Premier House Te Whare Pirimia, Wellington
Premier House Te Whare Pirimia (Premier House) is a heritage listed building and the official residence of the Prime Minister. The site is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) on behalf of the Crown.
As the official residence, it has a dual purpose: providing private and secure accommodation for the Prime Minister of the day; and being a venue for official functions, engagements and meetings to support the role and function of the Prime Minister. The site is also a workplace for staff that support these activities.
Parts of the Premier House property date as early as 1843. It was purchased to become the Prime Minister's residence in 1865 when New Zealand’s Capital was moved to Wellington. The property underwent significant expansion when Prime Minister Sir Julius Vogel lived there in the 1870s.
It became a Category 1 historic place in 1988 – a Category 1 listing indicates that the place has outstanding significance to the nation, which impacts how the property should be maintained. The property has been continuously used as the official residence of the Prime Minister since a major refurbishment was completed in 1990.
- Related briefings: MRMS Briefing Approach for allocating funding for Premier House remedial works - 14 Jan 2025 (PDF, 6MB)
Further details
Maintaining an historic building
In managing Premier House, the Department balances the maintenance of facilities in accordance with its various roles; the safety and security of residents and guests; and the long-term preservation needs of a nationally significant site.
The Department has an ongoing maintenance programme in place at Premier House. Management of the property includes overseeing asset and conservation plans and providing advice and services to support the use of the property.
The Department operates within annualised funding for routine repairs and maintenance. More significant repairs or improvements require specific funding and Cabinet approval. The Department is mindful of the current challenging fiscal climate and actively prioritises maintenance needs within its allocated funding. Information about annual expenditure on Premier House is published in the Department’s Annual Report: Annual Reports - dia.govt.nz
Recent Premier House refurbishment
There has been limited investment in Premier House since its last significant refurbishment in 1990, and many of its facilities are now reaching end of life. In 2023, an independent Board recommended full refurbishment of the property to maintain the site as a national heritage asset. Independent review by Te Pou Awe Te Whare Pirimia – Premier House Board on the Long-term Stewardship of Te Whare Pirimia – Premier House (PDF, 5.9MB)
The report identified that a full-scale refurbishment could be considered, estimated to cost $33m. Investment at that scale is not appropriate at this time – a focus on protecting and maintaining the asset is preferred.
- In 2024 the Department undertook work to prepare the private apartment for occupancy. Information about this work has been previously released and can be found here: OIA-2425-0313 (pages 6-7) (PDF, 10MB)
- In 2025 Budget25 provided an increase to the operating budget and annualised capital funding, allowing the Department to better protect and maintain the site and achieve incremental improvements as recommended by the Board.
- From 2025 – 2026 the Department undertook a programme of work to address areas of the property that had significantly degraded and required urgent repair.
Scope of 2025-2026 repairs and maintenance
The scope of works focused on the exterior to ensure the property remains weathertight.
Works included full roof replacement, insulation, cladding repairs, improvements to staff and service areas, replacement of some furnishings in the public hosting areas and repainting the exterior of the building in heritage-sympathetic colours.
Additional repairs to address water and fire damage beneath the weatherboards and roofing were identified as the project progressed. To protect and future-proof the property, these areas were also remediated while skilled builders were on-site.
Minor improvements were also made to the State Rooms and staff areas to improve the standard and functionality of these spaces.
Approach
The Department’s facilities management provider, CityCare, oversaw the construction works, supplemented by specialist expertise as required due to the conservation requirements of the site.
Refurbishment Cost
The Department undertakes a regular maintenance on the site, however over time some of the structure and facilities began to deteriorate and a more significant programme of remediation (aligned with the Long-Term Maintenance Plan for the site) was required.
The Department has taken a prudent approach in considering the scope and cost of works in the current economic climate - it was more cost effective to address issues now than let the property degrade further, which will cost more to fix in the future. It was also more cost effective and efficient to complete some works concurrently rather than incrementally. For example, utilising scaffolding for both the roof replacement and cladding repairs by choosing to invest in weatherboard replacement and repainting at the same time.
The budget for this project was $1.742m. This allocation was required to meet the scale of maintenance work associated with this large, multi-floor heritage residence and function space. Given its size and mixed-use nature, the maintenance requirements and overall footprint are substantially greater than those of a typical residential property. Funding was secured within existing budgets.
The project was delivered under budget at $1.630m.
Table 1. Cost of Premier House Remedial Works
|
Category |
Item description |
Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
Functional improvements staff and service areas |
Floor covering replacement (multiple zones) |
19,419 |
|
Curtain replacement - staff offices and service areas |
9,632 |
|
|
Heat pumps (purchase, installation, ducting and covers) |
38,061 |
|
|
Glasswasher replacement - commercial kitchen |
5,260 |
|
|
Increase functionality and standards of state areas |
Curtain replacement (partial) |
31,000 |
|
Targeted furniture replacement – a range of furniture for the function spaces including two dining areas, the entranceway and lounge rooms |
80,293 |
|
|
Critical works - weathertightness preservation |
Scaffolding and building wrap |
377,081 |
|
Roof replacement, insulation, guttering replacement |
246,917 |
|
|
Exterior cladding, deck and timber repairs - labour and materials |
283,439 |
|
|
Exterior painting – labour and materials |
231,348 |
|
|
Work site miscellaneous |
Skip hire, rubbish removal, Portaloo hireage |
8,930 |
|
|
Tree removal / garden reinstatement following scaffolding removal |
17,295 |
|
Professional advice |
Heritage, design, engineering and quantity surveying |
94,376 |
|
Project management |
Construction site management and project management, additional security costs, health & safety oversight, project planning and delivery |
187,228 |
|
Total* |
|
$1,630,279 |
Note: Table 1 confirms total costs for the Premier House Remedial Works Project as of 30 June 2026 for financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26.
*Costs have been rounded and may be subject to minor adjustment as final invoices are received. Costs are correct as at 24 September 2026.
The Department receives annualised operating funding of $1.078m to repair, maintain and operate Crown-owned official residences and annual capital of $0.495m for improvements. Annual expenditure is published in the Internal Affairs Annual Report: Annual Reports - dia.govt.nz
Images
Before
During
After
Benefits
The works have protected the site’s heritage and the uses of the property; ensuring that the property can continue to be utilised as a function venue, workplace and residence.
This programme of work also provided employment for contractors and sub-contractors which benefits the local economy, as well as providing opportunities for local students and youth on apprenticeships.
Holding an event at Premier House
The property has been regularly used and enjoyed by the public and utilised for a wide range of functions and events over many years (please note this is subject to availability and approval). To request use of the property, or to find our more, please contact: PHFunctionsandEvents@dia.govt.nz
