Awarua open to public on Monday

Gisborne District Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann and Mayor Meng Foon in front of the customer service desk in the new council building. The official opening of Awarua is on Monday when Customer Services will be open to the public from 12 midday. Picture by Liam Clayton

GISBORNE District Council staff will be moving into their new administration building, Awarua, over the next two months. It will be open to the public from Monday.

Chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said the staff move from the other buildings that have been occupied while the new one was being built had been scheduled to be completed during December, January and February.

This was for a number of reasons including the logistics of moving many people from different buildings, customer business continuity and building availability.

Construction of the building is nearing full completion.

“As more parts of the building become available, we are able to move more staff into the completed sections,” she said.

“Construction and moves are on schedule, which is a testament to the hard work contractors are putting in.”

Buildings which are being vacated by council staff coincided with the end of the council’s lease periods. It was up to the landlord what happened next.

In the case of The Works building, Gisborne Holdings Limited will continue to lease the building as their own entity.

Customer service in the former BNZ building in Gladstone Road will close at 12 midday tomorrow and move to Awarua over the weekend.

The official opening of Awarua is on Monday. Customer Services will be open to the public from 12 midday that day.

Starting from Tuesday the council opening hours will change to 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Awarua is owned by Gisborne Holdings Ltd, the council-controlled trading organisation that is fully owned by the council. GHL will now lease the building to the council.

The new building had a budget of $12.5 million, $11 million for the rebuild and $1.5 million for the temporary accommodation needed while it was built.