Late last year, a devastating fire caused significant damage to Old Parliament House.

Manteena were engaged as the Managing Contractor to complete the remediation works. This commenced on the 31^st December 2021, and included the coordination of building trade services, conservators, emergency services and planning staff in order to make safe and start the works.

The project required 12 months of integration between Heritage professionals, construction trades, and conservators to return the building to its original state. Where possible, upgrades were made that remained true to the original design whilst providing enhanced safety and access for the public and building occupants to ensure further longevity of the building.

Manteena managed all contractors and Heritage professionals procured under the project and worked closely with the heritage team embedded within MoAD to ensure the best outcome for all involved. This collaborative approach led to the building being reopened to the public after four months while works continued on the front entrance, where most of the damage had been sustained.

In total, almost 20,000 worker hours were spent on-site from January 2022 to November 2022 across 38 organisations, managed by Manteena. Conservators and MoAD staff spent 722 hours cleaning 2800 heritage collection furniture and fittings, over 2000 Hansard volumes and over 5000 props. The doors reopened on 28 November 2022.

In December 2023, the project secured first place in the “Architecture and Building Conservation” category at the 2023 National Trust (ACT) Heritage Awards, further underscoring our commitment to preserving and restoring heritage with the highest standard of excellence.