Overview
The 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 each year.
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 2023 Occupancy Report highlights ongoing efficiencies in the use of the Commonwealth’s property portfolio. In particular:
- the national occupational density in 2023 was 13.4m2 and is the first year this went beyond the target of 14m2 since it was introduced in 2013.
- the percentage of tenancies meeting the occupational density target increased from 44.3 per cent in 2022 to 48.7 per cent in 2023.
- entities reported a decrease in work-point vacancy rates, from 7.8 per cent in 2022 to 1.8 per cent in 2023.
- work-point vacancy decreased from 20.5 per cent in 2013 to 1.8 per cent in 2023.
- the national fit-out density of tenancies has decreased from 15.1m2 in 2013 to 13.2m2 in 2023.
Table 1: Key Metrics (2021 to 2023)
| Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenancies (n) | 617 | 645 | 649 |
| Controlled Area (m²) | 2,922,664 | 3,027,239 | 2,971,038 |
| Usable Office Area (m²) | 2,314,718 | 2,422,416 | 2,341,034 |
| Work-points (n) | 170,331 | 177,136 | 177,756 |
| Staff (n)(a) | 157,645 | 163,254 | 174,616 |
| Vacant Work-points (n) | 12,686 | 13,882 | 3,140 |
| Work-point Vacancy Rate (%) | 7.4 | 7.8 | 1.8 |
| National Fit-out Density (m²) | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.2 |
| National Occupational Density (m²) | 14.7 | 14.8 | 13.4 |
| Tenancies Meeting the Occupational Density Target (%) | 43.6 | 44.3% | 48.7% |
| Net Tenancy Expenditure ($m) | 1,449.9 | 1,544.2 | 1,519.2 |
| Cost per Controlled Area ($) | 496 | 510 | 511 |
| Cost per Staff ($) | 9,197 | 9,459 | 8,700 |
| Cost per Work-point ($) | 8,512 | 8,718 | 8,547 |
(a) Staff numbers includes contractors and is a count of individual staff allocated to the lease.
Background
The Department of Finance is responsible for co-ordinating the AGPR and reporting results in the Occupancy Report.
Download Previous releases
- 2022 Australian Government Office Occupancy Report
- 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
