A contract was signed with the resort venue in January 2023, prior to the second trip, but shortly after the group returned, deputy secretary, international security, legal and consular group Craig Maclachlan nixed the idea, determining it would be more appropriate to hold the conference in Canberra. Newly appointed head of the passport office, Lucelle Veneros, agreed and, on her second day on the job, tasked her division to move the event to the capital.
