Galkangu Bendigo GovHub base build complete, on track for 2023 opening

The milestone means the concrete and mass timber structure and facade featuring a three-storey high artwork have been established and installed.

Visiting the development, Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, said it's a credit to the building teams that the project is on schedule after dealing with COVID-19 restrictions and more recently rain impacts.

Ms Allan said the project is being completed with a $120 million budget allocation.

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Employees from the City of Greater Bendigo, the Departments of Environment, Water, Land and Planning and Jobs, Precincts and Region, as well as the agriculture, regional development, sport and recreation and parks departments will work out of the three-storey building.

The site will also house 100 new jobs, including 25 from the Victorian Labour Hire Licensing Authority and 30 from the Portable Long Service Authority.

Ms Allan said there is capacity for the number of jobs to grow and there is potential for 2026 Commonwealth Games organising staff to work in the GovHub.

The building, Galkangu, is named after the Dja Dja Wurrung word for making things together, and much of the design, landscaping and artwork will be done in collaboration with local First Nations people.

DJAARA has been one of the partners on the project. The customer service area will feature an ancestor-tree artwork by Dja Dja Wurrung artist Rebecca Phillips.

On the second and third storey, employees will be able to look at the new law courts facade artwork of wedge tailed eagle Bunjil, the creator spirit in Aboriginal mythology.

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"The building itself is a fabulous landmark for our city into the future and a wonderful representation of our first people's connection with country, but it's also about supporting great service delivery from both a state point of view and a city point of view," Ms Allan said.

"Having all those departments and council services in one place will make it so much easier to do business with government."

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