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• Summary of financial performance 
• Security 
• Maintaining Parliament House 
• DPS provides parliamentary infrastructure advice to Fiji 
• Heritage 
• Visitor services 
• DPS improves the visitor experience at Parliament House 
• Art services 
• Information and Communication Technology 
• Flexible ICT solutions proving popular with parliamentarians 
• Broadcasting and Hansard 
• When travelling to work means flying thousands of kilometres 
• DPS' commitment to reconciliation 
• Programs 1 and 2–Key performance indicators 2013–14 
• Parliament House welcomes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 

DPS is the principal support agency for Parliament House—a building where some 4,500 people work on sitting days and which almost 700,000 people visited this year. DPS works closely with the Department of the Senate and Department of the House of Representatives to support the operations of the Parliament and its committees. The services provided by DPS are diverse and fundamental to the effective operation of Parliament and thus include broadcasting, Hansard, the Parliamentary Library, security, ICT services, provision of utilities and amenities, visitor services, and maintenance and upgrading of the building and its precincts.

Summary of financial performance

Despite growing costs and increasing demand for its services, in the five years leading up to 2013–14, the Department had garnished sustainable efficiencies amounting to more than 15 per cent of its operating budget. However, these savings had not been sufficient to offset the real increases in the demand caused by increasing parliamentary workloads, changes in technology and security requirements, as well as the increasing cost of utilities, wages and the maintenance needs of a 25-year-old building. Furthermore they could not offset the cumulative impact of a decade of static funding and efficiency dividends. Specifically, in 2003–04, DPS’ operating appropriation was $105.5 million, while in 2013–14 it was $101.5 million. Despite further efficiency efforts, it was not possible for DPS to match its expenditure to its budget in 2013–14.

In light of DPS’ budget position, the Government provided one-off supplementation in the Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) of $5.5 million to help reduce the projected deficit.

On the basis of its forward estimates, DPS undertook contingency planning for further contraction which would affect all areas of its services, and which would impact significantly upon the Parliament, the work of individual parliamentarians, and DPS’ capacity to adequately maintain Parliament House and the parliamentary precincts. However, the allocation of additional funding in the 2014–15 Budget of $15 million each year over the forward estimates (totalling $60 million) has allowed the Department to rebase its budget. In addition the Department received one-off funds of $1.7 million for a strategic accommodation review and to undertake a building condition assessment report, which will allow the commencement of major analysis of the maintenance and upgrading needs of Parliamant House for the next 10 years.

These funds will provide DPS with the certainty and level of support needed to continue providing services and to accelerate its change program. The funds will be used to provide greater assurance to staff on DPS’ directions and to deliver improved and more efficient services to the Parliament and the community over the next four years.

This allocation came after a comprehensive review of DPS’ fiscal position and a detailed analysis of the specific costs of service provision. That work enabled DPS to submit a robust application for additional funding, with the support of both of the Presiding Officers.

Key drivers that contributed to the Department’s declining financial position include:

• cumulative efficiency dividends
• CPI growth on key contracts
• increases in the cost of utilities such as electricity, gas and water
• wage growth
• continued growth of service provision to the Parliament, both in the Chambers and their committees.

How DPS is funded

In 2013–14, operating funds, including drawing rights, were $135.0 million. This was made up of:

• Appropriated Revenue = $101.5m
• Appropriated Revenue (MYEFO) = $5.5m
• Own Source Revenues = $8.9m
• Total Departmental Revenue = $115.9m
• Electoral Office IT (drawing rights) = $18.9m
• Auspic (drawing rights) = $0.2m
• Total = $135.0m

In 2013–14, capital appropriations were made up of:

• Departmental Capital Budget = $9.8m
• Administered Capital Budget = $20.4m
• Total Capital Budget = $30.2m

How DPS spent the funding

• Supplier expenditure: $46.1m
• Employee expenditure: $74.7m
• Total Departmental expenditure: $120.8m

In 2013–14, total Departmental operating expenditure was $120.8 million for employee and supplier costs (excluding Electorate Office IT, Auspic and unfunded depreciation), compared with $112.9 million in 2012–13. The net result of this was an increase in expenditure of $7.9 million, or 7 per cent.

Total expenditure for the key areas of the Department’s operations is outlined in the graph following.

In 2013–14, the Capital expenses were:

• Departmental Capital Expenditures = $11.4m
• Administered Capital Expenditures = $9.5m
• Total Capital Expenditures = $20.9m

Figure 2: Departmental operating expenditure by functional area 2013–14 ($m)

 

Operating result

In 2013–14, DPS recorded an operating deficit due to the cumulative effect of a static budget, increasing efficiency dividends, increasing supplier costs, demand for services and departmental salaries. The Department entered 2013–14 with a declining funding base. During the year, DPS was subject to additional efficiency dividends which compounded the effect of dividends from prior years. These measures, along with an already eroded funding base, meant DPS was under significant financial pressure in 2013–14 and appeared to be headed toward reporting a significant operating deficit. The Department received approval to incur an operating loss (deficit) of $6.98 million.

By implementing the following actions DPS was able to reduce its forecast operating loss:

• continued implementation of the program of change derived from the recommendations of the Review of Information and Communication Technology for the Parliament (Roche Report) and the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee Report on the Performance of the Department of Parliamentary Services into the performance of the Department
• an ongoing program to strengthen and develop the Department’s financial control and budget management
• continual evaluation of services the Department provides and prioritisation to ensure value for money is achieved
• delayed recruitment action
• overall tightening of discretionary expenditure.

The $5.5 million received by the Department at MYEFO, coupled with these substantial internal cost saving initiatives aimed at driving down the deficit, meant DPS was able to reduce the operating loss to $4.88 million at 30 June 2014.

Many of the saving initiatives put in place cannot be sustained in the out years. These initiatives primarily involved delaying important work, slowing down maintenance schedules or reducing services. Whilst this had the desired effect of improving the operating loss, not recommencing these services and works will significantly impact the condition of the building and quality of services provided to Parliament in the longer term. The $15 million additional funding allocated in the 2014–15 year will assist DPS in recommencing this important work and continuing to progress its change agenda.

Agency resource statement 2013–14

DEPARTMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY SERVICES		Actual available appropriation for 2013–14 $’000	Payments made 2013–14 $’000	Balance remaining 2013–14 $’000
		(a)	(b)	(a) – (b)
Ordinary Annual Services1 Departmental appropriation2		150,511	135,005	15,506
Total Ordinary Annual Services	A	150,511	135,005	15,506
Administered non-operating Administered Assets and Liabilities3		21,894	9,459	12,435
Total other services	B	21,894	9,459	12,435
Total net resourcing and payments for the Department of Parliamentary Services	A+B	172,405	144,464	27,941

¹. Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No.1) 2013–14. This includes Prior Year departmental appropriation, capital and S.31 relevant agency receipts.
². Includes an amount of $9.789M in 2013–14 for the Departmental Capital Budget. For accounting purposes this amount has been designated as ‘contributions by owners’.
³. Includes Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No.1) 2013–14 and prior year appropriations.

Budgeted and actual expenses and resources for Outcome

Outcome: Occupants of Parliament House are supported by integrated services and facilities, Parliament House functions effectively and its work and buildings are accessible to the public	Budget 2013–14 $’000	Actual Expenses 2013–14 $’000	Variation 2013–14 $’000
	(a)	(b)	(a) – (b)
Program 1: Parliamentary Services
Departmental expenses
Departmental appropriation1	114,838	120,329	(5,491)
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year	30,940	24,903	6,037
Total for Program 1: Parliamentary Services	145,778	145,232	546
Program 2: Parliament House Works Program
Annual Administered Appropriations
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year2	27,059	28,558	(1,499)
Total for Program 2: Parliament House Works Program	27,059	28,558	(1,499)
Outcome 1: Totals by appropriation type
Annual Administered Appropriations
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year2	27,059	28,558	(1,499)
Departmental Expenses
Departmental appropriation1	114,838	120,329	(5,491)
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year2	30,940	24,903	6,037
Total expenses for Outcome 1	172,837	173,790	(953)
Average staffing level (number): 2013–14	711	707

¹. Departmental appropriation combines ‘Ordinary annual services (Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2013–14’ and ‘Revenue from independent sources (s31)’.
². Expenses not requiring appropriation in the Budget year comprise Depreciation Expense, Amortisation Expense, Audit fees and the anticipated operating loss of $4.5m in 2012–13 which is funded by DPS reserves.

Security

On a typical sitting day, between 4,000 and 5,000 people come to Parliament House to work or conduct business. That number includes parliamentarians and their staff who often work long hours far from their home base, the staff of the four parliamentary departments, and the contractors and retail licensees whose work supports the functioning of the Parliament.

On sitting days, Capital Hill is abuzz with people who come to do business with the Parliament and parliamentarians: to meet with Ministers or other Senators and Members, or give evidence to parliamentary committees.

This year some came to take part in large scale events such as the opening of Parliament, the farewelling and welcoming of the outgoing and incoming Governors-General, and to wave flags for Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Every day, school groups and other visitors come to the building to see first-hand the Parliament at work—national and international visitors for whom a visit to Parliament is a ‘must’ on a trip to Canberra.

On its busiest day in 2013–14, Budget day, almost 11,000 people spent time at Parliament House.

DPS plays a vital role in supporting the safety, health and well-being of this diverse Parliament House community every day of the year.

The work of Parliament relies on a secure Parliament House. Working under the direction of the Presiding Officers, DPS is the agency with primary responsibility for the day-to-day safety and operational continuity of the Parliament and its occupants.

Using a security risk management framework and working closely with the Australian security agencies and the other parliamentary departments, DPS provides strategic and operational policy advice, physical security, personnel security and risk mitigation services to ensure that visitors and building occupants alike can go about their business in safety.

The Parliamentary Security Service (PSS) is DPS Security’s uniformed frontline. PSS staff not only provide screening and internal security for the parliamentary precinct, but are also the first point of welcome for visitors at each entrance to Parliament House.

Policy and governance

The development and implementation of contemporary and relevant security policies and advice provides the platform on which each security service is designed and delivered. The policies and procedures are specified in the Operational Policies and Procedures framework, guided by the Security Management Board (SMB) and issued under the authority of the Presiding Officers. This operating framework provides comprehensive guidance and requirements for the entire range of security related activities, incident responses and protocols.

DPS is responsible for ensuring operational continuity and risk management. DPS Security Branch develops approaches to identifying risks and minimising their impact on the Parliament.

