Output 8.7 Property Services

Overview

The directorate managed 293 Territory-owned commercial buildings, government office accommodation, community/multipurpose buildings and 33 leases in commercial buildings on behalf of the Territory. This number included a number of blocks of land, several unique properties, including the Parkwood Road Recycling Estate, converted schools that have been adapted to provide accommodation for community organisations and a number of significant heritage sites such as Albert Hall and the Tuggeranong Homestead.

In 2015-16 the directorate managed 394,354 square metres of government accommodation of which 101,220 square metres was in owned buildings used for government office and other accommodation, and a further 215,931 square metres of land and accommodation was for community and commercial organisations. The directorate received $94.6 million in revenue from rent and the delivery of property projects and services and paid a dividend of $3.3 million to the ACT Government. The directorate managed a planned maintenance program for all owned properties. In addition, it undertook a $2.3 million upgrade program involving 79 projects on over 68 owned properties.

In managing the 293 owned properties, the directorate issued or renewed 53 licences to community and other tenants.

In 2015-16, the directorate provided $23.8 million in project management services and $17.5 million in planned and reactive maintenance services on properties across the ACT Government portfolio, managed by the directorate and those of our major clients being the Education and Health directorates. The directorate also operated a 24 hour, seven day a week trades and services response centre to ensure urgent work is carried out following a major incident. The response centre received in excess of 16,000 calls during the period.

The directorate has two specialist staff who assist ACT Government Directorates to develop and implement energy efficiency initiatives. In 2015-16 these staff provided technical advice and support on sustainability initiatives in relation to buildings and sites that consume significant amounts of electricity. These officers also provided advice and support to Building Management Committees that oversee the operation of ACT Government occupied buildings to ensure that energy efficiency targets are met.

Highlights

During 2015-16 the directorate:

  • purchased 7,700 Renewable Energy Certificates (Green Power) on behalf of the ACT Government, as part of the ACT Government’s commitment in the Carbon Neutral ACT Government Framework, representing 7,700 megawatt hours of electricity or 5 per cent of the ACT Government's electricity consumption in 2015-16;
  • erected flags/banners for events such as Anzac Day, Canberra Day, Christmas in the City, Winter in the City and to celebrate international events and visits from heads of state;
  • installed LED lighting at a total of 32 locations since commencement of the program which contributes to an energy saving of between 10 to 30 percent of total electricity consumption per location;
  • undertook Capital Works and Capital Upgrade projects totalling over $11.7 million, including internal painting and flooring (carpet/vinyl) replacement programs, childcare facility upgrades, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, hazardous material removals, underground storage tank removals and remediation and fire system upgrades;
  • completed Conversation Management Plans for all ACT Property Group’s Heritage listed buildings;
  • completed and published the Land Management Plan for the Albert Hall;
  • managed the hire of the Albert Hall, Yarralumla Woolshed, Fyshwick Hangar, Fitters Workshop and Former Transport Depot for 217 events and functions, with the Albert Hall having the highest number of bookings with 101 events over 170 days;
  • installed a lift in Albert Hall to assist people with mobility issues to access the stage;
  • launched a new website (www.economicdevelopment.act.gov.au/venues) for ACT Property Group managed venues and created individual Facebook pages for each venue, providing a central location for the community to find information about the venues and how to book them;
  • undertook a customer survey of managers of community halls in properties managed by ACT Property Group, 66 per cent of invited contacts responded to the survey, with the majority indicating that they had satisfactory arrangements in place for the provision of public liability insurance;
  • commenced the $4.9 million upgrade of the heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system at the North Building and the $5.4 million refurbishment of the National Convention Centre, with the Foyer upgrade at the Convention Centre a finalist in the 2016 MBA Awards;
  • completed a $3.9 million Capital Upgrade Project program to upgrade ACT Government owned properties including childcare facilities, community facilities and government occupied buildings. Outcomes include improvements to energy efficiency, client amenity by upgrading bathrooms and kitchens, painting and carpeting and the removal of hazardous materials;
  • provided support for the Asbestos Response Taskforce by processing 320 properties in 2015-16 bringing the total under management by ACT Property Group to 873, with the properties managed until they are handed over for demolition; and
  • assisted directorates to reduce electricity and gas use by identifying and correcting issues with controls for heating and electricity systems.

The directorate met one of its 2015-16 accountability targets against this output and had very minor variances on the other two:

  • (b) Occupancy rate for properties designated for use by non-government tenants, where the result was just 2 per cent below the target; and
  • (c) Average square metres of office accommodation per employee, where the result of 15.3 was 0.2 metres below the target.

Future Direction

In 2016-17, the directorate will:

  • continue the $4.9 million upgrade of the heating, ventilation and cooling system at the North Building and the $5.4 million refurbishment of the National Convention Centre;
  • assist ACT Government Directorates, including CIT and Canberra Hospital to improve energy efficiency through installation of solar, LED lighting and heating and cooling system improvements;
  • review the community and other tenancy policy and arrangements;
  • finalise establishment of the Woden and Inner North government office locations in accordance with the Government Accommodation Strategy;
  • open the Lake Burley Griffin slipway for use by boat operators;
  • manage the ACT Property Group Capital Upgrades Program, focussing on ensuring buildings meet regulatory requirements and providing amenity features that enhance the quality and functionality of our buildings to the benefit of our building users; and
  • undertake a number of projects identified using the asset management process, which includes strategic asset management planning, site based condition assessments, tenancy officer visits to sites and importantly, feedback from our tenants.

For further information contact:

Daniel Bailey
Executive Director
Sales, Marketing and Property Management
+61 2 6207 5618
Daniel.Bailey@act.gov.au

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