2 May 2011

Details on the Gungahlin job transplant

| johnboy
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Following on from Andrew Barr’s tweet based announcement the Chief Minister has now published a media release on the subject.

“The ACT Government will establish a presence in Gungahlin by moving 500 public servants to a new Government office block that will be built in the region’s town centre,” Chief Minister and Minister for Land and Property Services, Jon Stanhope announced today.

“This move will create local jobs for Gungahlin’s 42,000 residents and generate economic activity for the surrounding businesses.”

The 7,000sqm office complex is expected to house 500 public servants and include on-site parking.

The coming ACT Budget will invest $150,000 for a study into the estimated cost and design of the building as well as the preferred site and tenants.

Just who will be exiled is yet to be determined. Which could be a great spur to drive cooperation with the Hawke reforms.

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Keijidosha said :

Gnaty77 said :

Gungahlin provides a great opportunity to live sustainably.

Zuh? How so?

I think they mean that they already live in Gungahlin and if there were jobs in Gungahlin, they could then live and work in the same area… and they could live sustainably. I can relate to that.

Gnaty77 said :

Gungahlin provides a great opportunity to live sustainably.

Zuh? How so?

Gungahlin Al said :

bd84 said :

Why even consider this when the ACT Government is planning on constructing a grand whole of government building in the City by 2015? Sounds like a token waste of money to keep a few people happy to me..

I had exactly that discussion with CT’s Noel Towell this afternoon. We came to the conclusion that they may have done some modelling on the proposed Civic site – the car park next door – and found they just can’t fit everyone on that rather small site. – Not without knocking out the Assembly building too (no great loss architecturally…).

I believe the Government were already aware of that fact even before the grand stanhope plaza was more than a drawing on his napkin. While an all in one place preference was desired, some of the smaller agencies will still be in different premises.

When you think about it, there aren’t many if any Departments that have only 500 admin employees that will fit in this proposed Gungahlin building, exclude any that involve front line services and therefore require reasonably centralised office space, and you’re down to about nobody.. Plus I’ve also heard that they’re recently extended leases on accommodation for a couple of core Departments well past 2015 which I think is when grand stanhope plaza is supposedly to be completed..

Unless they’re planning to build a much smaller whole of government building than was originally anticipated, I still think it’s a token gesture.

The delusional thinking that informs this line of argument (which we have heard for years in Canberra) needs to be broken down, again.

Firstly, nobody has a job for life, or even for a decade, these days. In the local Public Service, ACT or Commonwealth, very few people stay in the same Department for their whole career. Some even leave and get jobs in the private sector.

Secondly, with the constant reorganisations and relocations of Departments, even people who stay under the same umbrella get moved around all the time. One agency I worked for moved between Civic, Dickson and Barton within 15 years.

Thirdly, unless merit based selection is abandoned, even agencies that begin with all local residents will be polluted with furriners over time.

Fourthly, people move for other reasons – like preferring another area, closeness to amenities like schools, hospitals, sporting facilities etc. People sometimes choose to move further away from their workplaces.

Anyone who has lived in Sydney knows that that traffic choking the streets is not all radiating out from the city. If that was the only problem, it would be easily fixed. It is the complex pattern of people going in all directions for all sorts of reasons that makes it hard.

When I worked in Barton, people came from Tuggers, Belconnen, Queanbeyan, Wamboin, Hall and everywhere else. Which is why (a) the ACT government’s dream of putting everyone on buses is a fantasy; and (b) the Y-plan is fine for shopping and suchlike, but useless when it comes to employment and transport policy.

Over time a proportion of people will tend to relocate to be closer to the work, or seek to change their job to ones located closer to their home.

I’m with Al… If affected, I would definitely consider moving. Gungahlin provides a great opportunity to live sustainably. Unfortunately I cannot afford a place near my current work place and therefore drive to work however love the idea of living near enough to walk or ride instead.

Of course… we would need an efficient public transport system to provide for those that dont move…

Gungahlin Al9:04 pm 02 May 11

bd84 said :

Why even consider this when the ACT Government is planning on constructing a grand whole of government building in the City by 2015? Sounds like a token waste of money to keep a few people happy to me..

I had exactly that discussion with CT’s Noel Towell this afternoon. We came to the conclusion that they may have done some modelling on the proposed Civic site – the car park next door – and found they just can’t fit everyone on that rather small site. – Not without knocking out the Assembly building too (no great loss architecturally…).

Why even consider this when the ACT Government is planning on constructing a grand whole of government building in the City by 2015? Sounds like a token waste of money to keep a few people happy to me..

And there’s the job multiplier effect.

Gungahlin Al said :

dpm said :

What will actually happen is 450 or so people (cars) who live in Belco, Woden, Weston or Tuggers will have to drive to Gungahlin for work, while most people living there will still be travelling to whatever other satellite town centre they currently work in.

