Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00620:body:0:p34
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00620
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 91205–94227

to the Edmund Barton Building.  West Block's location near both the provisional Parliament House and the proposed location of the new permanent Parliament House ensured that it continued to be used as government administration building.
A Cabinet Paper in 1978 furthered the proposal from the first budget submission and ultimately resulted in the 1980s refurbishment of West Block.  This refurbishment was the second major period of change for the building and was undertaken for the Department of Administrative Services by architects, Fowell, Mansfield, Jarvis and Maclurcan.  The original steel windows and the later wooden frames on balcony infill windows, were replaced with low profile aluminium frame windows.  A National Trust assessment of the building in 1986 noted that the introduction of single pane windows dramatically altered the external appearance of the building.[75]
The enclosed courts of B Block were covered by glazed tubular steel framed hipped roofs and is entry lobby was rearranged.  Balcony areas were again modified, and office space converted to open plan.  Internal joinery was changed to updated to more closely match the original stained timber and brass fittings.  The first and second floors over the east link to the north building were infilled and the building was upgraded to include fire doors.  In the mid-1980s, the building was occupied by the Department of the Special Minister of State and the Economic Planning Advisory Council.

2.8.1               Alterations and additions, 1970s-80s
              1981 Enclosed court roof of B Block refurbished, with new glazing
               Central lobby rearranged (B Block)
               Internal walls demolished (B Block)
               Link between A Block and B Block was covered over
               Extension to Dugout & screen wall
              1982-84 All windows modified to a low-profile aluminium frame
Floor plans illustrating the incremental development of West Block are at Figure 26, Figure 27, Figure 28 and Figure 29.

2.9                    Recent history, 1988-present
After the permanent Parliament House was opened in 1988, the requirement for West Block to provide accommodation for the departments was superseded by the purpose-built accommodation in the new building.  The close proximity to the provisional Parliament House was no longer a central feature of the location of West Block.  Equally, the size of government and its supporting administration had also outgrown the extent of the West Block and has continued to expand.
A review of the Parliamentary Zone by the National Capital Authority in 2000 predicted that the working population of Parliament House was probably close to twenty-five percent higher than it was predicted to be in the 1980s.[76]  It highlighted the possibility of using the carparks of East and West Block on either side of Federation Mall to accommodate the required growth, predicting the need for three storey buildings, with multilevel basement car parking desirable.[77]