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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Eleanor Campbell

Services Australia announces plans to move out of two of its Canberra offices

Thousands of Services Australia staff will be shipped out of two of its Canberra office sites by early 2027, after the agency announced plans to consolidate its main headquarters.

A spokesperson for the federal agency confirmed plans to move staff out of its two Reed Street offices in Greenway ahead of the lease expiry in February 2027.

About 1474 staff will be progressively relocated into two of the agency's other Greenway offices, the Caroline Chisholm Centre and the Louisa Lawson Building.

It's understood staff numbers and customer-facing services will not be affected by the move.

A Services Australia spokesperson said the agency proposed the plan to "deliver operational and financial efficiencies" after reviewing its property footprint in Tuggeranong.

Services Australia spokesman Hank Jongen said the agency would move staff from the Reed Street offices. Pictures Google Maps, supplied

"A cost-benefit analysis established the renewal and fit-out of the Caroline Chisholm Centre, and the departure from our two Reed Street sites represented the best value for money outcome," spokesman Hank Jongen said.

"We'll communicate directly with staff ahead of relocations. It's already common practice for staff to relocate across our Tuggeranong sites depending on business needs."

The agency, which employs about 4300 people in the ACT, renewed a 12-year lease for the Caroline Chisholm Centre, which will commence in July 2025.

The agency has 40,239 square metres of leased area in the five-storey office building, with about 2400 staff.

Services Australia has proposed to refurbish the site at a projected cost of $144 million to help the agency "align to an agile working environment in support of a hybrid work environment".

The agency has plans to fit out its Greenway headquarters in time for the move. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

Proposed fit-out works include upgrading office amenities, installing flexible working desks, providing a new bike store and installing electric vehicle charging facilities.

Construction would begin in August 2025 and be completed by August 2027, if approved.

Leases for the agency's Caroline Chisholm Centre office will expire in July 2037.

The agency's lease for its space in the Louisa Lawson Building expires in June 2031.

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