During 2013–14, DPS continued to manage the contractual arrangements under which perimeter guarding was provided by Australian Federal Police (AFP) (Uniformed Protection) officers. This arrangement supplemented internal security arrangements utilising the PSS. The Department also conducts emergency monitoring and coordination.

Security reviews

Ongoing assessments, a responsive approach and continuous improvement are vital to the success of security at Parliament House. To achieve this, DPS conducted several reviews in 2013–14.

In late 2013, DPS commissioned an independent review of perimeter guarding arrangements. The resulting recommendations were considered by the SMB; however, the heightened security levels in late 2014 have deferred the development of an implementation plan.

An independent review of the Parliament House Pass Policy was completed in 2014 with a number of recommendations provided for consideration by the SMB, and implementation plans determined for 2014–15.

A comprehensive review to ensure the currency and continued relevance of policies and operating procedures also commenced in 2013–14.

Each of these reviews took into account the underlying threat environment and security risks to the Parliament, Parliament House and its occupants and was informed by consultation with appropriate policing and security agencies. By investing in the assessment of the security frameworks and ensuring compliance with Australian Government policy, DPS continues to reduce the risk exposure of Parliament House and increase the effective and efficient management of security within the precincts.

Security incidents

An incident is reportable to DPS where follow-up action is required, for example, requests for first aid assistance, the discovery of unattended or suspect items, the conduct of protests, the receipt of threatening telephone calls or non-compliance with security screening.

DPS also manages a number of minor concerns (such as misplaced items, lost visitors, and minor first aid requests), many of which are not considered incidents, but which are recorded and used for risk identification and assessment purposes.

During 2013–14, there were 148 security incidents reported at Parliament House. This is a slight increase on the 2012–13 incident rate and can be attributed broadly to improved security awareness of occupants, to the increased knowledge within Parliament House of what constitutes an incident, and to enhanced security procedures for special events.

In addition to the increased security awareness, the strengthening of the management, review, analysis and reporting of security incidents at Parliament House also contributed to the improved identification and recording of incidents. This has been achieved through the development of improved business flows, procedures and incident escalation protocols, each supported by a secure incident management and crisis communication tool widely used by Commonwealth, state and territory agencies. The introduction of the incident management tool has reduced the time between incident notification and escalation. This increases the response capability of the PSS officers throughout Parliament House.

Security resourcing

DPS has continued its investment in a competent and professional PSS.

Operationally, DPS allocates resources according to intelligence and the changing requirements of daily and visit-specific activity. DPS maintains a 24/7 staffing model and focuses on efficient delivery of security services such as access control and screening for all building occupants and visitors.

DPS maintains a Security Branch of 176 personnel, with 155 of these serving on the frontline as PSS staff. The remainder of the branch focuses on delivering risk management programs, training and development, personnel security, leadership and access control support (including passes and security vetting).

In 2013–14, the number of hours spent providing internal security and front-of-house services decreased slightly compared with the previous year, largely due to a lengthy period of non-sitting during the election period. The number of guarding hours by AFP officers also reduced, reflecting improvements in physical security infrastructure across the parliamentary precinct.

Training

DPS Security personnel undertook 7,122 hours of training and development during 2013–14. Training is developed against Australian regulations for security, workplace health and safety and legal liability, which allows all activities that protect the building and its occupants to be carried out by qualified personnel.

All training activities are mapped to competency levels and measured for impact. All PSS officers have to engage in Competency Maintenance Training, which includes:

• Defensive Tactics
• First Aid Refresher
• Senators and Members Recognition
• Powers and Authorisations
• Patrols and Searches

During 2013–14, PSS Officers with specific duties in responding to major incidents in the House also undertook Advanced Defensive Tactics training to ensure they can continue to provide this vital service to the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In 2013–14, DPS introduced First Attack Fire Fighting training for all PSS officers to ensure compliance with the Australian Standard.

DPS has developed and delivers a Parliament House-specific Certificate III in Security Operations enabling the Department to deliver key training in-house. The course has received accreditation from the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and is designed to provide developing DPS team leaders with the skills needed to perform the role. In May 2014, the first group of nine graduates were awarded the qualification. See the case study ‘DPS develops a CIT accredited training course’ in Part 5 of this report.

Physical security

In 2013–14, DPS maintained a strong physical security program. Utilising a risk management approach, DPS worked to address concerns raised by the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee in its report into the performance of DPS, including the deployment rosters for PSS officers, staff development and investigations processes.

The Perimeter Security Review assessed the efficiency and effectiveness of physical security arrangements for the exterior of the building and parliamentary precincts. The Memorandum of Understanding between DPS and the AFP continued during 2013–14, providing clearly defined protective security services to the parliamentary precincts.

DPS maintained technology based access control systems within Parliament House and reviewed the Parliament House Pass Policy to examine the effectiveness of existing pass management procedures. A number of recommendations were provided to the Security Management Board and actions have been developed for implementation in 2014–15. Access control infrastructure was also assessed and reporting increased during this time, with an upgrade of infrastructure required in 2014–15.

DPS maintains a highly capable security operational management system within Parliament House, using integrated technology to support all security infrastructure and resources. During 2013–14, DPS also conducted full security screenings of the parliamentary precinct.

A result of the security review and risk assessment was a trial of targeted screening implemented during 2013–14, allowing certain categories of pass holders to access the building without undergoing full screening. The trial aligned screening practice with those of other parliaments in Australia, while retaining positive face-to-identification verification.

During this trial, more than 1,500 random screenings were conducted of exempt pass holders, with no unauthorised items identified. The rate of complaint or concern about the random screenings was less than 1 per cent. The trial allowed for the reinstatement of full screening in advance of special events, in the event of a changed risk environment, or at any other time.

Functions and events

Throughout 2013–14, DPS Security supported 15 official visits including:

• the opening of the 44th Parliament
• the swearing in of the 26th Governor-General, His Excellency General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd)
• the visit to Parliament House by Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The challenge of these events is to balance the day-to-day operations of the Parliament, including visitors, committee hearings and meetings, with the requirements of the event. DPS provides security solutions to these events, which include risk management plans, security officers and concierge services. The success of DPS’ security management resulted in safe, secure and well attended events for both building occupants and visitors.

Medical assistance

For Senators and Members, who spend long periods away from home and consequently access to their regular medical services, DPS operates a Nurses Centre. During sitting weeks, the Nurses Centre provides first aid services to building occupants and visitors as well as a small range of other services to Senators and Members and their interstate staff under written instructions from their medical practitioner.

In addition to this, the Nurses Centre offers an influenza vaccination program for building occupants. In 2013–14, there were 793 vaccinations administered, a 21.4 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

First aid is provided by the Nurses Centre during opening hours in sitting weeks and DPS’ security service at all other times. PSS Officers are all certified in first aid provision, and are required to refresh their qualifications annually.

Maintaining Parliament House

In 2013, Parliament House marked its 25th anniversary—a relatively short but significant period in the life of a building of great national significance designed to last 200 years.

The Parliament House complex occupies a 35-hectare site, comprises approximately 4,700 rooms across four levels, and has a total floor area of approximately 250,000 square metres. The building contains more than 100,000 maintainable assets in the way of plant fixtures and fittings and operating equipment including 44 lifts, 1,900 temperature zones, approximately 750,000 square metres of plaster board and more than 40,000 lights. To this is added bespoke furniture and furnishings and a myriad of items in the Parliament House Art Collection.

The ongoing maintenance, conservation and enhancement of the precinct as a whole is vital to ensure that it remains operational in support of the Parliament for the next 175 years. This work is carried out by DPS staff who have a wealth of experience and extensive knowledge of the precinct.

This experience and knowledge has been built over the life of the building, with several staff still maintaining plant and equipment that they installed during construction over 25 years ago. Highly skilled craftsmen, such as joiners, continue to preserve and maintain bespoke elements within the building, including parquetry flooring, suite furniture and high use visitor seating and amenities. Retention and transfer of these skills is paramount to sustaining the building’s high quality maintenance standards, and DPS continues to provide opportunities for staff to broaden their skill set. The Department is developing training and apprenticeship programs to support the existing workforce.

DPS takes its responsibility for the maintenance, upgrade and conservation of Parliament House seriously and, in late 2013, established a Building and Asset Management Division to deliver holistic building support services and a strategic approach to asset management. Once established, the division commenced several broad-ranging reviews and assessments of operations, planning, capability, project delivery methodology and governance within its scope.

The findings will continue to inform strategic direction and operational planning to ensure DPS is best placed to provide cost effective, efficient, but most importantly, high quality and customer focused services to building occupants. Ensuring the health and safety of staff, and that heritage and design principles are considered, are integral to all the Department’s work processes and practices and has been an overarching requirement of the division’s work.

The review of the division’s project management capability was completed in 2013–14 and covers all aspects of project management, including approaches to project scoping, planning, delivery and governance.

The Department’s approach to project governance was reinvigorated, and work commenced on auditing all projects on hand to assess business cases, scope, budget, timeline and design integrity compliance. This work provides assurance that projects are being managed and delivered in a contemporary fashion, with appropriate controls, governance and clear scope that ensures DPS meets stakeholders’ expectations and requirements.

A strategic asset planning capability was established and experienced officers appointed to specialised positions in heritage management and accommodation strategy. This heritage capability brings coordinated and consistent advice to DPS and the Parliament on managing design integrity and related matters. Supported by the development of strategic accommodation planning, this work will further assist the Parliament in addressing the continuing pressures on office accommodation in the building.

While this range of important management review activity was underway, the Department continued to deliver on its obligations in support of the Parliament in 2013–14.

Building maintenance

Keeping Parliament House’s physical environment functioning optimally and maintaining its fabric and infrastructure requires a significant investment and constant maintenance. DPS is responsible for all repairs, maintenance and engineering services in Parliament House, including air conditioning, lifts, electrical, plumbing, hydraulic services, movement systems, building fabrics, furniture, signage, cleaning and waste disposal. The specific maintenance teams include:

• Landscape Services which maintains the 23 hectares of landscape including 10 hectares of turf. This team also maintains indoor plants within the circulation areas of the building and external sporting facilities such as tennis courts, the netball/basketball court and the Senate oval
• Building Fabric Services which maintains the internal and external surfaces within the building such as the carpet, fabric, timber, door hardware, concrete, stone, ceramic tiling, glazing, painted surfaces, signage and the Parliament House Furniture Collection
• Electrical Services which maintains the high and low voltage electrical infrastructure and distribution system, internal and external lighting, emergency lighting, backup power systems for life support and critical systems, and the Building Management System
• Mechanical Services which maintains all the mechanical plant, steel structures, hydraulics, and the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Mechanical Services is also responsible for the maintenance of the swimming pool, spa and gymnasium equipment, ponds and water features, cool rooms and freezers, security bollards, flag pole, brass and metal fixtures, and the building environmental and thermal conditions.

