Announcements
The information on this screen is no longer current and is provided for educative and historical purposes only. Please refer to the disclaimer.
Telstra CEO and Queensland Premier open Telstra's new Queensland headquarters
Telstra Chief Executive Officer Mr David Thodey and the Hon. Anna Bligh MP, Premier of Queensland today officially opened Telstra's multi-million dollar Queensland headquarters, part of the largest lease in Brisbane's history.
At the opening ceremony of 275 George Street in Brisbane, Mr Thodey said: "Telstra has a significant presence in Queensland and is one of the largest corporate tenants in Brisbane. This new building demonstrates our commitment to our people and to Queensland and is part of an investment worth about $400 million over 10 years.
"Through this project we have engaged a number of local businesses including architects, audio-visual consultants, landscape designers and stair manufacturers and created 2,000 construction jobs," he said.
The building was designed according to Telstra Property's office accommodation standards and features open plan seating, fewer offices, multiple meeting and breakout areas and open stairwells connecting floors. A key feature is the shared breakout facilities on Level 4 which includes outdoor dining areas and a deck, BBQ and kitchen facilities, landscaping and a comfortable lounge area for employees to gather informally.
"The building design is creating a more open and collaborative culture for our Brisbane people. Teams are seeing the benefits that come from being located together at the one site with improved productivity and communication," said Mr Thodey.
The Green Building Council of Australia awarded 275 George Street in Brisbane a five star Green Star' certified rating in August 2008.
The 275 George Street building is part of a 45,000 square metre, ten-year lease agreement with leading property developer Charter Hall. The agreement involved Telstra occupying levels 1-22 of a new 30-storey, 40,000 square metre tower at 275 George Street built by Charter Hall and occupying levels 6-20 of nearby Northbank Plaza. The agreement enabled Telstra to vacate eight existing premises creating ongoing lease savings of $11.5 million from 2009.
The Brisbane project is part of Telstra Property's national office refurbishment and consolidation program which identifies opportunities to bring teams together from smaller offices into larger workplaces refurbished according to the office accommodation standards.
Since the program commenced in July 2005, Telstra has exited 135 commercial sites or 228,231 square metres across Australia. Collectively, this will deliver annual lease savings of around $91 million, create a more modern and dynamic working environment for our people and reduce travel costs.
The new Queensland headquarters follows Telstra's recent $9 million investment over 10 years in a new Gold Coast office on the Varsity Lakes.
Key partners involved in the development of Telstra's new Queensland headquarters include Bovis Lend Lease, United Group Services, Atlantis and Brisbane architects PDT.
Reference Number: 323/2009
