{
  "id": 13788136,
  "title": "This building will cost more than $1 billion. What do we know about it?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/this-building-will-cost-more-than-1-billion-what-do-we-know-about-it",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-11T19:38:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-12/is-national-security-office-precinct-most-secret-building/107251478"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A $1 billion National Security Office Precinct is currently under construction in Canberra, a project of immense scale and secrecy. Six enormous cranes are diligently working on this development, which is heralded as a significant solution to the accommodation and capability requirements of several government agencies. Despite its colossal size, details of the project remain under wraps due to commercial-in-confidence and national security sensitivities. It's being developed by the Department of Finance, led by Nick McClintock.\n\nThe precinct will house multiple Commonwealth entities, including the Office of National Intelligence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Beyond these, there will be hospitality and retail venues catering to the public and workers. Up to 5,000 workers are expected to be based at the precinct, which is expected to start occupation in 2029 and be completed by the end of 2028. This investment is the most significant in the ACT since the new Parliament House was developed in 1988.\n\nThe project's builders, the Department of Finance, have not disclosed the final cost, but it's expected to exceed $1 billion. The precinct is being built on the site of a former car park, and due to security requirements, it was exempt from public works committee approval. Once completed, it will replace the RG Casey building, which will be vacated in 2031. The federal government aims to support more than 10,000 jobs during the construction period, which began in late 2024. The site's transformation from a car park to a national security hub signifies Canberra's commitment to modernizing its infrastructure.",
  "summary": "Despite the huge scale of the project, many of the details have been kept secret.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}