City enters bid for government offices

STATE Government plans to move 15 to 20 per cent of its office buildings out of the Perth CDB will help with the continued revitalisation of Joondalup, according to Mayor Troy Pickard.

In June last year, the State Government announced a Master Plan for the procurement of office space.

The plan aims to reduce the cost of leasing office space by consolidating offices into fewer buildings and moving 15 to 20 per cent of office space to metropolitan activity centres, such as Joondalup.

Department of Treasury and Finance building manager Alex Taylor told a City of Joondalup business breakfast on Tuesday the State Government would be seeking expressions of interest for new government office buildings outside the Perth CBD.

“The buildings would need to be 15,000 to 20,000sqm, within walking distance of a train station and have a five-star environmental rating,” he said.

Joondalup chief executive Garry Hunt said the City would be putting in an expression of interest.

Mr Pickard said the City recently agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the key stakeholders, calling on the State Government to locate one of its agencies in Joondalup’s CBD.

“The memorandum presents a uniform position and demonstrates the key players are behind the push to attract a State Government agency to Joondalup,” he said.

He said the City’s updated City Centre Structure Plan would encourage developments that could house these offices.

What everyone else is thinking

A. Ransom

03/09/2010

The City of Perth has begun re balancing its Pedestrian and Motor traffic capacities - and with a little luck, the excision of a couple of entire building
Govt Tenancies will allow the building owners to revitalize the buildings with
up to 30% residential capacity. Naturally being zoned Central BUSINESS District would oblige them to maintain at least 60% commercial component.

- Hopefully - Joondalup will have the sense to require a 30% residential component to high density commercial developments, - allowing those with a lesser income to reduce their carbon footprint.

Greg Ralph

26/08/2010

Such a move, as the State Government proposes, to move some of its offices would set a fine example and perhaps stem the idiotic rise in metro rents, which only serve to fuel the tireless expansion of Perth city by avaricious developers. There would of course be a few beneficial side issues, not least of all the saving to the State government in annual rent payments but also a boost for the Joondalup coffers.
I am still constantly amazed that the people who make these decisions can't see that places like government offices, hospitals, sports stadiums and entertainment arenas would be much better located outside city centres. The two advantages of this are that sites large enough can be chosen, that would allow for future expansion and, in the car orientated society in which we live, much better car parking can be provided. I would vote for a mass-exodus to the suburbs.
GR