The Australian Taxation Office is in the final stages of a tender process that will determine the location of the Centre for Excellence in Gosford CBD that was promised during the 2013 Federal election campaign.
The Australian Taxation Office has confirmed it will announce the successful vendor by the end of September. A statement from the ATO’s media unit said negotiations are now under way to agree the terms of an Agreement for Lease.
“The evaluation process and negotiations have, to this point, progressed as expected,” the statement said. “The ATO will continue to ensure equity and transparency in the process,” it said. “The ATO engaged an independent and external probity adviser who has assured the tender process throughout (KPMG).
“When the ATO released the expression of interest (EOI) in October 2014 to open market, it specified that the Commonwealth requires commercial office premises with associated secure car parking and storage. “The premises must be situated in Gosford and more specifically within a zone (marked by a map).
“The ATO did not identify a specific site for use within the EOI. “The ATO informed the market it would consider premises that are to be constructed, are newly constructed, or refurbished, or in existing condition.
“The ATO outlined a number of other requirements including, but not limited to: occupancy dates, terms of lease and building efficiency. “The office is expected to open in the second half of 2017. “For commercial reasons, the ATO will not comment further on negotiations at this time.”
The statement from the ATO initially gave October as the date for the announcement of the vendor, but this was revised on 13 August 2015 (one day later) to September.
“The specific site location will be announced once the tender process is concluded and contracts are finalised, which is expected to be by late September,” confirmed member for Robertson, Ms Lucy Wicks.
“I’m pleased to say that next month we’ll hear the location of the ATO here in Gosford,” she told ABC Central Coast breakfast announcer Mr Scott Levi on August 18.
“We have a clarifi cation that it will be sometime in September,” she said. “I’m pleased to say that in terms of the process, the absolute firm commitment is that by the end of 2017, jobs will be fl ying into this city. “We are going to see 600 people in a Commonwealth Centre of Excellence in the heart of Gosford.
“This will be a purposebuilt Centre of Excellence, that I’m pleased to confirm is on track and on time,” she said. “We have always committed to this Centre of Excellence being located in the Gosford CBD.
The Central Coast Regional Development Corporation (CCRDC) recently answered a set of questions regarding the former Gosford Public School site which was thought to be the most likely location for a purpose built Centre of Excellence.
According to CCRDC, the future of the Gosford Public School site cannot be determined until the site for the Commonwealth Government’s purpose-built facility is finalised.
Those involved in the process to redevelop the Gosford School site are Government Property NSW, Central Coast Regional Development Corporation and the Department of Education and Communities.
The Central Coast Regional Development Corporation has prepared the site for redevelopment by rezoning the State Significant Site and managing the demolition of the former Gosford Public School and are collaborating with Government Property NSW and the Department of Education and Communities in the sale and redevelopment of the site.
Media release,
5 August 2015
Tim Sowden, Office of
Lucy Wicks
News bulletin,
3 August 2015
Central Coast Regional
Development Corporation
Media statement, 13
August 2015
Alice Atkins, Australian
Taxation Office
Transcript, 18 August 2015
Tim Sowden, Office of
Lucy Wicks