Making Ballarat GovHub a reality and boosting jobs

The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of Kane and Nicholson as the construction team for the $100 million Ballarat GovHub project.

Kane and Nicholson are both award-winning construction firms accredited to international standards. Kane has been in operation for 45 years and has 20 employees in Ballarat.

Nicholson is based in Ballarat, employs 55 people and has a proven track record delivering big local projects for, including Mars Stadium and the Ararat Arts Centre Redevelopment.

The Kane and Nicholson joint venture is the result of a long-standing relationship between the two companies and presents an excellent opportunity to bring national and local construction expertise together to build the GovHub.

The GovHub will achieve a minimum local content of 91 per cent, with labour and material sourced from the Ballarat region where possible.

Early works are expected to start before Christmas with no impact on car parking. Demolition of the Lower Hall, skate park and car park will begin in January 2019 and locals will be kept informed of upcoming works.

Around 500 jobs will be created building the GovHub, which will accommodate up to 1,000 government employees, including 600 positions moving from Melbourne.

The building design reflects the theme of the Civic Hall precinct and includes a reconstructed shared space for multi-purpose use and two levels of basement car parking, including 120 public car parks.

This project is part of the transformation of the city, which is driving growth and employment in Ballarat.