An independent senator has slammed the department that controls the day-to-day running of Parliament House for a blow-out in the cost of a security upgrade, calling it a "gravy train'.
A Senate estimates inquiry heard the cost of the security upgrade ballooned to $60 million from an original $22 million.
"That's something that even Defence couldn't do," independent senator Rex Patrick quipped.
Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services Robert Stefanic said there were a number of components that led to this increase.
"One of those was effectively a doubling of the amount of doors that were being enabled with access control, which I believe is the single most costly increase in that scope," Mr Stefanic told the hearing in Canberra on Monday.
Senator Patrick said the fact that the number of doors had doubled suggests someone made a really big mistake in the tendering process.
"This is a gravy train," he said.
Mr Stefanic disagreed, saying Parliament House is a vast and and complex building and these issues came to light after the tender.
"We've ended up going from $22 million to $40 million of extra things that you hadn't considered?" Senator Patrick said.
"This is like buying a boat and then realising you've got to buy a Land Cruiser and a trailer. It just looks like you haven't done your due diligence."
Mr Stefanic explained the department's role was to deliver the project, but the scope of it and the requirements were on the advice of the security and intelligence agencies.
Australian Associated Press
