THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (the Committee) will be holding a series of public hearings on Friday, February 6,for three of its current inquiries.

They are: Department of Defence—9 Molonglo Drive project, Brindabella Park, Australian Capital Territory; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade—Refurbishment of Australian High Commission Staff Residential Compound, Konedobu, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts—Proposed Fit-out of New Leased Premises at One City Hill, Canberra City

The Department of Defence’s works seek to fit out a new office at 9 Molonglo Drive, replacing its current office accommodation at Brindabella Park. The total estimated cost is $103.9 million.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s works seek to refurbish 39 apartments at its Konedobu Residential Compound in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The total estimated cost is $37.3 million.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, Sports and the Arts’ works seek to fit-out its new office at One City Hill as the second stage of its Canberra City precinct project. The total estimated cost is $46.4 million.

Committee Chair, Tony Zappia MP, said, "Routine office fit outs provide the committee an opportunity to monitor current construction market trends through the scrutiny of Ggovernment property priorities."

The committee will hear from relevant officers from the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts at the hearings. Interested members of the public are encouraged to listen in to the public hearing via the APH website or attend the hearing in person at the location listed below.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, February 6, 2026
Time: 9:30am–10:15am – Department of Defence (AEDT)

Time: 11:25am–12:10pm – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (AEDT)

Time: 2pm–2:45pm – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts (AEDT)

Location: Committee room 1R5, Australian Parliament House

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water has commenced an inquiry into solar panel reuse and recycling, and is seeking written submissions to guide the inquiry’s findings.

Ensuring that renewable technologies, such as solar panels, are responsibly managed at the end of their life is essential to protecting Australia's environment. This inquiry will take a close look at how Australia currently handles ageing and decommissioned solar panels, examining the scale of today’s waste challenge and what’s expected in the years ahead. It will assess existing disposal practices, comparing the economic and environmental impacts of reuse, versus recycling, and landfill.

The inquiry will explore the environmental, economic, and energy‑security opportunities that could come from recovering valuable materials from end‑of‑life panels. It will also consider how developed Australia’s reuse and recycling capabilities are, and what more may be needed to support a sustainable and circular solar industry.

Committee Chair, Anne Urquhart said, "As the amount of solar generation installed across the nation continues to grow, it is critical to examine the end-of-life plan for solar infrastructure. This inquiry will examine the current and future impacts of solar waste, and the state of Australia’s solar panel reuse and recycling capabilities.

"To progress Australia’s transition to a circular economy, the barriers to reusing and recycling solar panels at scale need to be identified through close collaboration with industry, academia, and subject matter experts."

The committee has invited written submissions addressing the terms of reference by March 27, 2026. Further information, including the terms of reference and details on how to make a submission, can be found on the committee’s website.

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THE Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts will explain its key financial role at the opening public hearing for the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s inquiry into local government funding.

In 2023-24 the Department was responsible for administering more than $5 billion or 94% of the Commonwealth’s total commitment to local governments. The committee wants to better understand how the Department’s manages its important role in the funding and financial sustainability of local governments in Australia.

Of this funding for local governments, more than $3 billion in 2023-24 was provided under the untied Financial Assistance Grants. Another $500 million was for Roads to Recovery (RTR) and also $730 million for Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) programs.

Chair of the committee, Fiona Phillips, said, "The committee will be considering whether existing funding mechanisms are addressing the evolving responsibilities of local governments and identify how funding arrangements affect local government’s ability to deliver services and invest in local infrastructure."

Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

Evidence provided to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport inquiry into Local Government Sustainability of the 47^th Parliament will also be considered as part of this new inquiry.

The committee will schedule further public hearings in 2026.

Public hearing

Date: Thursday, 5 February 2026
Time: 11am – 12pm
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website.

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“THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling for a proposed Federal Bill creating a legislated right to work from home to be rejected, as it would only add further regulatory pressure on small building businesses already struggling with rising costs and labour shortages,” senior executive director for compliance and workplace relations, Stuart Collins said today.

“Flexible work arrangements can play an important role in supporting workforce participation, and the current laws already provide a clear and functioning framework for employers and employees to establish effective working from home arrangements.

“While there has been a lot of discussion around mandating work from home in recent months, these changes would create a blanket one-size fits all obligation that disregards the operational realities of many industries, including home building businesses, adding compliance pressure and complexity for employers.

“For housing construction, work from home mandates would be impractical as many roles in home building require work that must be done on site. Supervising construction, managing trades and ensuring safety compliance simply can’t be done remotely," Mr Collins said.

“Mandating a broad right to work from home risks creating confusion, more disputes and extra compliance costs, particularly for small businesses.

“It would also create added work health and safety complications for employers, who remain responsible for workplace safety even when that workplace is someone’s home.

“Importantly, HIA's position as set out in our recent submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment is broadly supported by the Productivity Commission (PC), who have outlined similar concerns with this proposed legislation in their submission.

“The Productivity Commission (PC) submission states that 'Australia appears to have arrived at a sensible middle ground' and '... the need for a legislated right to work from home is not clear'.

“This position by the PC confirms what Australian business and workers already know: that further interference in negotiated and flexible employment arrangements risks significantly undermining productivity, employment choice and can lead to unfairness and inequity in the workplace," Mr Collins said.

“At a time when Australia faces a critical housing shortage, policy settings should support productivity and reduce regulatory imposts. Adding another layer of workplace regulation without clear evidence of a problem will only make it harder to focus on what matters most, building more homes for Australians,” Mr Collins said.

HIA’s submission to the Private Senators Bill – Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 can be accessed here.

www.hia.com.au

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