session last week. There was lots of good discussion, and some valuable feedback and suggestions for future events.

The presentation we gave is attached for those who couldn’t make the session or, due to some gremlins, couldn’t access the online session. Apologies for the technical issues - we’ll have this sorted next time.

At the session, our new General Manager, Matt Meehan introduced our three GPO priorities for discussion, which are:

1. Clear direction for the GPO
2. Integrated planning, and
3. Enabling tools.

For those who missed it and as a recap for others, I’ll outline these priorities in a bit more detail.

1. Clear direction 

• We are seeking direction from the Minister for the Public Service on options for managing the portfolio in future, noting that some centralisation of government property management was under consideration in 2024.
• We’ve established a new governance structure: an executive-level Governance Board is expected to start in February to guide our strategic direction and performance, and a Property System Leaders Group has commenced to provide advice on property practice and delivery.
• We’ve drafted a strategy to establish the Vision, Objectives, Principles and Key Shifts for the government property system. We have sought feedback from agency representatives on the Property System Leaders Group and will be finalising and launching the strategy in the new year.

2. Integrated planning

Government Office Accommodation Programme

We are in the process of developing the Government Office Accommodation Programme (the ‘programme’) with a priority focus on Wellington at this stage. The programme aims to align agency requirements and preferences with government expectations and our new strategy.

The programme will be a living document with a multi-year view on property and lease intentions through regional and sector lenses.

Early connection between the GPO and agencies on plans is key to this programme so we have time to genuinely explore needs and options together.  We will ensure you are kept well-informed about how your properties feature in the programme.

Wellington

The GPO is continuing to work with agencies on consolidation opportunities and further reductions have already been committed to in the near-term. New sites are also coming onstream from previous commitments, which means the CBD still has surplus space.

The GPO is continuing to work with agencies on consolidation opportunities and further reductions have already been committed to in the near-term. New sites are also coming onstream from previous commitments, which means the CBD still has surplus space.

We have reviewed renewals and expiries out to the end of 2027 and are looking at the optimal mix of core sites (larger, more efficient, longer tenure) and flex sites (smaller, more flexible lease terms) needed to create efficiencies while providing quality work environments that support public service delivery.

We will be working with those of you with upcoming lease decisions to look at the best options for agencies and the portfolio as a whole.

Lease approvals

We’re aware that in this current market some landlords are offering incentives for early renewals or extended tenure. Please remember that under the Property Functional Leadership Mandate, you are required to:

• seek approval from the Government Property Office (GPO) before starting any process or committing to a lease for office accommodation or public interface areas, whether inside or outside the Programme.
• engage early with the GPO on property planning to ensure alignment with system outcomes and Cabinet’s direction.
• adopt a whole-of-government perspective, including prioritising surplus space and co-location opportunities with other agencies.

The GPO will assess proposals both for agency-specific needs and for their contribution to broader system outcomes.

Under the previous Government Property Group, retrospective approvals for lease actions were sometimes provided after agencies had acted. However, this doesn’t support good portfolio planning or allow genuine consideration of alternatives and, from now on, we are unable to provide retrospective approvals. If prior approval hasn’t been sought, this will be recorded and may be noted in our regular governance and Ministerial reporting.

3. Enabling tools

Data completeness and dashboards

We’ve attached the updated portfolio overview (as at the end of November) to provide insight into the current state of the portfolio. The team is continuing to develop the dashboard tool, which we aim to launch in the new year to give you easy access to your agency’s property information.

We are also developing measures of data completeness and currency. Right now, data completeness in the Property Portal is sitting at an average of 83% across agencies.

We will be in touch with you about your data and to provide help if needed. Our team can do this work on your behalf at no additional cost. We can manage the input of all your lease data into the portal (from creation through to ongoing updates of lease events). All you need to do is email us copies of your documents. The information remains yours and you can access it as before.

Building Performance Specification

Revised building performance specifications for new and refurbished buildings are 90% complete and undergoing final review. We expect to publish these in the new year.

Mā te wā

Thank you for your continued engagement and feedback.  If you have any questions or wish to discuss any aspect of what is covered in this update, please get in touch.  
We look forward to connecting with you again in 2026. In the meantime, enjoy the holiday season and have a safe, happy New Year – ngā mihi o te tau hou.

Ngā mihi,

Vaughan Crouch

Head of Engagement and Portfolio Planning, Government Property Office