ABC news and radio teams in Sydney will relocate to Parramatta from 2024 after the broadcaster signed a heads of agreement for the lease of a new workplace.
ABC Parramatta – located at 6-8 Parramatta Square – will house presenters and journalists from ABC Sydney, ABC News and ABC RN as part of a five-year plan to see 75 per cent of content makers working outside the Ultimo head office by 2025.
ABC managing director David Anderson described the new facility as “significant step” for the broadcaster.
“As a new facility, ABC Parramatta provides a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up,” he said.
“It will be a home for innovation and collaboration, designed and equipped to help us better serve Australians, now and into the future.”
Parramatta Square has been developed by Walker and its executive chairman Lang Walker, who welcomed the national broadcaster’s expanded presence in the new heart of western Sydney.
“The ABC will become an integral part of Parramatta Square, which is welcoming all of Sydney as a great place to work, live and socialise,” he said.
“ABC staff will have access to state-of-the-art workspaces above excellent cafes and restaurants in the plaza as well as some of the best transport connections, with access to trains, buses, light rail, ferries, and the future metro.”
It is anticipated that the process to develop the Parramatta workspace, confirm teams and roles to be based there, and relocate approximately 300 employees, will be complete by 2024.
The final lease agreement for Parramatta Square is expected to be concluded by the end of August, after which there will be a review of the proposal by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works.
The ABC says it will continue to consider a range of options with respect to its property holdings, operations, and production in other state capitals and in regional Australia.