City sights on central headquarters

Andrew Mathieson
RATEPAYERS will save money under plans to consolidate council headquarters in central Geelong’s Western Wedge precinct, according to latest City Hall figures.
City of Greater Geelong chief Stephen Griffen said council hoped to consolidate its eight offices now occupying different locations around the city in one centralised site.
Mr Griffen said the council-owned site in the Western Wedge could accommodate all the City’s 1350 employees.
The City was currently paying $800,000 a year in rent for its various offices around the city.
Mr Griffen said the separate offices made “efficiency difficult and impacts negatively on customer service”.
Council was considering several financing options for the Western Wedge project, he said.
Any decision to proceed would be based on “extensive financial modelling”.
“If the City was to consolidate its administration sites, we would be looking for cost savings that would flow from vacating the buildings currently tenanted at separate sites,” Mr Griffin said.
He listed the benefits of a purpose-built office as improved customer service, increased “internal collaboration and communication”, energy and resource efficiency, long-term savings on rent and utility expenditure and creation of local jobs.
The City reached an agreement more than three years ago to buy three parcels of land on both Mercer and Gheringhap streets for $2.7 million.