ABC to move 300 Sydney staff from Ultimo headquarters west to Parramatta
The ABC will move 300 staff west to the Sydney suburb of Parramatta as part of a plan to have 75% of journalists and producers working outside of inner-city Ultimo by 2025.
The ABC has been criticised by the Coalition for being too focused on the needs of audiences in the inner cities and the move is an attempt to be more “connected and relevant” to all Australians.
Communications minister Paul Fletcher welcomed the announcement as a “good first step” and one he has “consistently advocated for” because “Sydney is not Australia and Ultimo is not Sydney”.
“More diversity of people will mean more diversity of opinion amongst ABC staff and journalists, and any objective observer would agree that can only be a good thing,” Fletcher said.
The move is part of a five-year plan announced last year when the ABC sought to plug a $40m-a-year budget shortfall.
The long-term plan says “significant funding cuts” since 2014–15, and an indexation pause from 2019–20, “must be absorbed at the same time as the ABC grapples with new cost pressures”.
The move west will result in some vacant space at Ultimo being leased, which would bring in some $4m a year.
“Parramatta is an ideal location for journalists and producers heading to stories both across the city and western Sydney,” the ABC said. “It will be easier to engage with more parts of Sydney than is presently the case with the Ultimo headquarters. This move will strengthen the ability of the ABC to fulfil its goal of being more relevant to more Australians.”
Around 200 journalists and content-makers from news, regional, radio, TV and entertainment divisions will be among those to move in 2024, with the rest coming from support staff ranks.
“With rapid changes in our industry, technology and ways of working, this initiative is an opportunity to create a new and contemporary work environment with the latest technology,” ABC managing director David Anderson told staff on Wednesday. “The new facilities will need radio and TV studios and a public space for community engagement.
Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer said it was “fantastic news” the ABC was moving staff to “the centre of global Sydney”. “We are one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, so it makes sense that the national public broadcaster be located close to the action,” Dwyer said.
The ABC says “many staff” have already indicated a willingness to relocate to Parramatta but it remains to be seen how popular it will be with staff who live in the inner city.
“This initiative is only one part of the ABC’s plans to locate more contentmakers closer to the communities they serve,” the ABC said. “Over the next few months, the ABC will continue to consider a range of options in respect to its property holdings, operations, and production in other state capitals and in regional Australia.”