Table 3: Building maintenance work in 2013–14

15,006 square metres of painting	737 square metres of carpet replaced
60 items of status A and B furniture refurbished	52,000 sprinkler heads surveyed to identify replacement needs
40 square metres of parquetry floor replaced	42 lifts upgraded
9,550 square metres of parquetry floor repolished	27 bathrooms or ensuites retiled

The high quality work performed by DPS maintenance teams is scheduled to ensure that building occupants are not inconvenienced by the works. This includes, where safe and practical, overnight or early morning activities and carrying out the majority of the work during non-sitting periods. In addition to the achievements highlighted above, in 2013–14 DPS also:

• took advantage of the election period to undertake necessary maintenance work in the high-importance and high-use Special Suites, in a number of cases for the first time since the building was completed¹
• completed the replacement of the Fire Indicator Panels and Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus, key components in upgrading and maintaining fire safety systems, in the northern zone of Parliament House²
• replaced a number of glass panels in windows and elsewhere due to cracking and delamination.

Maintaining the marble façade continues to be a challenge to the Department. Visual inspections of the green marble, Verde Issorie, which is subject to cracking, commenced in October 2012 and are continuing. DPS has implemented a repair and maintenance program to manage any potential risks to public safety and is investigating options for the long term management and possible rectification of the issue.

To ensure prompt response and resolution of building issues, the DPS Maintenance Help Desk manages building service requests, responds to alarms, assigns rapid response trade staff and provides a 24-hour system monitoring and response function.

As a result of the extensive work being undertaken to enhance building automation and a range of continual business improvement actions, the volume of requests to the Maintenance Help Desk continued to decline in 2013–14 as shown in Figure 3. Put simply, fewer faults are being reported or issues detected by occupants because of automated systems installed in 2013–14. The need for action is being identified by systems such as proactive temperature management and automated sensors in the plumbing and electrical systems, and DPS is taking that action before occupants experience an issue. This automation work will continue in 2014–15.

¹. There are five Special Suites: the suites occupied by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate, and the Cabinet Room.
². Systems in the remaining three zones will be upgraded in 2014–15.

Figure 3: Number of calls and emails to the DPS Maintenance Help Desk

 

Delivery of building upgrades and projects

DPS delivered capital building projects to the value of $9.459 million, including finalising the Main Production Kitchen (MPK) and works related to fire safety (including progressing stages of the fire detection and alarm system upgrade and passive fire systems enhancements), Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) (including design and procurement activities) and height safety.

Upgrade of the Main Production Kitchen

Project work on the MPK renovations was performed in 2014, achieving practical completion on 27 June 2014. This work brought the MPK to operating standard as a world class food preparation system. The MPK is intended to be the primary commercial food preparation area in the building. It allows for the concentration of food processing equipment, catering staff and raw goods to be managed in one area. The colocation of these functions, with large commercial kitchen quality workflow design, will assist the service provider to achieve higher efficiencies in volume food production.

The MPK has the capacity to prepare meals simultaneously for the Members’ Guests Dining Room, Staff Dining Room, Room Service Kitchen, Queen’s Terrace Café, as well as for functions in the Great Hall. A computerised temperature monitoring system ensures that food is stored at the correct temperatures from raw materials through to preparation and service. While some existing equipment has been refurbished, most of the machinery is new and includes the most up-to-date features available. The project has involved replacing surfaces, constructing new freezers and cool rooms, installing new food preparation equipment including blast chillers, and creating a new storage area.

The upgrading of the kitchen is also discussed on Page 54 under the heading ‘Upgrade of the Main Production Kitchen’.

New Parliamentary Budget Office accommodation

A major project completed in 2013–14 was the construction and fit out of the new Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), which occupies 640 square metres of floor space. Construction of the PBO’s permanent accommodation commenced in July 2013, with practical completion formally achieved on 21 October 2013. There have been very few major refurbishment works since Parliament House opened in 1988. This is an indication of the foresight of the architects. However, it is true that the requirements for office spaces in 1988 were different from those of today, for instance, for open plan, flexible and technologically enabled work areas. In addition, the PBO’s work necessitates particular requirements. This refurbishment project incorporated the use of more energy efficient lighting, the installation of occupancy sensors, the reuse of existing mechanical infrastructure and equipment, and the reuse and recycling of construction waste where possible. DPS successfully delivered the fit out specified and funded by the PBO.

Assistive listening devices throughout Parliament House

DPS has continued to improve disability access and provide services that assist all visitors and occupants in the building. In 2013–14, assistive listening devices were installed in several committee rooms, the Great Hall, the Marble Foyer and on the Great Verandah of Parliament House. The devices provide a means of transmitting sound through a wire loop to a tele coil in a hearing aid or other suitable receiver. They are mostly used to eliminate background noise.

Landscaping maintenance work

DPS maintains the landscape in the 23 hectares of the parliamentary precinct which includes formal and native gardens, courtyards, 10 hectares of turf, water features and outdoor sporting facilities. The landscape forms an integral component of the precinct and of the original design and, as such, it is vital to maintain the grounds to a suitably high standard.

During 2013–14, DPS planted over 7,000 annuals in the formal gardens for the summer and winter displays, replaced six trees and redeveloped two garden bed areas in the courtyards. DPS also installed drainage improvements and undertook minor regeneration works, including planting 150 native shrubs in the native gardens. A portion of the wisteria was removed from the pergola in the Prime Minister’s Courtyard to allow the timber sourced from demolished historic woolsheds in Freemantle to be treated and to preserve the feature for the future.

Parliament House Works Program

The Department supports the operation of Parliament into the future while preserving the design integrity of the architecture, engineering systems, art and landscape that make up Parliament House. Table 4 reports against the key performance indicators set down in the Department of Parliamentary Services Portfolio Budget Statements 2013–14.

Table 4: Parliament House Works Program—performance indicators

Asset custodianship	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14 Target	2013–14 Actual
Design Integrity Index	89.8%	89.8%	90%	89.4%
Building Condition Index	88.1%	88.3%	89–92%	88.5%
Landscape Condition Index	86%	87%	90%	81%
Engineering Systems Condition Index	87.7%	86.8%	90%	88.6%

Design Integrity Index

The Design Integrity Index (DII) measures the current condition of the design integrity and heritage values of Parliament House and the parliamentary precincts, expressed as a percentage of the original built form. In particular, it measures the extent to which change within the Parliament and the precincts impacts upon the original design.

In 2013–14, the design integrity score dropped 0.4 points from the previous year to an overall score of 89.4 per cent. This movement reflects building-wide issues as well as some particular furniture-related changes and movement in design-specific locations.

Building-wide issues that affect the overall DII rating include changes made to accommodate modern business practices, including the introduction of business machines such as photocopiers and multifunction devices into circulation spaces, and the increasing quantity of non-standard furniture in use. The increasing number of occupants in the Ministerial Wing over a number of years has also resulted in some non-standard furniture being put into use. Each parliamentary department may choose office furniture that best meets its needs. As pressure increases to accommodate more people within the building, for those people to interact in new ways and their ergonomic needs to be referenced, furnishings have moved away from those used in the original fit out.

Table 5: Design Integrity Index by area

Zone	Score (%) 2011–12	Score (%) 2012–13	DII Score 2013–14
Public and ceremonial areas	91.4	89.8	89.6
House of Representatives wing	89.9	92.0	91.3
Senate wing	92.0	93.4	90.7
Ministerial wing	94.3	94.2	91.1
Committee rooms and Library	91.5	91.2	91.7
Facilities areas and tenancies	84.0	84.3	83.3
Circulation and basement areas	83.8	83.7	85.7
Exterior: landscape and roadways	89.7	88.9	89.05
Total score	89.8	89.8	89.4

Building Condition Index

The Building Condition Index (BCI) measures the current condition of the building fabric of Parliament House, expressed as a percentage of the original condition. The BCI is determined by a visual inspection of the building and fabric surfaces for deterioration and damage caused by general wear and tear.

In 2013–14, the overall score increased by 0.2 per cent. This increase can be attributed to minor refurbishment work throughout the building, specifically during the election recess, and also due to the fit-out work undertaken for the newly formed PBO.

Table 6: Building Condition Index by area

Zone	Score (%) 2011–12	Score (%) 2012–13	BCI Score 2013–14
Public areas	87.8	88.0	88.5%
Chambers	92.1	91.9	91.7%
Ministerial	88.9	89.0	88.9%
Senate	88.6	88.7	88.7%
House of Representatives	88.7	88.9	89.1%
Back of House	86.9	87.2	87.6%
Plant rooms	87.9	87.9	88.0%
External	86.5	86.7	87.5%
Total	88.1	88.3	88.5%

Landscape Condition Index

The Landscape Condition Index (LCI) measures the current condition of the landscape surrounding Parliament House, expressed as a percentage of the optimum landscape condition. The LCI is measured in October each year with the landscape divided into eight zones, as shown in Table 7.

The overall LCI decreased from 87 per cent in 2012–13 to 81 per cent in 2013–14 due to a number of factors. These included the overall impact of the very hot summer including the loss or deterioration of a number of shrubs in the native peripheral gardens, the poor condition of groups of trees at the both the Senate and House of Representatives entrances, and the sparse appearance of the Juniper Sabina ground cover at the front of the building.

A zone which received an increased score in 2013–14 was the House of Representatives courtyards, which scored 94 per cent compared to 91 per cent in 2012–13. This improvement was due to denser plant cover and the good condition of the paved areas—work carried out by DPS.

Table 7: Landscape Condition Index by area

Zone	Score (%) 2011–12	Score (%) 2012–13	LCI Score 2013–14
Native peripheral gardens	75%	75%	68%
Senate courtyards	94%	91%	88%
House of Representatives courtyards	94%	91%	94%
Ministerial courtyards	86%	96%	86%
Eastern formal gardens	89%	96%	82%
Western formal gardens	91%	91%	81%
Ramps	81%	81%	75%
Front of building	75%	75%	71%
Total	86%	87%	81%

Engineering Systems Condition Index

The Engineering Systems Condition Index (ESCI) measures the current operation and condition of the engineering systems in Parliament House against the expected decline of those systems through their life cycles. There was an increase of 1.8 per cent in the ESCI in 2013–14. This increase can largely be attributed to the upgrade of air conditioning control dampers, light replacements for the main flag pole, and the upgrade of the building management system components, fire systems, sprinkler system and fire doors. During the year, DPS focused on identifying and, where possible, rectifying systemic equipment failures, which has resulted in a small increase in equipment reliability.

