Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni visited the newly refurbished Ministry of Social Development offices in Balclutha yesterday.
She was accompanied by Taieri MP Ingrid Leary.
Ms Sepuloni said the refurbishment was part of a wider programme to make service centres more secure, and more welcoming and user-friendly.
"We’re rolling out the changes across the country and are over halfway through now," she said.
"[Balclutha] looks exactly how we wanted it to look. It’s safe, secure and warm and, hopefully, the type of environment where clients feel good when they come in."
She praised the team’s efforts in getting people into work as "impressive", while acknowledging more needed to be done to provide suitable housing for those wishing to take up employment locally.
"There’s no shortage of jobs, but ... there isn’t always the accommodation. There’s still work to do."
