Proposals to move cyber security and immigration operations to a business park next to Canberra Airport will be scrutinised before a parliamentary committee on Friday.
The federal joint committee on public works will hold hearings for separate plans to shift the Australian Cyber Security Centre out of ASIO's headquarters and to move part of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's operations to Brindabella Business Park.
![The Australian Cyber Security Centre could be moved out of the ASIO headquarters.](/web/20170204134939im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/f/i/p/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu5ia8.png/1486174247731.jpg)
The Department of Defence's decision to move the cyber security centre hinged on difficulties employees faced collaborating with businesses and academics from inside the highly classified Ben Chifley Building, which it has shared with the domestic spy agency since 2014.
The $38.8 million proposed move would house the centre in a building at the business park with multiple levels of security clearance access, allow for public meetings in some spaces and give the agency room to grow to a workforce of about 650.
The centre's current workforce includes staff from the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, Australian Signals Directorate, Attorney-General's Department and Australian Crime Commission.
Defence's submission on the move said recruitment, consultation and collaboration were major issues the centre faced in its current premises.
"Cyber security skills are in short supply and high demand," the submission said.
"The need for private industry partners to obtain security clearances – and even the overheads associated with organising visitor entry for short-term visits – currently make achievement of the government's intent considerably more difficult."
![The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has proposed splitting its headquarters between Belconnen and the ...](/web/20170204134939im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/1/m/w/p/n/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu5ia8.png/1486174247731.jpg)
The committee will interview Defence about their submission, the only one made on the proposal, for an hour at a public hearing in Parliament House on Friday afternoon.
It will follow another hour-long hearing that morning in which the Department of Immigration will be questioned about its plan to split its headquarters across two precincts at Belconnen and Brindabella Business Park.
The department proposed cutting 14,600 square metres of office space and consolidating its 12 leased premises into four.
The plan would see the department retain its current premises at 5 and 6 Chan Street as well as expand into part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics building on 45 Benjamin Way, all in Belconnen.
A new fourth building on Molonglo Drive at the Brindabella Business Park would be fitted out with 994 desks.
The department estimated the project would cost $257.3 million, the bulk of which would go toward fit-outs of the new offices.
Its submission said the changes would give the department's workers better opportunities to collaborate.
"The proposed office accommodation will also assist towards improving internal and external collaboration and provide a higher level of overall amenity to staff," the submission said.
"Operational and monitoring areas must be capable of supporting unified uninterrupted operations."
Five Coalition MPs and four Labor MPs sit on the committee.