Building Condition Assessment

The Department has been working to implement the recommendations from the Senate inquiry into DPS’ performance. It has been a challenging task, particularly with a tight budget and minimal resources available to implement the recommendations relating to specific aspects of building management. One of the recommendations was that DPS develop a report for Parliament on the condition of the building, its contents, the costs of upkeep, and any potential heritage concerns. Throughout 2013–14, the Department undertook an initial scoping exercise to inform the development of the report, and sought additional funding to implement this recommendation.

As a direct result of these efforts, DPS was pleased to receive funding in the 2014–15 Budget for the commission of a comprehensive, point in time, building condition assessment. The assessment will consider all built and component aspects of Parliament House—its fabric, furniture and fixtures as well as its landscape and surrounds. It will allow the development of a strategic asset management plan that will include 10 and 25-year asset replacement and investment forecasts, thereby assisting in strategic planning to maintain and enhance the building’s operations in support of the Parliament. In addition, it will provide a baseline measurement against which the building condition can be benchmarked in the future. The assessment work has been commissioned and is on track to be completed in late 2014.

Accommodation review

Parliament House’s large and diverse workforce has differing work styles and needs and, like other workforces, the way its daily business is conducted has changed over the last 25 years. To ensure that the building is able to most effectively support the demands of its occupants, it is vital that DPS understands how office and auxiliary space is allocated and utilised. Funding was received to conduct a Strategic Accommodation Review to inform the planning and approach to the management of accommodation throughout the building. This work will provide realistic options for managing the current and projected pressures on office accommodation in Parliament House for consideration by DPS.

The outcomes of the review will support the analysis of space utilisation and will assist in developing options to maximise the spatial efficiency of Parliament House. The review is underway, with findings due in 2014–15.

Work for the new Parliament

The 2013 federal election saw 37 new Members returned to the House of Representatives, new Territory Senators, a change of Government and many consequential moves within Parliament House suites over a short period. DPS maintenance staff rose to the challenge of preparing suites for new occupants at that time, and also supported preparations for the commencement of new Senators in July 2014. Actions undertaken included repairs and maintenance in suites wherever necessary, the creation of new nameplates and the replacement of office suite locks.

Environmental management

DPS continues to strive to maintain a best practice, environmentally sustainable operating environment. A comprehensive report on environmental management can be found at Appendix 1.

In 2013–14, energy consumed at Parliament House and by DPS vehicles was 137,094 GJ, representing a decrease of 4.3 per cent from the previous year. Electricity and gas consumption decreased by 4 per cent, transport energy decreased by 40 per cent, and diesel fuel energy reduced by 47 per cent compared with 2012–13.

Table 8: Energy consumed at Parliament House and by DPS transport

Indicator	Energy consumption (GJ)
	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Parliament House building1	139,563	142,226	136,450
Transport–passenger vehicles	1,6252	644	261
Other transport3	441	424	383
Total energy consumption	141,629	143,294	137,094

¹. Includes electricity, natural gas and diesel (non-transport).
². Includes previously collected vehicle data from other parliamentary departments not under DPS management.
³. Includes LPG, diesel and petrol used for maintenance and loading dock vehicles.

The Department is particularly pleased to advise that electricity consumption in 2013–14 was the lowest achieved at Parliament House since the building opened—a total reduction of 44 per cent since 1988–89.

Figure 4: Annual electricity and gas consumption from 1988–89 to 2013–14

 

As the Department is also responsible for the maintenance of the Parliamentary grounds, courtyards and gardens, it continues to explore and implement broader sustainability practices. For example, during autumn, staff from the DPS Landscape Services team clear the leaves from each of the Senate and House of Representatives courtyards. These leaves do not go to waste—some are used as mulch on the peripheral native gardens, while any leaves that pose a weed risk are taken to the Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre to be composted.

Alternative water supply

DPS is investigating ways to minimise the amount of high quality potable water used for landscape irrigation, which currently accounts for most of the water use at Parliament House. In 2013–14, DPS initiated a feasibility study into an alternative, more sustainable water source to meet irrigation demands. A report due in late 2014 will determine whether the extraction of water from Lake Burley Griffin to irrigate the landscape is viable. It will consider water quality issues, long-term supply needs, other uses of lake water, shared infrastructure in the Parliamentary Triangle, National Capital Authority requirements, the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, and health and social considerations.

Figure 5: Water usage since 2010–11

 

Managing insects and wildlife

An unavoidable and very noticeable additional challenge for DPS during the year was the arrival of a particularly large number of Bogong moths at Parliament House as part of their seasonal migration. DPS staff worked together with cleaning services to ensure that the moths were removed and the building was ready for the opening of Parliament.

Various options have been explored to deter the moths from accessing the building, including reducing the illumination of the main flag pole for specified periods, maintenance action to seal gaps, and reminding occupants to turn off lights and close doors.

Technical solutions are also being investigated including filters that allow the lighting to remain at full illumination while reducing the attractiveness of the building to the moths. DPS will trial an ultra-violet filter solution in 2014–15.

Heritage

Parliament House was designed to reflect the aspiration of the Australian people to grow as a nation nurtured and developed by a democratic system of government. At its opening in 1988, the Prime Minister the Hon. Bob Hawke described Parliament House as ‘an enduring statement of our nation’s profound commitment to the principles and practices of democratic government’:

It is a building for the entire Australian community, a workplace for the community’s elected representatives and a free and open forum for resolving the community’s concerns … the symbolic and practical importance of the building, as well as the very high standard of excellence of its construction and finish will be a great source of pride to all Australians now and in the future.¹

Since that time, Parliament House has provided the setting for ceremonial functions, for hosting visiting dignitaries, and for a variety of political, community and social events. It has become one of the most iconic and visited locations in Australia, welcoming more than 20 million Australian and international visitors. Parliament House is also a workplace where between 4,000 and 5,000 people are accommodated during parliamentary sittings.

As custodians of Parliament House under the direction of the Presiding Officers, and on behalf of the Parliament and the nation, DPS is responsible for maintaining the building, precincts and the significant collections it houses to ensure that its assets are cared for and respected, that the building continues to serve its purpose as the home of the Australian Parliament, and that its heritage value is maintained for future generations. This commitment underpins all that we do.

However, while Parliament House has been built to last 200 years, it cannot be regarded as complete and unchangeable. Innovations in technology, changes to security requirements, environmental initiatives, work, health and safety (WHS) and disability standards, together with the need for increased working space and services, will all continue to place disparate and competing demands on the building. It is important therefore that even at this relatively early stage in the life of the Parliament House formal heritage management considerations are applied.

As part of that process, the Parliament House Heritage Advisory Board, chaired by the Secretary DPS, led the initial work to develop a five-year Conservation Management Plan (CMP) based on the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter 1999, and a Design Principles document. An independent Expert Advisory Panel, also chaired by the Secretary DPS, has been created to help guide and finalise these documents. The panel comprises five leading experts in the fields of architecture, landscape design and cultural heritage management: Mr Peter Watts AM; Mr Richard Thorp; Ms Oi Choong; Mr Keith Cottier AM; and Major-General Steve Gower AO AO (Mil Ret).

¹. Prime Minister the Hon. Bob Hawke, Speech at the opening of the new Parliament House, Canberra, 9 May 1988, viewed 17 October 2014, View a PDF of his speech here.

The CMP will help deliver an integrated approach to the medium and long term management and conservation of Parliament House. It will set out the heritage values for the building and its furnishings, including the intangible heritage values connected with significant events, associations created as part of its living history. The CMP will also establish supporting policies and strategies, and monitoring and reporting regimes to ensure the building is managed appropriately to both protect these heritage values and to provide a functional environment which meets the needs of a working Parliament. Significant progress was made in developing the CMP in 2013–14. Following a public tender process, DPS awarded the contract to develop a CMP for Parliament House to the firm of Conrad Gargett Riddel Ancher Mortlock Woolley in
May 2014.

In April 2014, DPS also awarded a contract through select tender process for the preparation of the design principles document which will become a permanent reference source for the conservation of the building, its contents and surrounds. It will be used to clarify original design intent, manage proposals for change and influence planning controls for Parliament House. Professor Richard Johnson AO MBE will be the primary author of the Design Principles.

Both initiatives have been the subject of consultation with members of the original architectural team. The principal architect of Parliament House, Mr Romaldo Giurgola AO, and his colleagues addressed the Expert Advisory Panel in January 2014, focusing on the future management of Parliament House and processes to consider changes to the building. The CMP team and Professor Johnson have both also consulted with Mr Giurgola and will continue to consult him during the development of both documents.

Together the CMP and Design Principles will assist the Presiding Officers and their delegates in the management of the heritage and design values of Parliament House. Both documents are expected to be completed in 2014–15. Following a report on the work of the Board in February 2014, the Presiding Officers acknowledged the good progress made in delivering a program of work and concluded that as this work is coming to completion, the Board would cease at the end of June 2014.

Heritage assessments

In 2013–14, work was undertaken to identify and assess the heritage significance of items under the custodianship of the departments of the Senate and the House of Representatives. DPS contracted an independent expert, Dr Roslyn Russell, to assess these items according to the Collections Council of Australia’s Significance 2.0 criteria. DPS had identified 166 items (objects or categories of items). Of these, 32 were assessed as highly significant, as they relate to the design of Parliament House and significant aspects of its history over 25 years, such as the three ceremonial silver spades used by dignitaries at ceremonial planting events in the grounds of Parliament House.

The results of this work will be used to develop management protocols to help safeguard the items.

This work completes a process begun in 2011–12 when Dr Russell conducted a similar assessment of significant heritage items managed by DPS, thus ensuring a consistent approach across the parliamentary departments.

Community engagement

DPS heritage experts conducted in-depth specialist heritage tours of Parliament House as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival. The ‘Sense of excellence’ tours enabled the Department to engage with visitors with a special interest in the tangible and intangible heritage of Parliament House. Pleasingly, visitor feedback included comments that the tour was ‘excellent but wish it had gone for longer’ and that the ‘Heritage Tour Guides were very knowledgeable and the tour very enjoyable’.

More information on DPS’ involvement in the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival is on Page 50.

