Queensland Police Spent $116m on Unused Brisbane Building
Queensland’s corruption watchdog found a “combined failure” allowed police to commit $116 million to lease a Brisbane building they never used. The report…
Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission found a combined failure behind $116m in police spending on a Brisbane building the service never used, after missed opportunities to halt the lease at every stage. The watchdog said the case exposed weaknesses in governance and financial controls.
The Queensland Police Service entered a conditional agreement to lease the property in Stones Corner for about $500,000 a month. It was later assessed as unfit for use as a police station, while the 15-year lease commitment far exceeded the building’s purchase price.
The commission’s investigation found no dishonesty, improper relationship or personal gain. But the deal proceeded without a competitive process or an independent assessment of whether its terms were reasonable and represented value for money.
How did the lease commitment proceed?
The service did not consider buying the property during the process, the report found. It also committed to spending beyond its budget without government approval; a later request for funding was denied.
Due diligence and legal advice came only after the commitment, according to the report. The Queensland Police Service also failed to use available opportunities to reconsider the deal before it became binding.
“By committing before securing funding, it lost both the option to withdraw and its negotiating leverage,” the report said.
The matter came before the commission after former police commissioner Steve Gollschewski complained in November 2024 about the procurement process and the lack of due diligence before the contract was signed.
The consequences reach beyond the agency’s accounts. A commitment made before funding was secured left police with less room to withdraw or negotiate, while taxpayers face the cost of a lease for a building not used as a station. The case also puts the service’s procurement controls under scrutiny.
What changes has Queensland police accepted?
Police Commissioner Brett Pointing accepted all nine recommendations from the watchdog following what he called a “large waste of taxpayer money”. The recommendations include reviewing lease procedures for compliance and developing an action plan to address systemic organisational culture issues.
“We cannot undo what happened in this instance, but we can be accountable for it,” Pointing said.
He said the service had adopted a different approach to leasing and procurement, with “very different” checks and balances. The reforms, he said, are intended to strengthen accountability, decision-making and stewardship of public money.
The commission’s report names people to explain systemic issues and key decisions. Pointing said the police service had begun its discipline process for those involved, with a range of remedies available for consideration.
The service is still negotiating with the building’s owners and Crown Law over options for the property’s future. At the front of the building, cafe operator Padma Yadati said she had opened her business expecting police to work there and was still waiting for the tenancy to be occupied.
“I come work here with the hope that some day the tenancy gets occupied,” she said.
