Queensland Police Service paying $500k a month for lease of empty Stones Corner building

The Police Minister hopes someone will be held accountable for “worst deal in government history”, which is costing taxpayers of $500k a month, while a CCC investigation is under way.

Building works on the new police hub at Brisbane’s Stones Corner

Police Minister Dan Purdie hopes someone will be held accountable for “worst deal in government history”, which is costing taxpayers of $500k a month, while a CCC investigation is under way.

The service is leasing the building at Stones Corner for the same cost as hiring out multiple mansions or a private island hideaway owned by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, all at taxpayers’ expense, but Mr Purdie is refusing to end the deal.

The $240m rental deal is costing the service about $500,000 a month, which has been labelled as one of the worst lease agreements ever made by a department in the state government.

The Courier-Mail revealed the controversial 15-year deal and its details last year, including that developers only paid $45m for the building in 2021.

There was an option for an eight-year extension in the deal worth up to $240m.

The Courier-Mail has been told the service is paying about $500,000 a month to lease the building – and has been for months – while it awaits the findings of a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into the deal.

Asked what role he was playing to stop the hemorrhaging of taxpayer cash, Mr Purdie insisted he needed to wait for the Crime and Corruption Commission to finalise its investigation.

However, Mr Purdie sensationally revealed he had not sought advice about whether he could act to end the deal.

Police Minister Dan Purdie has not sought advice about whether he can act to end the deal. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“Negotiations with the vendor I assume probably couldn’t be resolved completely until we understand what happened under the former government,” he said.

“I’m not asking for a briefing from the CCC.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate … but at the end of the day this is potentially the worst deal in history and someone hopefully will be held to account.”

The Queensland Police Service did not respond to direct questions sent by The Courier-Mail on Tuesday about the current situation of the lease and costs, saying only that it was inappropriate to comment.

For about the same price, the luxurious and private Makepeace Island owned by billionaire Sir Richard Branson can be rented out for the month.

Megastars including pop sensation Justin Bieber have stayed at the island when trying to keep at arm’s length from the public.

Sir Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island at Noosa

The eye-watering price could also pay for an almost three-month stay at a six-bedroom beachfront mansion in Bali, which includes a private chef, staff and 27m pool.

Noku Beach House in Seminyak – which includes sprawling grounds, a spa, and rooftop – costs about $177,000 per month to exclusively rent.

A fraction of the lease cost would pay for an entire private suite at Suncorp Stadium for 12 months, which starts at $130,000 for each box.

The extravagant Stamford Suite overlooking Brisbane could also be hired out for the entire month, also for about a third of lease price.

The police service has declined to list specific elements of the lease agreement other than saying it is meeting its “contractual obligations”.

Commissioner Steve Gollschewski ordered an audit of the deal in August, with KordaMentha tasked to investigate after Mr Gollschewski said he had concerns about the cost and “governance”.

Then in November, Mr Gollschewski referred the deal to the CCC for transparency purposes, and because he was required to report anything where there was a reasonable suspicion of misconduct or other corrupt activity.

The Courier-Mail asked Queensland Police Service on Tuesday a range of questions, including about the current lease situation and cost, any negotiations with the building owners, the progress of the building fit-out, when police would move in, and the CCC investigation.

A spokesman did not answer any of the questions, only saying it would be “inappropriate to provide further comment” due to the CCC investigation.

Noku Beach House at Seminyak, Bali

Originally published as Queensland Police Service paying $500k a month for lease of empty Stones Corner building