More than half a million dollars was spent providing Airbnb rentals around Canberra last year to quarantine just 72 federal government officials returning from overseas.
The government has defended the cost of the rentals, arguing it was left with few options as it attempted to meet very strict ACT government quarantine requirements.
The staff travelled abroad late last year with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister and were required to quarantine in Canberra upon their return.
Department of Home Affairs officials say they were forced to turn to Airbnb for accommodation when the ACT government ceased providing quarantine options last year, due to concerns about the increased risk of the Omicron variant.
While home quarantine was an option for some, when it was not possible alternative accommodation had to be found.
Accommodation at the Australian National University had previously been used, but was no longer made available as of August last year.
In evidence to senate estimates today, Home Affairs officials said the ACT government told them to find properties that were freestanding, with independent access to the building, and no shared facilities for things like parking or rubbish.
Though despite quarantine only lasting two weeks, properties were rented for 11 weeks.
That was both so they could be prepared as home offices with necessary security, and an ACT requirement they be rented for four weeks post-quarantine in case a person tested positive and needed to remain longer.
The total cost of quarantining the 72 ministerial staffers and government officials came to $522,067, including cleaning, transport and COVID-19 testing.
Home Affairs deputy secretary Justine Saunders said cheaper options were explored but rejected.
"We explored hotels and apartments knowing they would be lower cost options, but they weren't agreed by the ACT government due to the higher COVID risk," she said.
"The other option we explored was ... for officers to share facilities, noting they were homes — that wasn't agreed to in all instances.
"So as a result of our understanding of the demand, and meeting ACT government requirements, the option that was agreed to by the ACT government and Home Affairs as the most suitable was properties that could be identified through Airbnb."
Property rented from senior Home Affairs official
One of the properties rented through Airbnb was owned by a senior Home Affairs officer, who personally raised concerns about the arrangement.
Home Affairs officials told the estimates committee they enquired about the property through the Airbnb platform, not knowing who the owner of the property was.
The Home Affairs officer — a first assistant secretary — received the request and worked out it was coming from his own department, and raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
While he initially declined the request, Ms Saunders said Home Affairs had no other option but to take it up.
"The advice I've had is that at that time there were actually no other properties available ... that was the only suitable property available at that time," Ms Saunders said.
The total cost of renting the property was $15,981 between September and November last year.
During the hearing, Labor senator Raff Ciccone expressed his surprise that Home Affairs went ahead with the rental.
"I find it amazing that out of all the ACT, there was only one property that fit the bill — and it just happened to be owned by a first assistant secretary, or someone of that ilk," he said.
Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo said a report had been completed into the matter, and while he is still considering it, his early indications are that nothing untoward has occurred.
"Prima facie, on the face of the fact that the officer himself self-identified, I'm satisfied that unless something else comes to my notice, there was proper conduct engaged in," he said.
"Had the officer sought to disguise the fact, had the officer not drawn it to the attention of his superior, had the officer not volunteered to opt out of the program, I might have [a different view]."
