Work begins on $75 million Bendigo Bank head office

The turning of a sod of dirt in the former Bath Lane car park by Victorian Treasurer and Regional Development Minister John Brumby today will signal the commencement of works on one of the most exciting building developments in Bendigo’s history.

After almost two years of planning, work today officially started on Bendigo Bank’s $75 million head office re-development.

The project will be completed in stages with Stage One completed in early 2007 and the final completion date expected by mid-2008.

“This is a major project for Bendigo and one which re-affirms Bendigo Bank’s status as Australia’s only regionally based bank,” Mr Hunt said.

“Although we have branches in every State of Australia and the ACT, the fact that our head office remains here, in our home city, is a distinct advantage for our company.

“The majority of Australia’s top 150 companies have their head office in major metropolitan cities and the fact that we remain here, in Bendigo, is an important point of difference for the Bendigo Bank Group,” he said.

Hoardings have been erected around the site of the new building and machinery is being moved into the precinct as work begins on construction of the multi-million dollar building.

And community desire for Melbourne-based builder Probuild Constructions to support local traders and businesses during the construction phase is being met.

The company has located its site office in a vacant shopfront in Bath Lane and, where possible, has started the process of employing local and regional subcontractors and personnel as well as purchasing supplies from local hardware stores and businesses.

Local tradesman, Ken Hopley, has been employed to demolish the former Kell Pell building, with work to begin on the demolition early next week.

“This is the first of many local companies who will be involved in work on this project,” Mr Hunt said.

“And our new development is no ordinary building.

“Including the surrounding precinct works, it is a $100 million project to house 1000 workers in a significant building with world class architecture and only the second five-star environmentally friendly building to be constructed in regional Australia.

“And it has to be built on a creek bed in a sensitive and commercially vibrant part of the inner city.

“It is an extremely challenging project in which we will utilise the high level of skill and experience in large building projects that Probuild Constructions has, and wherever possible, incorporate the skills of local companies and trades people during the two-year building process.”

Bendigo Bank staff are currently located in five different office buildings throughout the city.

The new development will bring the existing 600-plus Bendigo-based staff under the one roof and, at the same time, add to the vibrancy of the Bath Lane and Fountain Court precinct.