Speculation abounds over the mystery organisation bringing 300 jobs to Dunedin, and ACC is potentially in the mix.
Recent government tender documents have ACC calling for registrations of interest for its "transformation programme" to "consolidate office accommodation" to two sites, in Dunedin and Hamilton.
Last year, ACC had about 430 roles across three Dunedin sites and was expected to pick up 40 more jobs, after call centres in Auckland and Wellington were shut down.
ACC is now looking to lease, not buy, a site up to 8400sqm in Dunedin and a 7600sqm site in Hamilton. The deadline for registration closed last Thursday. A spokesman for Minister of ACC Iain Lees-Galloway declined to comment on the tender process when contacted yesterday, while an ACC spokesman was unable to provide comment until today. Dunedin mayor Dave Cull said in mid-April a major, unnamed employer could bring 300 jobs to Dunedin, but declined to reveal its identity.
When contacted yesterday, and asked to confirm or deny if ACC was the major employer, he declined to comment.
A separate tender document from December 2016 showed ACC wanted to amalgamate its three Dunedin offices to a central location, to a "target site" owned by the council, but that procurement process was cancelled.
About that time ACC had a controversial exclusive 12-month period to explore options for the 3195sq m Frederick St car park, owned by the council.
ACC, which has leased premises in Dunedin and Hamilton, said indicative timeframes for the new leases would be from respectively June next year and November 2020; preferably with 12-year leases, split up with rights of renewal.
ACC is looking for buildings with 100% seismic building code ratings, on-site car and bike parking, ground floor receptions and with large, open floor areas.
In late-2016, 16 jobs from ACC’s Dunedin office were lost when its short-term claims centre team was moved to Christchurch.
