BNZ opens doors to office centre

BNZ chiefs (from left) southern regional managing partner Campbell Parker, of Christchurch, senior partner Chris Chandler, of Queenstown, and Otago managing partner Clark Taylor, of Dunedin, stand within the bank's newly refurbished BNZ Partners Business Centre, in Queenstown, before it was officially opened on Friday. Photo by James Beech.

A $1.8 million state of the art "office away from the office" was officially launched and made available to Southern Lakes and Central Otago businesses by BNZ, on Friday.

The BNZ Partners Business Centre, in Queenstown, was opened with Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden and Invercargill MP Eric Roy present, along with corporate staff and refurbishment partners.

Located inside the revamped BNZ store on Rees St, the centre offers three meeting rooms and a 12-seat board room, with video conferencing, wireless internet, projector, print capable whiteboard and a cafe-style coffee machine.

BNZ senior partner Chris Chandler, of Queenstown, said yesterday it was one of 31 centres to be networked around the country by 2012. Feedback had been positive, particularly from business operators who did not have the capital to invest in offices or technologies, Mr Chandler said.

"We're having a good spread and Queenstown was absolutely key in that we recognise a lot of people from New Zealand and internationally work here and we see a lot of these people absolutely benefiting from it.