Visitor services

Engaging the Australian community in the parliamentary process is vital to achieving a healthy, well informed democracy. Improving and revitalising the visitor experience at Parliament House has therefore been a strong focus for DPS throughout 2013–14. Given the tight budgetary constraints under which the Department operated, DPS concentrated on developing creative but cost effective strategies. Throughout the year, DPS partnered with other organisations to stage events, accessed low cost or free promotional opportunities and drew upon its wealth of internal resources (both staff and collection) to hold specialist tours and exhibitions.

This work has been informed by the report Review of the Visitor Experience at Parliament House 2013. The objective of the review was to identify opportunities to enhance the visitor experience, raise the profile of Parliament House as a tourist destination of choice, increase visitation and generate revenue.

As a result, DPS developed a program of innovative activities, events and exhibitions was designed to educate, entertain and engage. The program’s vision is to expand community engagement and improve accessibility to the Parliament and Parliament House for both physical and virtual visitors.

DPS’ versatile visitor program

Australian Parliament House is a symbol of Australia’s open and transparent democracy. It is one of Australia’s most significant working buildings and an outstanding example of architectural achievement.

Visitors to Parliament House come from all walks of life and all parts of the community including local, national and international tourists, dignitaries, guests of Members and Senators, school groups, and others.

DPS provides these visitors with a range of ways to experience the workings of Parliament and the magnificent building in which it is housed—its iconic architecture, stunning gardens and world-class art collection.

As part of the 2013–14 visitor program, DPS developed new behind-the-scenes tours to coincide with three major festivals on the Canberra calendar: Floriade, the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival and Enlighten. The tours were conducted on a cost-recovery basis and achieved an average participation rate of 75 per cent. In addition to the wonderful work done by the Department’s Visitor Services Officers, DPS’ specialist heritage and landscape staff gave visitors an insight into areas of the building and the gardens rarely open to the public. Regular free tours and paid behind-the-scenes tours continued during 2013–14, also achieving high participation rates.

In addition to holding events to mark National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, in 2013–14 DPS hosted a 50th anniversary photographic display and coin launch by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).

Specific highlights in the 2013–14 visitor program included the following.

Parliament House Open Day

More than 8,000 people attended Parliament House Open Day on 24 August 2013. Highlights of the day included tours of the Prime Minister’s, Speaker’s and President’s suites, the parliamentary Chambers, the gardens, the Senators’ and Members’ Reading Room and a glimpse of the basement. There were also displays on how Parliament works and demonstrations of DPS’ broadcast team in action.

Floriade garden tours

During September and October 2013, DPS once again participated in Canberra’s Floriade festival by conducting tours of the private courtyards at Parliament House. The two-hour tours were led by DPS’ Landscape Services Officers who shared not only their knowledge of the gardens and courtyards, but also their extensive horticultural experience. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with many participants expressing their appreciation and pride in the parliamentary landscape.

 

The Enlighten light show at Parliament House featured former Prime Ministers.

Enlighten

Giant faces of former prime ministers and other vibrant images inspired by the building and its collections lit the façade of Parliament House during the Enlighten festival in March 2014. Inside the building, an innovative range of activities included a ‘Dining in the House’ experience in the Members’ Guests Dining Room, behind-the-scenes tours of the private areas at Parliament House and, for the more adventurous, tours that went deep below the corridors of power to view the ‘Unconformity’—a rare rock formation in the Parliament House basement. DPS recorded more than 1,900 visitors within the building over the four nights of Enlighten as well as countless others viewing the light show from outside.

Heritage tours

DPS participated in the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival in April 2014. A program of 41 new ‘Feel the Heritage’ tours and two new ‘Sense of Excellence’ tours were enjoyed by 560 visitors. The tours offered an opportunity for a behind-the-scenes viewing of rarely seen parts of the building such as the Government and Opposition lobbies that lead from the chambers. Normally, these areas are accessible strictly to Senators and Members only.

The tours examined how the aesthetic characteristics and the creative and technical achievements of the design have outstanding heritage value for the nation. These types of tours have the added benefit of raising community awareness about the importance of conserving the building’s heritage for future generations.

Performing arts events

During the year, DPS partnered with leading national performing arts organisations to host a series of panel discussions about, and excerpts from, currently playing performances. The events featured writers, directors and actors sharing their experiences of creating and performing in the productions and provided the audience with a ‘Q&A’ opportunity.

Presentations included the Bell Shakespeare company’s Henry V and a new work
The Long Way Home—a collaboration between Sydney Theatre Company and the Australian Defence Force in which servicemen and women performed alongside actors.

More than 700 people attended the presentations in 2013–14 with the unique and interactive nature of the events proving very popular with attendees. DPS is hoping to expand this program in 2014–15.

Ceremonial events

Parliament House is the setting for many momentous occasions and events. During 2013–14, visitors enjoyed—and DPS’ events team supported—several large-scale ceremonies and events including the opening of the 44th Parliament on 12 November 2013, the swearing-in of the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) on 28 March 2014, and the visit by Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 24 April 2014 with more than 350 people in the Marble Foyer happily waiting for several hours to view their arrival.

Assistive listening system upgrade

DPS is progressively upgrading the assistive listening system in the major public areas of Parliament House, including the Chambers and their galleries, and the committee rooms which are the venues for public hearings and private meetings. In March 2014, the new assistive listening system went live in the Great Hall. The system provides full coverage of the area including the public galleries and has greatly improved the experience of Parliament House for people with impaired hearing attending events. The new system uses FM radio transmissions to dedicated, discrete receivers worn by the listener, and provides exceptional audio quality for both voice and music transmission.

DPS is grateful for the advice it received from Better Hearing Australia and the ACT Deafness Resource Centre in the planning and implementation of the upgrades.

Virtual visitors to Parliament House

The APH website remains a primary tool for the community to obtain information about, and engage with, Parliament with more than 3.5 million visitors during the year. Visitors to the site are able to access a large volume of information about Parliament including parliamentary business, Hansard transcripts, educational material and the ever-popular Senator’s and Member’s pages, as well as multi-media content in the form of parliamentary broadcasts available through DPS’ innovative broadcast service ParlView.

Visitor numbers

During 2013–14, the number of visitors recorded through the main entry was 677,932, a decrease from 898,927 in 2012–13. This was due in part to a reduction in sitting days because of the 2013 election and the extended period before the 44th Parliament opened, resulting in fewer tourists and business visitors.

In addition, there was downturn in visitors to Canberra in general as well as a decrease in the number of school visits to the capital.

Contributing to the reduced number of visitors recorded was the increased accuracy of screening ‘magnetometers’ which count visitors as they pass through at the Main Front Entrance to Parliament House. The new magnetometers, installed in June 2013 do not register additional numbers in instances where visitors are subject to repeat screening. The 2013–14 figure therefore sets a new benchmark.

Despite this, DPS recorded an increase in the number of participants in general public tours with 66,696 participants in 2013–14 compared with 62,595 in 2012–13. There was also a pleasing increase in the number of private tours with a figure of 7,622 in 2013–14 compared with 6,508 in 2012–13.

Table 9 provides data on visitors and visitor satisfaction levels for 2013–14 and the previous two years.

Table 9: Number of visitors and visitor satisfaction

Key performance indicator	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Number of visitors to Parliament House
Number of visitors	851,203	898,927	677,932
Number of tour participants at Parliament House
Participants in general public tours	59,577	62,595	66,696
Participants in school tours	124,357	126,128	123,507
Participants in other tours	5,581	6,508	7,622
TOTAL	189,515	195,231	197,825
Number of virtual visitors
TOTAL	N/A	2,428,000	3,500,000
Number of functions held in Parliament House
Official visits	37	39	15
Parliamentary	290	352	327
Non-parliamentary	944	935	703
Visitor satisfaction: Target—85%
Visitor services tours and information, The Parliament Shop and visitor catering, building access and parking	87%	Not surveyed	75%1
Website	Not surveyed	Not surveyed	65%2

¹. Visitor satisfaction figures have been drawn from 264 comments made by visitors through Comment Cards and the travel website TripAdvisor.
². A voluntary survey on the APH website in 2013–14 received about 200 responses. A total of 65 per cent of the respondents were generally satisfied with the operation of the website. The main area of concern related to the effectiveness of the search function.

Promotion

To raise awareness of visitor offerings and to reach wider audiences, DPS uses a range of online and other channels to promote activities and events. These include dedicated ‘Visit Parliament’ pages on the APH website, a presence on the VisitCanberra website and its social media accounts, online event listings on numerous websites, editorial activity (submission of articles to newspapers and magazines) and posts on Facebook pages such as The Canberra Times page.

These activities have been supplemented by advertising in Canberra publications, flyer distribution to tourism and community venues across Canberra, advertising in local press, email direct marketing to a visitor mailing list and building occupants, and radio and print editorial. Parliament House also participated in VisitCanberra’s nationally awarded Human Brochure campaign, targeting both local and interstate audiences.

DPS also conducted familiarisation programs for representatives from the tourism industry such as tour operators.

The Parliament Shop

The transformation of The Parliament Shop continued in 2013–14 with a new product range designed to better reflect the visitor experience to Parliament House and, more broadly, Australia. The focus has been on building connections with regional and nationally recognised artists and other providers of quality products. New local products, such as Lindsay & Edmunds chocolates and ‘Girls and their Big Ideas’ (GATBI) soft furnishing and accessories, were commissioned and new suppliers such as the Canberra Glassworks engaged. Postcards and magnets featuring former prime ministers and significant artworks from the Parliament House Art Collection were also introduced.

Revenue from The Parliament Shop was down by 25 per cent during the year compared with 2012–13. This reflects the change in visitor numbers as well as the impact of changing stock. There was a period of reduced stock as old lines were phased out before new products were introduced. Pleasingly, despite this reduction in the yearly result, revenue steadily increased during the second half of the financial year as the volume and quality of stock increased. The Department is confident this positive trend will continue.

Catering

From state banquets to schoolchildren’s snack boxes, DPS, through its contracted caterers, delivers a range of catering services to meet the needs of Parliament House occupants, guests and visitors.

Providing catering services in Parliament House has historically been a challenging task with customer demand fluctuating according to parliamentary sitting patterns, school holidays and tourist seasons. Customer numbers can vary from 2,500 on a non-sitting day to as many as 4,000–5,000 on a sitting day. In 2013–14, this amounted to almost 500,000 meals or beverages being delivered to Parliament House occupants and visitors. Table 10 shows a breakdown of this figure by location.

