12957 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Ethnic Communities

12957 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Ethnic Communities: What is the total cost, if any, of leasing office space for any agencies under the Minister’s responsibility since 27 November 2023, broken down by agency and location?

Hon Mark Mitchell: The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is a departmental agency under the Department of Internal Affairs. I am advised by the Department of Internal Affairs that its accounting system does not have the ability to accurately generate information part way through the month. Accordingly, the information provided is from 1 December 2023 to 28 February 2025. I am advised that since 1 December 2023, the Ministry for Ethnic Communities incurred direct leasing total costs of $472,832. A small number of the Ministry's staff share office space with the Department of Internal Affairs at the latter's Carlaw Park office in Auckland. The lease cost for the Ministry cannot be separated from that for the Department of Internal Affairs. This is because the shared floor space and associated costs for the Ministry's staff cannot be calculated with accuracy due to the shared spaces within the site such as kitchens, meeting rooms and collaboration spaces.