Over time a proportion of people will tend to relocate to be closer to the work, or seek to change their job to ones located closer to their home.

AND this will be the catalyst for other departments to give the Gungahlin location serious consideration, leading to more people being able to live closer to their work.

Meanwhile those who chose to commute will be able to do so in much the same time (once Gungahlin Drive is completed) because they’ll be avoiding the peak congestion and instead running counter-flow.

D2 said :

Keijidosha said :

Estimated cost of building – $0 if paid for by commercial developers, $20,000,000 if paid for by taxpayers

At an annual rental of $5,000,00 for ten years = nice tidy profit for developer at taxpayers’ expense.

lol

Great bargaining position! ‘We’ve announced an office to house 500 public servants in Gungahlin. How much will that cost us.’ And is anyone concerned that there are public servants who can just be sent somewhere to boost the economy?

Gungahlin Al4:46 pm 02 May 11

dpm said :

“This move will create local jobs for Gungahlin’s 42,000 residents and generate economic activity for the surrounding businesses.”

What will actually happen is 450 or so people (cars) who live in Belco, Woden, Weston or Tuggers will have to drive to Gungahlin for work, while most people living there will still be travelling to whatever other satellite town centre they currently work in. People rarely move in Canberra to be near their work, if it moves….

Over time a proportion of people will tend to relocate to be closer to the work, or seek to change their job to ones located closer to their home.

AND this will be the catalyst for other departments to give the Gungahlin location serious consideration, leading to more people being able to live closer to their work.

Meanwhile those who chose to commute will be able to do so in much the same time (once Gungahlin Drive is completed) because they’ll be avoiding the peak congestion and instead running counter-flow.

This will be good for all Canberrans from a tax paying perspective, because to not have employment there is to doom us all to massive road construction bills. (And Monash Drv)

Thanks Frots for the feedback!

“This move will create local jobs for Gungahlin’s 42,000 residents and generate economic activity for the surrounding businesses.”

What will actually happen is 450 or so people (cars) who live in Belco, Woden, Weston or Tuggers will have to drive to Gungahlin for work, while most people living there will still be travelling to whatever other satellite town centre they currently work in. People rarely move in Canberra to be near their work, if it moves….

Keijidosha said :

Estimated cost of building – $0 if paid for by commercial developers, $20,000,000 if paid for by taxpayers

At an annual rental of $5,000,00 for ten years = nice tidy profit for developer at taxpayers’ expense.

Despite my earlier comment I should point out that I’m actually in favour of decentralising our commercial space to established town centres, although convincing government departments to move appears to be the greatest challenge. I know of departments split across buildings in the city seemingly abhorred by the idea of being anywhere else but the CBD.

I think it’s an excellent idea and there should be more of it. Location can be a huge inducement to people who are sick of traffic jams and praying they find a car parking spot.

Many of the organisations that have set up shop around the airport, for instance, are finding the thousands of people who live just over the border in NSW are very keen to work there.

Now all we need is a few smart businesses to set up in Queanbeyan and they’ll be beating the commuters off with sticks.

Note to self: Open a coffee shop in Gunghalin Town centre.

Actually scratch that, I’ll just put my hand up for $150k for the study into this project.
Estimated cost of building – $0 if paid for by commercial developers, $20,000,000 if paid for by taxpayers, with estimated completion by 2020. (Revised to 2025 following structural failure during construction.
Design of building – whatever shape allows for most number of stalls (cubicles) and highest energy rating, with fewest number of car parking spaces. Ensure appropriate use of feature panelling that will be out of date within 1 year, and use materials that guarantee the building will need to be bulldozed in 10.
Preferred site – This is Gunghalin, so just bulldoze some vacant bushland near the town centre, or squeeze in into/on top of any existing space. Bonus points awarded for lack of access to public transport.

500 jobs moving to gungahlin.

“This move will create local jobs for Gungahlin’s 42,000 residents and generate economic activity for the surrounding businesses.”

=

Each job will be job-shared by 84 Gungahlin residents, with employment for 27 mins per week each.

ma7trlb said :

so he can pony up $1m for feasibility study into a convention centre, but only $150k for a long-promised Gungahlin Govt Department. Where do they get their quotes from, or is the disparity an indicator of token effort?

Fewer opportunities for “fact finding missions” on this one, I suspect.

screaming banshee12:04 pm 02 May 11

What a joke, $150k to think about it….good to see the belt has been tightened.

I’m sure there are a glut of commercial developers out there who would gladly submit designs and costings for the chance to secure a govt dept as major tenant.

I hope ‘Transport for Canberra’ are relocated to this new office block.

so he can pony up $1m for feasibility study into a convention centre, but only $150k for a long-promised Gungahlin Govt Department. Where do they get their quotes from, or is the disparity an indicator of token effort?

I heard Al on the ABC morning show today – really good interview and he presented a really good case for the relocation as well as the infrastructure issues. Now about that hospital………………………

Great job Al!

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