Table 10: Total number of meals/beverages served at Parliament House in 2013–14

Area		Covers1
Functions	61,768
Room service	132
House services (catering service—morning and afternoon teas, light meals and hot and cold beverages)	17,462
Members’ Club	1,047
Members’ Guests Dining Room	5,818
Staff Dining Room	199,868
Queen’s Terrace Café	63,457
Schools hospitality	104,505
Coffee cart	29,106
Total	483,163

¹. A ‘cover’ equates to a sale (usually a single food or beverage serve), except for functions where the number equates to the number of people served which may involve multiple courses.

In addition to the significant fluctuation in customer numbers, the wide range of dining options—from casual dining for tourists through self-service options for busy building occupants to elaborate multi-course dinners for large functions—also creates a challenge for the catering service provider. DPS works closely with the contractor to monitor service delivery, provide feedback, resolve any issues in a timely manner and provide advice on broader Parliament House operations that may affect catering arrangements.

Parliament House is the chosen function venue of many community, business and government organisations. In 2013–14 it hosted 1,030 functions—a reduction on the 1,287 held in the previous year which is attributable to the 2013 election and the consequent reduction in activity in Parliament House. Large scale events in 2013–14 ranged from the Master Builders’ National Conference Dinner and the Press Gallery’s Mid-Winter Ball to the visit of Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Kitchen refurbishment

A 2009 audit of the catering kitchens in the building identified the need to refurbish the 25-year-old facilities to address workplace health and safety risks and non-compliance with contemporary building and health standards. During the year, the Main Production Kitchen was completely refurbished. This kitchen is designed to deliver catering capabilities, cost effectively, to appropriate service levels to meet the needs of the diverse range of customers throughout Parliament House.

In particular the new facility will reduce operational costs, reduce overall environmental impact, increase food safety and deliver operational efficiencies across Parliament House food outlets. This will help ensure that DPS and its caterers can meet the needs of customers into the future in a fully compliant, safe and cost-effective manner. The role of the MPK in Parliament House catering operations and the requirement for upgrade are discussed under the heading ‘Catering’ on Page 36. The construction has been in accordance with a design by food consultants to produce a labour and space-efficient workflow environment. A computerised quality assurance system for food preparation has also been implemented.

Health and Recreation Centre

DPS manages the Health and Recreation Centre (HRC) at Parliament House. It is a highly regarded resource for the promotion and proactive management of the health, fitness and wellbeing of parliamentarians and eligible pass holders. The HRC operates a variety of equipment, offers exercise classes and develops tailored individual fitness programs. In 2013–14, the Health and Recreation Centre delivered an average of 18 classes per week for most of the year including ‘Circuit’, ‘Boot Camp’, ‘Weight Circuit’, ‘Definition’, ‘Stretch’, ‘Boxing’, ‘Spin’, ‘Abdominal’, ‘Back’, ‘Core’ and ‘Yoga’ classes.

As at the 30 June 2014, the HRC had 574 members, 477 of whom were Canberra-based and 97 based elsewhere. In addition, there were 1,590 casual visits to the HRC during the year.

During 2013–14, DPS was able to expand the range of services offered to members and increase the efficiency of the gym’s operations by building the capacity of HRC staff to lead all gym and exercise classes apart from yoga, which continued to be delivered by an external provider.

To better meet the needs of building occupants, the HRC also trialled extended operating hours. Information from this trial is being evaluated as part of a proposal to offer self-service activities outside normal operating hours.

Art Services

Parliament House is the custodian of a remarkable collection of more than 6,000 contemporary and historical artworks valued in excess of $80 million. A small team of specialist DPS staff manage these unique cultural heritage assets—cataloguing, researching, digitising, conserving, preparing and presenting works of art to the highest possible museum standards.

The collection was created specifically for Parliament House, as an essential element of the building’s architectural fabric reflecting the unique qualities of Australia. It comprises a number of stand-alone collections, including:

• the Rotational Collection, consisting largely of contemporary Australian artworks. The primary purpose of the Rotational Collection is to enhance the general circulation spaces of the building, as well as the offices and suites of parliamentarians and the heads of the parliamentary departments. The Rotational Collection is made available to these occupants as a free enhancement of daily life in the building and in recognition of the Parliament’s importance to the nation.
• the Architectural Commissions, consisting of artworks commissioned as an integrated part of the architectural design of the building
• the Historic Memorials Collection, consisting of portraits of officeholders and paintings of significant parliamentary events since 1911
• the Official Gifts Collection, consisting of gifts presented to the Parliament since 1901
• the Constitutional Documents, a group of significant archival documents
• the Archival Collection, a range of historic and archival materials about Parliament, the art collection and the construction of Parliament House.

One of the most unique collections in Australia, it is also one of the most hard-working with more than 55 per cent of works on display at any given time in comparison to most institutions’ average of between 3 and 10 per cent. Works from the collection are made available for display in parliamentarians’ offices and public areas and are lent to other cultural institutions throughout Australia for exhibition. Between September 2013 and March 2014—following the commencement of the 44th Parliament—DPS managed a process whereby more than 1,000 individual artworks were allocated to, and professionally installed in, 152 parliamentarians’ suites.

In order to showcase the collection to the wider public, DPS created a year-long program of high-quality exhibitions and displays to engage and educate Parliament House visitors and building occupants. While providing greater public access to the Parliament House Art Collection, the exhibition program also highlighted the importance of the collection to the nation.

Highlights of the exhibition program included:

• Parliamentarian’s choice: a number of parliamentarians were invited to choose their favourite work of art from the Parliament House art collection and explain its appeal
• 25 treasures: selected by independent curator Peter Haynes, this exhibition featured 25 significant works highlighting the breadth and diversity of the Parliament House Art Collection to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Parliament House
• Parliament House at Work: this exhibition was the culmination of a commission by renowned photomedia artist Anne Zahalka to document Parliament during its 25th anniversary year.

DPS also installed a number of original artworks across the public areas of the building to increase the range of works on display to visitors and building occupants. Artworks were installed or refreshed in the Marble Foyer, the walls adjacent to the Presiding Officers’ Exhibition Area, and the Queen’s Terrace Café.

Several significant works from the Parliament House Art Collection were also made available on long-term loan to a number of institutions including the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, the National Archives of Australia and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. In addition, a number were lent to significant temporary exhibitions across the country including a major Jeffrey Smart retrospective at the Museum of Sydney and Indigenous artist Richard Bell’s solo exhibition as part of the Perth Festival. Two major historic works from the collection continued to travel around Australia as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s major travelling exhibition Capital and Country.

DPS actively acquires works of art to ensure that:

• the Rotational Collection continues to represent diverse aspects of contemporary Australian life and culture and showcases the very best in Australian art and craft
• the Historic Memorials Collection continues its 103 year tradition of documenting the history of the Parliament and its officeholders
• official gifts to the nation are recorded and preserved for future generations.

During 2013–14, a total of 59 works of art were acquired: 52 were added to the Rotational Collection, five to the Historic Memorials Collection, and two to the Gifts Collection.

Works added to the Rotational Collection included two major still-life paintings by Margaret Olley and three vibrant graphic posters by Martin Sharp, significant Australian artists who were previously unrepresented in the collection. Fourteen works by Indigenous artists from across Australia were also added, as well as 10 photographic works produced as a result of the 25th anniversary commission by photomedia artist Anne Zahalka.

The Historic Memorials Collection was enriched by the addition of studies for, and the finished portraits of, the former Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce by Ralph Heimans and the former President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. John Hogg by Michael Zavros. Two gifts were also accepted from Canberra artist Keiko Amenomori–Schmeisser—a preparatory drawing and a sample textile for the fabric panels originally commissioned for the Members’ Guests Dining Room.

In addition to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the building, 2013 was also the 25th anniversary of the creation and installation of a number of significant commissioned artworks both outside and inside the building. As these commissioned works age, a greater level and more sophisticated standard of care is required to preserve them for future generations and DPS is well placed to meet these challenges. During the year two large conservation projects were completed for commissioned works.

• In September 2013, the Hendrik Forster Armillary sphere sundial was repaired, cleaned and fully restored after being damaged by vandals.
• In January 2014, the commissioned tapestry, Red Gorge two views by Kay Lawrence was removed from the Prime Minister’s dining room for the first time in 25 years and a comprehensive conservation program was carried out to ensure its long-term survival.

A number of minor preventative treatments were also undertaken during the year including the glazing of the portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II by Sir William Dargie.

An increasingly important aspect of the conservation program is the digitisation of works in the collection to provide an accurate record of their condition. During the year a number of significant works from the collection were digitised at the highest resolution, including seven early Prime Ministerial portraits on loan to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, the Great Hall Embroidery and the Queen Victoria Table.

Table 11: Artwork activity 2013–14

	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Extent to which the art collection is developed (number of new artworks acquired)	66	53	59
Cost of acquisitions (art collection development)	$300,709	$284,715	$237,590
Number of artworks receiving preservation	7	8	10
Cost of preservation	$50,794	$44,602	$19,277

Information and Communication Technology

ICT is an essential business enabler for the Parliament, supporting the connection of those who work within it, for it, and the people in Australia and elsewhere who are impacted by it. Effective delivery of ICT services underpins the successful execution of every aspect of the work of the Parliament, parliamentarians, their staff and the staff of the four parliamentary departments.

As with any modern enterprise, DPS’ parliamentary clients expect that ICT services will be available to them wherever they are and whenever they need it, including in remote areas of Australia and overseas. DPS has succeeded in meeting this expectation. ICT services now being provided by DPS extend beyond Parliament House to include Electorate Offices across the country and on mobile devices everywhere.

It is notable that in 2013–14 DPS was able to maintain service levels on par with previous years, despite an environment of budgetary constraints and reduced staffing as those leaving through natural attrition were not able to be replaced. Management responses to this situation, including triaging of service calls and promotion of self-service options (including tips and task cards), allowed DPS to focus its efforts and resources on capacity building and positioning to meet the evolving demands of ICT users and new service offers for the commencement of the 44th Parliament.

Access to information anywhere, any time and through a range of devices

The year 2013–14 marked the beginning of a new era in the provision of ICT equipment, services, support and connectivity to parliamentarians, their staff and the departments that support their work. These major changes stemmed from recommendations made in the Review of information and communication technology for the Parliament by Michael Roche in 2012 and resulted in parliamentary ICT being consolidated into DPS from 1 July 2013.

DPS has now addressed each of the recommendations made in the Roche report and these changes have led to improved quality, flexibility and reliability of ICT services to clients, as well as better value for money overall. Some of the outcomes achieved during 2013–14 are outlined below.

