BY DAKOTA TAIT
The City of Newcastle
has announced they spent a total of $17.6 million on a relocation to newly
leased premises at Stewart Avenue in Newcastle West - more than $10 million
more than suggested by reports in late 2017.
The budget blowout
include a $8.3 million office space allowing 450 staff members to work under
the same roof, a $2 million Local Emergency Operations Centre, $3.2 million on
a digital library, and $1 million on the Council Chamber.
Another $2.7 million was also paid to
Graphite Projects for their work on all four of the project areas.
City of Newcastle CEO
Jeremy Bath said the relocation would create a better work environment, more
efficient systems, and improved services for residents and ratepayers.
“Relocating our City Administration
Centre to Newcastle West has provided our staff with a new
fit-for-purpose office featuring modern amenities, a flexible design,
community areas and meeting rooms to encourage better communication and
collaborative decision-making,” Mr Bath said.
“This space has been designed to double
as the Council Chamber when meetings occur twice each month and is equipped
with technology that allows for the community to directly participate in
Council meetings without the need to leave their home."
Despite criticisms of the cost, Mr
Bath said the City of Newcastle were "frugal" compared to nearby
councils.
“Lake Macquarie City Council is
spending $17.8m on their fit-out, Mid Coast Council has
budgeted $20m and Maitland’s project is budgeted at $28m,” Mr
Bath said.
“The $8.3m spent on our
relocation is evidence of the frugal approach we have taken, while the
move itself also allowed us to identify cost
effective co-locatable opportunities such as the Digital Library
and LEOC, which if built elsewhere would have come at a considerably larger expense.”
Mr Bath also claimed that the sale of
former Council properties would help raise funds for community assets and work
toward the revitalisation of the Civic cultural precinct.
The Council's former Roundhouse site
will reopen in early 2021 as the city’s
first five-star hotel after being
sold in late 2018 for $16.5 million (plus
GST).
Newcastle Lord
Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the relocation was in line with plans to
shift the CBD west as part of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan
Plan.
“This area is rapidly transforming into
Newcastle’s new CBD. We’re pleased to be part of this strategic shift,
which is not only revitalising a long dormant part of the city but is also
allowing new life to be injected into our civic cultural precinct and some of
our most treasured community facilities,” Cr Nelmes said.
“This is designed to provide the best value to our residents and a seamless experience for all community members."
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| https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/ |
