National Security Office Precinct building commences in 2025, following John Gorton car park completion

The National Security Office Precinct, one of a few surprises in the Albanese government's first budget handed down last week, will offer modern office space for up to 5000 staff across intelligence agencies, including the Office of National Intelligence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade among others.

A multi-level car park will also be constructed next to the John Gorton building in Parkes to accommodate for lost spaces due to the build.

The Department of Finance has revealed the car park's construction will start in mid-next year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

It will offer the precinct, and nearby department staff and private tenants, around 1100 car spaces at its Kings Avenue location.

Once completed, the intelligence precinct will begin construction in 2025 with an expected 2028 completion date.

The site along State Circle, next to York Park, will be developed into a major precinct but details as to what it might look like or feature remain tightly under wraps due to commercial sensitives and national security implications.

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While the building's price tag is classified, it's expected the project will easily exceed the billion-dollar mark.

Experts eyeing the project have wondered how successful recruitment for thousands of spies and technical experts given ongoing skills shortages and other workforce constraints.

It's not yet clear whether the 5000 or so staff expected to be housed within the central security precinct will be in addition to existing staffing levels or whether staff will be brought over from other headquarters and buildings within the region.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, whose headquarters is situated on Parkes Way across the lake, has around 2000 employees while the signals directorate is approximated to have the same.

However, National Security College policy director William Stoltz said around 1000 people a year were being recruited to maintain the intelligence community at its current size.

"So to get to that even higher level is going to take quite a significant transformation in their approach to recruitment," he said.

"It's an open question about whether this facility or this precinct will actually end up ever getting to capacity."

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