Overview
The 2022 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report (Occupancy Report) provides insights into office tenancies with at least 500 square metres of usable office area that were leased or owned by non-corporate Commonwealth entities (entities), as at 30 June 2022.
Data is collected through the Australian Government Property Register (AGPR), which entities (through their Property Service Providers) are required to update annually.
The point-in-time nature of the data can add volatility to annual results. However, the information provides an understanding of medium and long-term trends, especially given the impact of leasing decisions become evident over several years.
The Occupancy Report, together with other data collected through the AGPR, provides an evidence base to assist entities to identify and progressively implement better property management practices, while also informing decisions in relation to whole-of-government leasing and property policy.
Key findings
Key findings of the 2022 Occupancy Report highlights ongoing efficiencies in the use of the Commonwealth’s property portfolio. In particular:
- the percentage of tenancies meeting the occupational density target increased from 43.6 per cent in 2021 to 44.3 per cent in 2022.
- the national fit-out density of tenancies has decreased from 15.3m2 in 2012 to 13.7 m2 in 2022.
- work-point vacancy decreased from 19.4 per cent in 2012 to 7.8 per cent in 2022.
- entities reported an increased in work-point vacancy rates, from 7.4 per cent in 2021 to 7.8 per cent in 2022.
- the number of work-points increased by 3.8 per cent in 2022, however the cost per work-point only increased by 2.4 per cent.
Table 1: Key Metrics (2020 to 2022)
| Measure | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenancies (n) | 609 | 617 | 645 |
| Controlled Area (m²) | 2,900,473 | 2,922,664 | 3,027,239 |
| Change in footprint (Controlled Area) (%) | 2.2 | 0.8 | 3.6 |
| Usable Office Area (m²) | 2,302,775 | 2,314,718 | 2,422,416 |
| Work-points (n) | 167,194 | 170,331 | 177,136 |
| Staff (n)(a) | 152,447 | 157,645 | 163,254 |
| Vacant Work-points (n) | 14,747 | 12,686 | 13,882 |
| Work-point Vacancy Rate (%) | 8.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 |
| National Fit-out Density (m²) | 13.8 | 13.6 | 13.7 |
| National Occupational Density (m²) | 15.1 | 14.7 | 14.8 |
| Tenancies Meeting the Occupational Density Target (%) | 40.1 | 43.6 | 44.3% |
| Net Tenancy Expenditure ($m) | 1,395.4 | 1,449.9 | 1,544.2 |
| Cost per Controlled Area ($) | 481 | 496 | 510 |
| Cost per Staff ($) | 9,153 | 9,197 | 9,459 |
| Cost per Work-point ($) | 8,346 | 8,512 | 8,718 |
(a) Staff is taken on a headcount basis and refers to all full-time, part-time and casual APS and non-APS staff (for example, contractors) that are allocated to a tenancy. For convenience, the term “staff” is used throughout this report, although it is not directly comparable with other workforce metrics, such as Average Staffing Level (ASL).
Background
The Department of Finance is responsible for co-ordinating the AGPR and reporting results in the Occupancy Report.
Download Previous releases
- 2021 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2020 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2019 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2018 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2017 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2016 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 2015 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
