5. Occupancy management systems

5.1 iSPACE

The iSPACE system is an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) used by the Queensland Government Accommodation Office (QGAO) and Government Employee Housing (GEH).  iSPACE is configured to support the effective management of space utilisation and associated occupancies for government-owned and -leased accommodation, through capturing and maintaining key property/asset, occupancy and financial data.

In particular, the application is used to:

• create and maintain all QGAO and GEH tenancy information, including relevant property, tenant, landlord, and lease data
• create and maintain spatial information for QGAO's owned and major lease portfolios, including uploading and managing floorplans associated with relevant properties
• create financial transactional data associated with current managed tenancies to bill and pay via interfaces to the department's core financial system (SAP).

Information about an agency's charges is sent by email monthly as part of the monthly invoice process. Reports containing each agency's occupancy information are also made available on SharePoint each month. Additional information can be extracted and provided to agencies on an ad-hoc basis as required.

5.2 Occupancy costs and payments

Agencies are responsible for paying commercial rent and accommodation-related charges for office accommodation in government-owned and 'major leased' buildings. Rental rates in government-owned buildings are set by independent valuation and adjusted every 2 years. Rental rates for 'major leased' buildings are reviewed according to the lease conditions and applied from the rent review date.

Rental rates and other accommodation costs for 'other leased' buildings are set initially according to the negotiated commencement rent and adjusted periodically according to the specific rent-review conditions in each lease.

Agencies are required to consider and accept these lease conditions as part of their financial commitment to occupy the space before the execution of the lease. The Department of Energy and Public Works (EPW) will negotiate to achieve the best possible outcome on a 'without prejudice' basis (subject to each agency's approval) in rent reviews and will submit the proposed new rate to the agency for approval before acceptance.

Charges for other accommodation-related services, such as after-hours air conditioning, are made at commercially-comparable rates for government-owned office buildings and according to lease conditions in 'Major Leased' and 'Other Leased' office buildings.

EPW on-charges Cabinet-approved fees for lease negotiation and establishment, and a lease-management fee. Lease negotiation fees are based on a sliding scale and do not include legal expenses.

The lease management fee is 2.5% of the effective rent and other charges, and includes the provision of services for rent-review negotiation, make-good negotiation, landlord/agent liaison, verification of landlord's accounts, payments to landlords, coordinating rectification of defects and periodical inspections of tenancies to confirm tenant satisfaction with the accommodation.