DPS developed the Parliament of Australia ICT Strategic Plan 2013–2018. Development of the plan was guided by the Parliamentary ICT Advisory Board and involved extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the Parliament and parliamentary departments. It was approved by the Presiding Officers in August 2013.

The plan sets out four broad themes:

• Supporting parliamentarians to be more effective through better use of ICT anywhere and anytime on a range of devices.
• Support for the effective and efficient operation of Parliament and its committees.
• Making it easier for the public to engage with parliamentarians and the Parliament.
• A capable, respected and forward looking ICT provider.

The plan’s vision is to connect parliamentarians, the public and the parliamentary departments to the information and services they need irrespective of location and time, and from a variety of devices, and to provide new opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness for the Parliament of Australia. In 2013–14, DPS made significant progress towards realising this vision.

One of the first initiatives implemented from the ICT Strategic Plan was the establishment of ParlICT—a ‘one stop shop’ where parliamentarians and their staff can view and purchase ICT equipment in accordance with their entitlements, seek ICT technical support and advice, learn about new developments in ICT, and try out the latest range of ICT equipment. In addition, a ParlICT website was developed to provide online access to the services, including a self-serve option.

DPS also introduced and supported a ‘bring your own device’ model, to enable parliamentary staff to use their personal devices to access their work email, calendar and contacts. The scheme has proved popular with 1,101 devices registered with DPS by the end of the financial year.

Users of the Parliamentary Computing Network (PCN) can now begin work on one device and continue where they left off on another device through the introduction of a virtual desktop. For example, parliamentarians are now able to establish a virtual desktop session at Parliament House and start writing a document. The same virtual desktop session and open document can be re-established anywhere (for example, at the airport lounge) through any internet connected device. The document can then be finalised in their Electorate Office on an alternative device using the same virtual desktop session.

A flexible, cost-neutral ICT entitlements model for parliamentarians became operational by the commencement of the 44th Parliament in November 2013. Under the model, end-of-life equipment is replaced with equipment to the same value from a catalogue of supported devices rather than on a ‘like for like’ basis. In this way, parliamentarians can choose the equipment that best suits their individual circumstances and working style.

In 2013–14, Wi-Fi services were extended to the Ministerial Wing at Parliament House. With mobile connectivity now throughout the building, parliamentarians and other Parliament House occupants can remain connected and keep their mobile devices in use as they move about the building.

Faster, more reliable ICT

DPS conducted significant server, Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) and network connectivity upgrades in Electorate Offices during 2013–14, completing a refresh that started in 2012–13.

Electorate Office file server storage improved by 6,000 per cent to 1,500Gb. This storage increase provides vastly increased capacity for staff in Electorate Offices to store data, research and media related information.

An increase of 500 per cent in bandwidth—in effect a 500 per cent increase in network connection speed—has been achieved with the switchover to fibre optic technology supporting the communication link between Parliament House and Electorate Offices. This positions DPS to support parliamentarians for bandwidth-intense services such as video conferencing, providing them with improved communication capabilities to interact with their constituents and enabling more efficient committee participation. The additional network capacity catered for the predicted steady growth of data, web and messaging across the PCN and hence increased consumption of bandwidth.

The Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) capacity in Electorate Offices has also increased. UPS backup power can now be relied upon in an outage to last up to six hours compared with the previous maximum reserve capacity of 30 minutes.

Table 12: Electorate Offices’ ICT upgrade

Infrastructure	Old	New	Improvement
Electorate office file server storage	25Gb	1500Gb	6,000%
Network connection speed	2Mbps on copper media	10Mbps on optic fibre media	500%
Uninterruptable power supply, backup power for the file service and storage	Up to 30 minutes	Up to 6 hours	1,200%

Stability of the core ICT systems improved in 2013–14 with email, Hansard, Parlinfo (searchable repository of all parliamentary data) and the chamber support systems each being available 99.99 per cent of the time.

Table 13: ICT critical system availability during scheduled service hours

Infrastructure	Availability service standard	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Core systems—email, Hansard, Parlinfo, chamber systems, mobile device management	99.99%	99.92%	99.95%	99.99%
Parliamentary Computing Network	99.99%	99.92%	99.98%	99.99%
Broadcast infrastructure	100%	100%	100%	100%

ICT support services

As the use of digital technologies increases, parliamentarians are becoming more reliant not only on the availability of ICT systems to undertake their work, but also on timely access to ICT support services, primarily provided through the ‘2020 Support Desk’.

Unsolicited feedback from clients increased from 133 emails in 2012–13 to 168 emails in 2013–14 with the vast majority being positive (163 comments). Positive feedback referred to the helpfulness of the 2020 Support Desk staff, speedy response of onsite staff and a high level of subject matter knowledge. Negative comments dropped from 21 in 2012–13 to 5 in 2013–14. Of those five negative comments, three clients were dissatisfied with the functionality of their devices and two clients with the time taken to resolve their issues.

The nature of calls to the Support Desk are categorised as being an incident, a service request, or a request for information. Incidents relate primarily to desktop and laptop software bugs and printing service faults. Service requests were primarily for user access (password resets, unlocking user accounts) and software installation requests, and ‘requests for information’ calls primarily related to printing (how to connect to printer), user access (account modifications) and email (for example, adding additional mailboxes and mailbox access permissions).

The election and post-election period resulted in increased demand for assistance from the 2020 Support Desk. For the election period, this may be attributable to the busyness of parliamentarians and their Electorate Offices, and the additional demands and reliance on mobile ICT systems.

For the post-election period, the influx of new parliamentarians and new support staff, changing roles and entitlements, and the new options for individuals to use their own devices would each have contributed to the increased requirement for assistance through service requests and information requests, as shown in Table 14 below. Calls relating to incidents and problems (incident requests in the table below) reduced.

Table 14: Calls to 2020 Support Desk

Type of call	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Incident reports	19,745	19,485	17,712
Service requests	15,329	14,811	17,896
Information requests	12,494	11,317	15,170
Total	47,568	45,613	50,778

As has been the case previously, DPS was able to provide special assistance to the Leader of the Opposition during the election period. While the Prime Minister was supported by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, DPS was called upon to support the Opposition Leader by setting up ICT equipment and services needed for a mobile office and did so. A dedicated ICT support line was also established to provide assistance throughout the campaign.

Secure connection

In an era in which much of a parliamentarian’s work is done electronically, DPS is committed to ensuring the PCN remains secure and available at all times. In the context of ICT security, DPS’ services reach beyond the physical boundaries of Parliament House and protect the work of parliamentarians and their staff wherever it takes them—be it to their electorates, across Australia or overseas. Cyber attacks and intrusions can take many forms, and while 26.5 million emails are transmitted on the PCN annually, a further 50 million emails are blocked either because they are classified as spam or because they contain malicious content.

Improvements to ICT security in 2013–14 included:

• implementing the Australian Signals Directorate’s top four strategies to mitigate targeted cyber intrusion
• putting in place a range of measures to strengthen ICT security across the PCN, including recommendations from the Australian Signals Directorate Information Security Manual
• establishing a secure ICT environment for the Parliamentary Budget Office
• promoting user awareness and responsibility for ICT security.

Security accreditation procedures now form part of DPS’ ICT operational manuals, which are followed when commissioning new ICT systems.

With these improvements in place, DPS is better positioned to reduce the likelihood and impact of cyber attacks against parliamentarians, their staff and the parliamentary departments.

Broadcasting and Hansard

The work of Parliament and parliamentarians relies heavily on access to records of proceedings, including Hansard—the official written record of what is said in the Senate, House of Representatives and Federation Chambers and in parliamentary committee hearings. In order to serve their purpose fully those records must be reliable, timely and readily available.

For example, when Senate, House of Representatives and joint parliamentary committees conduct inquiries they rely on accurate transcripts of their hearings to produce authoritative and comprehensive reports. Those reports often quote witnesses directly.

External audiences such as government bodies, the media, academics, interest groups, businesses and others also rely on transcripts and broadcasts of Parliament to follow the debate of Bills, Question Time, press conferences and parliamentary committee hearings, and so are key features of Parliament’s engagement with the community.

The production of Hansard and the recording and broadcasting of Parliament are key services provided by DPS.

There was little parliamentary activity in the first half of 2013–14 due to the election break and therefore the overall figure of 2,835 hours recorded and transcribed, as shown in Table 15, is lower than in previous years. However, this annualised figure is not a true indication of activity and achievement for DPS Hansard and broadcasting staff. The hours of committee hearings held beyond Parliament House make an additional call on DPS resources because of the travel time involved. As Table 16 shows, in the fourth quarter, DPS recorded 95 separate interstate hearings—the largest number in any one quarter in 10 years. This equated to 1,019 hours of committee hearings, an increase of 323 hours on the 696 hours recorded and transcribed for the same period in 2012–13.

Table 15: Hours recorded and transcribed

Activity	Number of hours recorded and transcribed
	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Parliamentary proceedings in the Senate, House of Representatives and Federation Chambers	1,626	1,437	1,044
Parliament House committee hearings	2,002	1,441	1,132
Interstate committee hearings	958	766	659
Total	4,586	3,644	2,835

Table 16: Hours of parliamentary committee hearings for the last quarter

Final quarter of financial year	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Parliament House committees	651	498	580
Interstate committees	219	198	439
Total	870	696	1019

Broadcasting

DPS broadcasts all parliamentary activity through ‘ParlTV’, the Parliament House in-house television service, which connects Senators, Members, their staff, the media and parliamentary departments with events in the Chambers, public committees hearings, special events (such as heads-of-state visits) and some press conferences in real time.

DPS also provides video-conferencing and phone-conferencing facilities which support the work of parliamentary committees. The availability of this crucial service can mean, for example, that witnesses who would otherwise be unable to give their testimony can be heard by committee inquiries.

Using DPS’ studio and editing facilities, parliamentarians are able to record pieces-to-camera, interviews and presentations. This can be useful in many instances—for example, where they are unable to attend meetings with constituents in person, they can send a pre-recorded statement or message instead. The studio and editing facilities are also available to non-parliamentary clients for a cost, at times of low parliamentary activity.

DPS provides patches to the media—connections which allow a live feed to the press gallery or outside Parliament House so Parliament can be seen and heard through public and commercial media outlets in Australia and around the world. During 2013–14, DPS managed 1,906 patches and 1,056 requests for extracts of parliamentary broadcast material. The Department also managed 454 television and audio productions, and met 1,158 audio visual services requests for a range of items such as data projectors, lecterns and PA systems.

