GG 57/11
30 October 2011
Special Minister of State Gary Gray announced today the proposed relocation of the Sydney Commonwealth Parliament Offices to 1 Bligh Street, Sydney.
The CPO, currently located at 70 Phillip Street, provides office and meeting facilities for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, office-holders and visiting Senators and Members.
“It has become clear that the existing premises are not capable of serving the needs of Senators and Members into the future,” Mr Gray said.
Over the past 15 months, the Department of Finance and Deregulation has been managing a search for alternative premises and a number of prospective tenancies have been considered.
Following an analysis of detailed proposals, 1 Bligh Street has been selected as the preferred tenancy.
Subject to due diligence processes, the obtaining of necessary Public Works Committee approval and the negotiation of appropriate leasing arrangements, the relocation to 1 Bligh St will take place in 2012.
Mr Gray said the move would deliver operational savings through the building’s unique 6 Star Green Star energy rating.
These features include:
“1 Bligh Street is a new building, and we would expect it to be the site of the CPO for at least the next 25 years,” said Mr Gray. “The actual term of the lease and costs involved are still being negotiated. However, the Commonwealth will maintain a strong focus on value for money.
“The Phillip Street building, even if it were renovated, has inherent negative features in relation to access and egress, security, parking and flexibility. There’s also very little flexibility in floor plans, limited ICT capabilities and it cannot provide live broadcasts directly from the premises.”
Mr Gray said that currently, for live broadcasts, a TV cable had to be laid from the building to an outside broadcast van parked in the street.
The new building is jointly owned by DEXUS Property Group, DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund and Cbus Property. The Department is currently in negotiation with the owners on the terms of a lease.| Media Contact: | Website: |
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| John Arthur - 0408 991 261 | www.smos.gov.au |