More than $8 million was spent on temporary accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island, only for the contract to be torn up six days later.
Two months before a detention centre on the island was shut down in October 2017, the Home Affairs department paid logistics company Toll Holdings $8.1 million to organise interim housing.
However, this contract was cancelled just six days later, after the Papua New Guinea government decided to proceed with more permanent accommodation blocks.
Home Affairs officials have denied the $1.35 million per day was a waste of money, telling a Senate estimates hearing on Monday that the money had included the purchase of temporary structures and shipping costs.
Part of the money went on marquees, which the department now holds in storage in Brisbane.
It has also been revealed there are fewer than 30 women being held in Australia's network of offshore processing centres.
There are now 26 female refugees on Nauru and fewer than five others whose claims for protection are still being assessed.
There are no children in offshore detention.
In contrast, there are 239 male refugees on Nauru, another 25 failed asylum seekers and 66 men whose claims are being processed.
Almost 550 men are being held on Manus Island.
Late last week, the committee heard there were now more asylum seekers and refugees in Australia for medical treatment than on Manus Island and Nauru.
Some 953 people have been brought to the mainland for medical care or to accompany family members, outnumbering the 915 people held offshore.
More than 500 people have been sent to the United States under a refugee resettlement deal, with more expected in coming months.
Another 822 people have voluntarily returned to their home countries.
Since offshore detention was reintroduced in 2012, there have been 4177 people sent to Manus Island and Nauru.
© AAP 2019
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April 08, 2019 at 08:13AM
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