Council staff moving to Henderson
Auckland Council staff in Takapuna face the prospect of relocation to offices 30km further away from the city in cost-cutting measures.
While the specifics of which staff will be leaving are not yet set, two floors of council staff in the Takapuna offices will be relocated to Orewa and Henderson by April 2017.
‘‘We announced the plan to staff on September 13 and, at this stage, we’re still in early consultation with staff about which roles will relocate, and where,’’ Auckland Council chief operating office Dean Kimpton says.
‘‘We can accommodate staff in Orewa and Henderson; however, we will in the near future determine how many staff will stay in Takapuna on ground level and level one, which is a better consolidation of office space.
‘‘We have been clear with staff that the upper levels will be subleased.’’
The Takapuna building in concern is 1 The Strand, Takapuna, on Auckland’s North Shore which before 2010 served as chambers for the old North Shore City Council.
The Strand building was sold by the North Shore City Council to VW Holding Limited in 2010 prior to amalgamation of the Auckland super city. It has been leased back to Auckland Council ever since, who in turn have subleased sections of office space.
Staff upheaval in The Strand building has not been limited to the proposed relocation but also included ongoing restructuring of council jobs.
In particular, a high turnover of Auckland Council parks department staff has been observed in The Strand building over the last few years.
‘‘Parks officers are having to reapply for their old jobs,’’ Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Mike Cohen says.
‘‘It’s a real shame for these people who do a great job and it’s quite unsettling for the community when they’re dealing with new staff all the time from council.’’
The Public Service Association (PSA) union says once a firm proposal from council on the relocation is on the table they will engage in consultation to ensure a smooth transition.
Auckland Council say they should know which staff roles will be required to relocate from the Takapuna offices by early November.