The ABC has announced the signing of a Heads of Agreement for the Lease for a new workplace at Parramatta in western Sydney.
ABC Parramatta – located at 6-8 Parramatta Square – was selected following an extensive procurement process.
The relocation to western Sydney is a key part of the commitment outlined in the ABC’s Five-Year Plan to see 75% of content makers working outside its Ultimo head office by 2025.
David Anderson, ABC managing director, said: “Establishing this new facility in Parramatta is a significant step in meeting our commitment to be more local and engaged with the community and less centralised in the Sydney CBD.
“As a new facility, ABC Parramatta provides a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up. It will be a home for innovation and collaboration, designed and equipped to help us better serve Australians, now and into the future.”
Parramatta Square has been developed by Walker, and its executive chairman Lang Walker AO welcomed the national broadcaster’s expanded presence in the new heart of western Sydney.
“The ABC will become an integral part of Parramatta Square, which is welcoming all of Sydney as a great place to work, live and socialise,” Walker said.
“ABC staff will have access to state-of-the-art workspaces above excellent cafes and restaurants in the plaza as well as some of the best transport connections, with access to trains, buses, light rail, ferries and the future metro.”
It is anticipated that the process to develop the Parramatta workspace, confirm teams and roles to be based there, and relocate approximately 300 employees, will be complete by 2024.
This initiative is only one part of the ABC’s plans to locate more content-makers closer to the communities they serve.
Most recently, the ABC expanded its regional and rural coverage following the recruitment of 57 regionally-based journalists.
The ABC will continue to consider a range of options in respect to its property holdings, operations, and production in other state capitals and in regional Australia.
The final lease agreement for Parramatta Square is expected to be concluded by the end of August. The next stage in the development of ABC Parramatta will then be review of the proposal by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works as is the usual practice.