Cost of signage

3 June 2015

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released supplementary information about the cost of the sign at the entrance to its 15 Stout Street premises in Wellington.

In response to an Official Information Act (OIA) request in late May 2015, MBIE advised that the cost of the sign was $43,490, including installation. The OIA request specifically asked for the cost of Ministry signage and this information was provided at that time.

MBIE’s Deputy Chief Executive Corporate Services, Peter Thomas says it is appropriate to supplement previously released information on associated costs given public interest in the last couple of days.

In addition to the $43,490 cost, there were a number of associated costs (see attached Variation Adjustment):

“The one off cost of the sign was part of a multi-million dollar and complex relocation programme which was delivered under budget and on time and will realise projected public sector savings of around $40-50 million over 20 years. These cost savings were achieved via a 31 per cent reduction of the Ministry’s Wellington property footprint and associated operational costs,” says Peter Thomas.

“This was the only Ministry sign created as part of the development of the Ministry’s new head office. MBIE has acknowledged that we spent more on this sign than was appropriate.”

“The opening of our new head office followed the physical relocation of five former Wellington government agency locations into one head office location when the Ministry moved into 15 Stout Street in August 2014,” he says.

ends

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