Sod has turned on Orange's new house of ag
Media release | 25 January 2019
Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair today turned the first sod for the development of the new Department of Primary Industries building on the site of the old Orange hospital site.
Mr Blair said this is a great day for the Orange community and anyone who does business with the Government in the Central West.
“The local community will reap the benefits, with construction creating around 220 full-time jobs as well as an expected $70 million injection into the local economy,” Mr Blair said.
“This investment in Orange underlines the Government’s commitment to regional NSW, ensuring that our staff live and work in the communities they are supporting.
“This building will strengthen Orange’s reputation as a centre for professional services and agri-business. It will help generate jobs across different sectors of the community and importantly it will drive economic growth for decades to come.”
The new Government site will be a regional hub for more than 700 staff from the Department of Primary Industries, Department of Industry, Local Land Services, Department of Premier and Cabinet and Department of Planning and Environment.
Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Rick Colless said the new facility will be a place where Government can collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders including industry, research institutes, universities and small businesses.
“Our Government agencies, particularly DPI and LLS play a huge role here in Orange. With such a big agricultural sector in the Central West, it makes perfect sense to ensure these agencies continue to have a facility which supports their continued growth.”
Orange Mayor Councillor, Reg Kidd said he was delighted to see the start of this major new project.
“This new office is going to be a landmark for Orange, but it will also be so much more than simply bricks and mortar, glass and steel,” Cr Kidd said.
“The Council’s ActivateOrange plan is about to revitalise the CBD and this new building, just blocks away from Summer Street, will become a key component of that broader upgrade.
Verde Property expect the development to be completed in mid-2020.
