Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti, Grocon CEO David Grollo, Finance Minister Tim Holding and VicUrban CEO Pru Sanderson celebrated the end of excavation on Monday. 53955
By Lia Bichel
EXCAVATION for the new Government Service Offices in Dandenong has ended and construction is set to begin.
Built by Grocon, the building will be one of the first developments delivered on VicUrban land as part of the $290 million Revitalising Central Dandenong initiative.
It will be built on Walker and Thomas streets and will allow people to access a number of key government services under one roof.
The building will feature 14,000 square metres of office space for the Department of Human Services, Department of Justice, Department of Planning and Community Development and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said the new offices would be beneficial to local residents.
“We look forward to opening up the doors in late 2011 to the local community – to help better service their needs,” he said.
Finance Minister Tim Holding said the new building was the first of a number of proposed government co-location initiatives in urban areas across the state.
He said the initiatives have been developed in line with the State Government’s Melbourne 2030 and Melbourne@5 Million planning strategies.
“This project is an important way for the state to grow and develop in areas of expanding population. Dandenong is being revitalised to provide services and functions such as commercial, retail, housing, education, government, personal services and tourism.”
Grocon CEO Daniel Grollo said the development of the site was part of an important Victorian Government strategy to provide appropriate infrastructure and support to the growing south-eastern corridor of Melbourne.
“This is a strategy we support and the revitalisation of central Dandenong is the largest urban revitalisation project since the growth of Melbourne’s Docklands,” Mr Grollo said.
“The structure is now coming out of the ground at the site and the local community can really get a feel for the building – for its accessibility and how it will link to surrounding streets and the train station.”
Several government departments are expected to begin occupying the building in December next year.
