CFA's existing headquarters office leases at Lakeside Drive, Burwood East expire at the end of 2009.
In order to determine its future headquarters accommodation needs and options, CFA has completed an office accommodation survey.
This has revealed that additional accommodation will be required to meet future needs - including better productivity through having our people accommodated in the same building - and the latest government office accommodation guidelines.
The current buildings require continual maintenance - there are ongoing issues with air-conditioning, some IT systems, and general wear and tear (as experienced with recent flooding) - and would also have to be significantly refurbished to meet the government’s Green Star ecological sustainability requirements.
The CFA Board, in its considerations, will take into account employees' work/life balance including travel and will therefore consider options for alternative accommodation in the broader eastern or south-eastern metropolitan area, including remaining at Lakeside Drive with a full refurbishment of the buildings.
CFA will shortly be inviting Expressions of Interest from interested parties and will provide further information as this process is worked through.
CFA looks into options for its headquarters accommodation
7 comments:
Perhaps the Board can also consider moving to a more central location e.g. the CBD which after all is the transport hub of Victoria.
This would make it easier for those in the West of the state travelling to HQ and be closer to our colleagues in other emergency services organisations with whom we are increasingly working more closely.
1) Could Staff receive / obtain a copy of the "completed office accommodation survey" so we are aware of the issues being considered and comments made.
2) I hope all metropolitan areas are considered and not just the broader eastern or south-eastern areas? The eastern or south-eastern areas put CFA HQ even further away from the seat of Government. Near Essendon airport would be an excellent option - centre to the highways and air ways of Victoria yet close to government.
3) I trust the CFA's 'needs for the future' are being considered and not just the needs CFA faces today.
The title of the organization is "Country" Fire Authority.
Perhaps CFA needs to remember this and think more about basing themselves where the country people need them. Melbourne is not the centre of the universe.
I wholeheartedly agree with the statement "The title of the organization is 'Country' Fire Authority. Perhaps CFA needs to remember this and think more about basing themselves where the country people need them."
But what "country people" are we talking about, those in the east/south east of the state or those in the west/north west?
I would think it beneficial to all members to have the organisation's HQ in an easily accessible location for all it's members and close to other agency HQs and government as we build stronger working relationships with them.
I agree with H. If CFA wants to be taken seriously by Government we have to be in a location where we have easy access - both ways! Having HQ in Melbourne doesnt mean Melbourne is the centre of the universe and it is not an insult to the country area if it is in Melbourne. Can't we think about the CFA as a Statewide organisation and get over city-country divide?
B
Many years ago another great organisation serving many Victorians looked into the future to predict the "population pivot point" of this state.
The RACV placed their HQ at Noble Park! which is not far from CFA's present Burwood HQ.
Another article in this edition shows a proposal to increase communication networking speeds by a factor of 4x to most CFA Regional offices and 10x to Ballarat - which I guess is near the "topograhical pivot point" of Victoria.
CFA already has the Fiskville Training College & the Country CAD dispatch centre in that area.
Next time you see any "Brigade" magazine - have a look at the quarterly incident statistics page (extract from FIRS).
The 'busiest' Regions are clearly 8 & 13 & 14 - usually in that order.
Region 8 alone often accounts for approx. 40% of total statewide incidents!
That does seem to support the opinion that the south east Melbourne metro area is an appropriate place for the CFA HQ.
The new 'Eastlink' road opening mid 2008? will provide improved access and thus likely increase the level of incident activity in the SE suburbs!
Anonymous Region 8 volunteer.
The word 'Country' in CFA is an anachronism since the growth of Melbourne through urban corridors and nearby satellite towns means that most of its 'customers' are actually in the greater metropolitan area, or close to it. In my view it should stay where it - close to the Eastern Freeway, Monash Freeway and Eastlink.
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