Draft Major Development Plan (MDP) for a proposed new office building available for consultation
A Major Development Plan (MDP) has been prepared for a proposed new office building at Canberra Airport.
Managing Director Stephen Byron said this was the first time in seven years that new office accommodation had been put forward for the airport precinct.
“As the Chief Minister said at the recent signing of an MOU between the ACT and Canberra Airport, we want to attract large new players into the Canberra office market. We also want to keep big players in the ACT by offering A grade premises at value-for-money rates.
“New environmental standards and new uses demanded by government and other tenants are seeing them relocate from older to newer buildings. The Property Council Australia reports that more than one third of the stock in Canberra is C and D grade, so it is important that there is ongoing replacement of ageing buildings with A grade buildings.”
Mr Byron said the proposed $185 million building would have floor space of 38,000m2 and potentially accommodate 2700 workers, with 2000 jobs created during construction.
“Like everything we do at Canberra Airport, we intend to deliver a world class facility because we are into delivering excellence.
“We are just 8km from the Parliamentary Triangle and at the intersection of Canberra’s main arterial roads. People love working here and organisations that come here thrive and grow. The roads and surrounding precinct infrastructure and established public transport networks are already in place, and we’ll construct the building sometime in the next five years, when we secure a tenant.
“We are confident that it is consistent with future market demand and future trends. An approval process for a project like this takes around eight months, so we’re starting now and we are prepared to go through the robust processes needed to secure approval.
“At a time when the prospects for the local economy are subdued due to public sector job losses and the flow on effect to small business, a capital investment like this would be a significant positive for the whole Canberra Region.”
Public comment is invited on the MDP until 5 pm on the 24 July 2015 and the document is available for viewing.