A FORMAL land transfer of the site of the planned GovHub development will take place within weeks, after Bendigo's council agreed to sell land to the state government.
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The City of Greater Bendigo agreed to the sale of the Lyttleton Terrace land at a council meeting on Wednesday night.
The site will house a $90 million state government office facility, in which the city will be a tenant.
Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan said construction would begin on the project within the next couple of months.
Ms Allan re-affirmed GovHub would have a capacity of 1000 staff, despite the coronavirus crisis throwing doubt on the future of office density.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has also warned that instructions to work from home where possible will be the among last safety measures to be lifted.
"The commitments around the number of staff working in this building does not change," Ms Allan said.
"Those numbers won't change. How people work in the future, that's going to be an issue for individual workplaces as we work through the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic."
When asked if she expected GovHub to remain an issue in the October council elections Mayor Margaret O'Rourke said people would have differing views. But she said council had taken the decision in the best interests of the community.
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Councillor O'Rourke said any new elected council would be unable to reverse the decision, because of the work already put in to the project.
The GovHub sale was passed with six councillors in favour, two against and one abstaining.
Councillor Andrea Metcalf - among those voting against - voiced concerns about a lack of community consultation and the sale of the land.
Councillor George Flack voted against, saying he believed the city was capable of borrowing funds to create a ratepayer owned and operated building.
Councillor Jennifer Alden abstained, saying she supported the proposal, but disliked being treated like a rubber stamp.
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