Premier Daniel Andrews has admitted Ballarat's $100 million GovHub was a "pre-COVID investment" that may take some time and changes to fully deliver on what was initially promised.
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The state government committed almost $50 million to build the five-storey office block on the corner of Armstrong and Mair streets, providing space for "up to" 1000 workers from a range of government departments, including hundreds from VicRoads' Wendouree office and the State Revenue Office's Mount Helen building.
It promised to move or create hundreds of jobs, boosting the economic potential of the CBD.
Traders nearby put up with years of construction and car park removals only for COVID-19 to strike before the building's official opening in early 2021, which meant most of the promised occupants - and all their coffee, lunch, and knock-off drink money - were kept at home.
Given there are several state government departments with a presence in GovHub, it's always been difficult to find out exactly how many desks out of the 1000 provided were filled at any one time - some departments, like the Department of Justice and Community Safety or the SRO, require extra security measures, for example.
Public service workers are only required to be in an office three days a week, for now, as the pandemic continues.
Mr Andrews appeared in Ballarat on Friday morning, and was asked about the building, which anecdotally has never been at full capacity, and where all the promised workers are.
"This is a pre-COVID investment, absolutely a pre-COVID investment," he replied.
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"Does it look a bit different, may it be different and may it change and adapt, well yes it will, that's part of the reason why you build flexible buildings like this.
"We didn't bring departments here, we've got a space where no matter which part of government you work from you can work from here.
"I think there'll be more people who are working from here rather than necessarily going to Melbourne, because this is available to them, than there will be people who are in Ballarat working from home instead of working from here, if that makes sense.
"The point I'm making is that COVID is real, COVID has happened, this global pandemic has changed the way a lot of us do a lot of things and we can't really pretend that isn't real, it is.
"I think Ballarat's stronger for this facility, and regional Victoria's stronger for the fact we've moved so many jobs into regional Victoria.
"Yes, there are challenges, if you're running a cafe in the centre of the CBD, then it's a different environment today, a very different environment today."
He then pivoted to the strong unemployment figures in regional Victoria, the successful winter tourism events in the district, and the need for more major events in regional cities, though he declined to give an update on the 2026 Commonwealth Games preparations.
"I was speaking with some Ballarat businesspeople just the other day - Sovereign Hill this winter has been amazing, you can't get a hotel room, restaurant bookings are not easy to get either," he said.
"There's a real buzz around Ballarat, a real sense of optimism and confidence and that's absolutely terrific."
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