Parlview: DPS’ online broadcast service

ParlView is DPS’ online broadcast and archival service which went live on the APH website in June 2013. ParlView enables users to view, search and download broadcasts of Senators and Members at work in the Chambers and parliamentary committees, and the footage is available just six minutes after live recording.

In addition to broadcasting the current work of Parliament, DPS makes it possible to access Parliament’s history. The Department captures and maintains audio-visual and documentary archives of chamber and committee proceedings, significant events such as parliamentary openings, press conferences and heads-of-state visits.

Over time, ParlView will provide access to more than 60,000 hours of archived parliamentary audio-visual records dating from 1991 to the present time. This material was to be made available during 2013–14; however, technical issues have slowed the migration of content which is now expected to be completed at the end of 2014–15.

During 2013–14, there were 109,238 hits on the ParlView service—an average of 2,374 hits per week.

Hansard

In 2013–14, there were across-the-board increases in the accuracy of Hansard. Timeliness also increased in all categories but one—editing of the ‘proof Hansard’ to create the ‘official Hansard’, discussed below.

These results were achieved against a background of loss of experienced staff and the challenge of new staff being recruited, inducted and commencing their training. The achievements were reached despite a record level of demand for the broadcast of, and Hansard support for, interstate committee hearings (see case study ‘When travelling to work means flying thousands of kilometres’).

The accuracy of Hansard transcription also improved significantly across all categories in 2013–14, with results exceeding targets significantly for chamber transcription, as shown in Table 18.

The levels of accuracy achieved for Hansard records of chamber and committee proceedings differ because the challenge of preparing an accurate record also differs markedly. Chamber transcripts are often prepared with the benefit of speech notes provided by the relevant parliamentarian, and the accuracy of the transcription is assessed by the parliamentarian after DPS staff have edited it to the standard of a grammatically correct written document.

In contrast, Hansards of committee hearings are transcribed verbatim: DPS staff strive to reproduce the speech and testimony of witnesses as accurately as possible. Witness testimony is unable to be cross-checked against notes for clarity. However, witnesses are provided the opportunity to correct their evidence but may not add or delete information. To take account of this difference, DPS will be reviewing performance targets for accuracy across these two functions in 2014–15.

Hansard transcripts move through three stages: draft, proof and official. Draft Hansard transcripts are sent to Senators and Members within two hours of their delivering a chamber speech. This enables them to suggest corrections for incorporation into the next stage: ‘proof Hansard’. Senators and Members are able to work with and share their speech material as soon as the proof Hansard has been published, which occurs within three hours of the relevant Chamber rising.

Ultimately, proof Hansards are further refined into an official Hansard—the definitive record of proceedings. This work is typically the focus of non-sitting periods. In the interim period, proof Hansards are published each day on the APH website and are
a valuable resource for people within and beyond Parliament.

In 2013–14, DPS met all delivery targets for Hansard transcripts of parliamentary committee proceedings (set in consultation with the relevant committee secretariat) 100 per cent of the time.

The timeliness of production of the official chamber Hansard from the published proof exceeded the performance target of 95 per cent, but fell slightly short of the previous year’s 100 per cent result (see Table 19). This change reflected a strategic decision to focus on the delivery of the large number of committee transcripts in the fourth quarter of 2013–14.

Table 18: Hansard—Accuracy

Accuracy
Type of transcription	Service standard	Error rate
		2011–12	2012–131	2013–14
Chamber proceedings	5 or less errors per 100 pages transcribed	2.9 errors	4.4 errors1	2.5 errors
Committee hearings (Parliament House and interstate)	5 or less errors per 100 pages transcribed1	11 errors	9.3 errors1	7.4 errors

¹. The number of errors is normally measured per 100 pages. In the 2012–13 Annual Report, the number of errors was measured per single page, resulting in an incorrect result being recorded in the performance information table. The correctly calculated figure appears in this report.

Table 19: Hansard—timeliness

Timeliness—Chambers
Type of transcript	Service standard	Percentage delivered within service standards
		2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Individual draft speeches—delivered within two hours of speech finishing	95%	86.0%	65.7%	89.3%
Electronic proof Hansard reports—delivered within three hours of the House rising	95%	82.8%	83.5%	95.3%
Electronic official Hansard—delivered within 15 non-sitting working days following the last sitting day in the week	95%	100%	100%	95.5%
Timeliness—committees
Committee-agreed timeframe1	Service standard	Percentage delivered within service standards
		2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Delivery by next business day	95%	93.8%	100.0%	100%
Delivery within 1–3 business days	95%	96.0%	99.1%	100%
Delivery within 3–5 business days	95%	88.6%	99.7%	100%

¹. Parliamentary committee Hansards are produced within timeframes requested by the relevant committee secretariat, usually between 24 hours and 5 working days.

DPS’ commitment to reconciliation

NAIDOC Week 2013 was a special time for DPS. In that week the Department launched its Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation outlining its commitment to becoming more actively involved in the journey to reconciliation and helping close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. The statement reflected the input of DPS staff from across the Department. DPS also marked NAIDOC week by curating the first exhibition of contemporary photographic art by Indigenous artists from the Parliament House Art Collection. It was also time to mark the 50th anniversary of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, sent to the Parliament by the Yolngu people of eastern Arnhem Land. The petitions, proclaiming the Yolngu people’s claim to their traditional lands, combine bark painting with typewritten text in English and Gumatj language. (These original documents are on display in Parliament House and are conserved by DPS on behalf of the Parliament.) DPS celebrated these events by inviting staff, building occupants and members of the public to hear talks on the petitions and on the photographic exhibition.

In September 2014, the parliamentary departments signed the first Parliamentary Services Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. With a focus on employment, procurement and community engagement, the RAP formalised the parliamentary departments’ joint commitment to building stronger relationships with, and promoting enhanced respect between, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. The document lays the foundation for the departments’ commitment to help build understanding and respect for the culture and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as recognising their contribution to Australian life.

Throughout the year, RAP Working Group members from across DPS organised events marking Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week and shared information to explore and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. In Reconciliation Week 2014, the Parliamentary Librarian, DPS’ ‘RAP Champion’, hosted a talk by Gary Oakley from the Australian War Memorial on Aboriginal soldiers in the First World War. The talk was recorded and made available to all through the Parliament House website. During Reconciliation Week, staff from various branches also held fundraising morning teas, with donations going to support Indigenous initiatives such as the Indigenous Reading Program. From May to July 2014, Parliament House hosted a photographic display marking the 50th anniversary of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). The anniversary was also celebrated by the launch of a commemorative coin at Parliament House.

In 2013, DPS became a member of Supply Nation, an organisation which aims to ensure that small to medium Indigenous businesses have the opportunity to be integrated into the supply chains of Australian companies and government agencies. Businesses recognised by Supply Nation can take advantage of exemptions to open tender requirements under the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

DPS recognises the value of having a staff profile which reflects the community at large, and the benefits this provides both to its operations and supporting mutual engagement between the community and the Parliament. In 2013–14, DPS developed an employment strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as well as a strategy for fostering the inclusion of staff from diverse backgrounds and a diversity plan. DPS will report further on progress against these strategies in its 2014–15 report.

 

Programs 1 and 2—key performance indicators 2013–14

Tables 20 and 21 report against DPS’ key performance indicators set out in the
DPS Portfolio Budget Statements 2013–4.

Table 20: Parliamentary Services—key performance indicators 2013–14

Key performance indicator	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14
Number of visitors to Parliament House
Number of visitors	851,203	898,927	677,932
Number of tour participants at Parliament House
Participants in general public tours	59,577	62,595	66,696
Participants in school tours	124,357	126,128	123,507
Participants in other tours	5,581	6,508	7,622
Total	189,515	195,231	197,825
Number of virtual visitors
Total	N/A	2,428,000	3,500,000
Number of functions held in Parliament House
Official visits	37	39	15
Parliamentary	290	352	327
Non-parliamentary	944	935	703
Visitor satisfaction: Target—85%
Visitor services tours and information, The Parliament Shop and visitor catering, building access and parking	87%	Not surveyed5	75%1
Website	Not surveyed	Not surveyed	65%2
Building occupant satisfaction: Target—85%3
IT services	57%	84%4	97%4
IT Help Desk	71%
Parliamentary Library	93%	93%	93%
Hansard	86%	Not surveyed5	Not surveyed5
Broadcasting	88%	Not surveyed5	Not surveyed5
Security	84%	Not surveyed5	Not surveyed5
Building maintenance	86%	88%	87%
Other services		Not surveyed5	Not surveyed5
Timeliness targets met in service delivery (%)
IT services—incident resolution	86%	84%	93%
Help Desk calls	76%	80%	85%
Hansard	Hansard uses several different indicators to measure timeliness. Full details are available on Page 71.
Research services and publications	88%	90%	90%
Information access services	The Parliamentary Library uses several different indicators to measure the timeliness of information access services. Full details are available on Page 124.
Maintenance services	N/A7	Not surveyed5	Not surveyed5

¹. Visitor satisfaction figures have been drawn from 264 comments made by visitors through Comment Cards and the travel website TripAdvisor.

². A voluntary survey on the APH website in 2013–14 received about 200 responses. A total of 65 per cent of the respondents were generally satisfied with the operation of the website. The main area of concern related to the effectiveness of the search function.

³. Figures for the 2011–12 ‘Building occupant satisfaction’ column were collected from the ‘once per Parliament’ customer satisfaction survey conducted in May and June 2012.

⁴. ICT satisfaction in 2012–13 and 2013–14 was measured as a proportion of positive feedback received overall and did not distinguish between ICT services and the 2020 Help Desk.

⁵. DPS conducts a client satisfaction survey once per Parliament, with the survey of the 43rd Parliament taking place in May and June 2012. DPS will survey the 44th Parliament in the 2014–15 year. DPS’ proposed increased frequency of measurement of timeliness and satisfaction across a number of service delivery areas was impacted by budgetary constraints in 2013–14 but will be put into effect in 2014–15.

⁶. DPS does not collect quantitative information on the timeliness of targets met in the delivery of maintenance services, however, it has stringent operational practices in place to ensure timeliness expectations from building occupants are met.

Table 21: Parliament House Works Program—key performance indicators 2013–14

Asset custodianship	2011–12	2012–13	2013–14 Target	2013–14 Actual
Design integrity index	89.8%	89.8%	90%	89.4%
Building condition index	88.1%	88.3%	89–92%	88.5%
Landscape condition index	86%	87%	90%	81%
Engineering systems condition	87.7%	86.8%	90%	88.6%

Note: Both Program 1 and Program 2 appropriation contribute to the asset custodianship indices.

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