BRIMBANK Council has again floated plans for a multimillion-dollar development of new headquarters.
The $37.5 million project would draw together staff from Keilor and Sunshine in a central location, yet to be decided upon by the council.
A business case, produced by consultants Sweett Group, has found the council’s facilities are too small, inefficient and becoming obsolete.
The new premises would save the council $500,000 a year on operating costs such as energy use and repairs. It was put forward as the best of three options, including redeveloping its offices.
“The financial analysis and assessment of options against the project objectives indicated that the development of new council offices that are council-owned is likely to provide the greatest benefit to council,” the report stated.
The council would keep its ‘district-based’ approach to community facilities but centralise staff.
The project would force the council to borrow $18 million and sell off its Sunshine offices for housing.
A 2009 proposal to rebuild offices at Errington Reserve in St Albans prompted a community backlash before the council backed down.
Other sites considered at the time were at Cairnlea, near the Centro shopping centre in Keilor Downs, and the present Sunshine site.
Residents are again likely to be divided over whether the project is the best way forward.
The council’s general manager of infrastructure and environment, Paul Younis, said the process was at a very early stage.
“The only decision to be made to date is to explore the options via an expression-of-interest process. The business case that has been developed provides some direction as to how potential options would be assessed.”
The council would appoint an auditor to review the process if it decided to go ahead with the project.
