By LAURA WAKELY
BRIMBANK City Council is preparing a $35.7 million design for new staff offices, infuriating residents and community groups.
The council revealed it commissioned a Sweett Group report in August last year to look at options for offices to meet staffing requirements for the next 10 years.
Released at last week’s council meeting, the report found the Alexandra Ave offices in Sunshine and Old Calder Hwy offices in Keilor were “ageing facilities” at the “end of their asset lives”.
The report found the annual maintenance and operation costs for the two offices in the 2010-2011 financial year was $1.7 million and that an additional 7500 additional square metres is needed to accommodate staff growth over the next 10 years.
The report also reveals the part of the Alexandra Ave site on VicTrack land is costing council $78,000 a year in rent.
The report looked at three options, which found that a refurbishment of current offices and lease would cost $61.8 million, a pre-committed lease back would cost $70.9 million and that constructing new office accommodation would cost $24 million over a 20 year period.
Current estimates show immediate design and construction costs of $37.5 million for the chosen option but it is expected the figure will be “further refined as scope and design of the project are developed”.
Council would borrow $18 million and sell its Alexandra Ave site for housing, while the lower level of the Keilor office would be leased to a medical practice and the top level retained for community use.
The proposal differs from the civic centre plan put forward by the previous council in 2009, which would have seen community meeting space and a customer service centre included in the design.
Under the new proposal, the new building would only include council staff accommodation and could have space for leasing to other organisations or businesses.
No location or timeline has been put forward for the office.
Les Tarczon, who formed a residents group in support of the scrapped civic centre plans, said that council should expect a fight from residents.
“They (council) better start talking,” Mr Tarczon said.
“The residents all around Brimbank want to know where it’s located, what and where the land is.”
Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association president Susan Jennison said she had an “incredible reservation” about the cost of the project and claimed having all staff in one office would “fly in the face” of council’s district-based approach.
“The other reservation is, moving the staff who have been at that office is a really sad thing for the traders, the shops, the facilities around here,” Ms Jennison said
“What else is going to bring the revenue back into the area?”
Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) president Darlene Reilly said the council couldn’t justify spending millions of dollars when there were so much other infrastructure, such as parks, roads and footpaths, to upgrade.
“They (residents) don’t mind council getting new buildings or improving new offices, after the rest of Brimbank has been addressed,” Ms Reilly said.
Star contacted Brimbank Council but received no response before going to print.
