Cost to rename Health's Sirius Building

The Canberra Times in April revealed that the department was conducting a process to change the name of the Sirius building, after staff raised concerns about its association with the First Fleet.

The name change has drawn criticism from Liberal senator Anne Ruston - who called it "woke"- as well as former prime minister John Howard, who branded it "pointless petulance".

Questioned about the process in Senate estimates on Wednesday, Health secretary Blair Comley said the issue had been "a topic of discussion for staff for some years", and had been signed off on by an advisory committee made up of senior public servants.

"Technically the executive committee is advisory to me and so ultimately I have to sign off on the decision," Mr Comley said in response to questions from Senator Ruston.

The department has not yet approved a new name, but Chief Operating Officer Charles Wann revealed the change would cost the department approximately $20,000.

"In terms of the actual cost in our systems to change the name, it would be around $20,000," he told Senator Ruston.

This would include changing the name of the office in the department's online systems.

"It's systems changes, so, in terms of how we manage meeting rooms and booking of those meeting rooms, we use Outlook. Going in - and there's hundreds of these rooms - going in and changing each one in the system. And the booking system has to be changed."

Mr Wann said the name change was actually part of the department's "New Ways of Working" project, which involves new fit-outs for office buildings encouraging flexible work, such as hotdesking.

"So in my mind it's really money well spent because it is one component of a broader change process that is being very well endorsed and the outcomes we are seeing in terms of staff acceptance of New Ways of Working," Mr Wann said.

Mr Comley added that "staff engagement and satisfaction" with the agency, including being consulted on decisions, was a key part of productivity.

"So you're contending then that the changing of the name of a building is a productivity gain?" Senator Ruston asked the secretary.

"I am saying that it's one component of engaging the staff when they feel part of an organisation and committed to it, and it has an impact on productivity," Mr Comley responded.

"I would say the change in the name here is both a productivity issue but also goes to our inclusion agenda in terms of making a workplace welcoming to all our staff."