Government help brings Lower Hutt call centre

About 30 new jobs will be created in Lower Hutt after a $300,000 Government grant given to an Australian company to consolidate several of its Australasian call centres there.

Orica, owner of Dulux paints and Selleys building products, will spend $2.5 million developing a high-tech call centre at the site in Gracefield.

The company chose Lower Hutt ahead of Sydney because of the Government's support.

Dulux, a big employer in Lower Hutt, has been based in the Wellington region for more than 60 years.

Four years ago it considered moving to Auckland or making its paints in Australia, but stayed put and spent $4 million upgrading its Gracefield headquarters.