Lake Macquarie Council Staff Relocate After Fire

Hundreds of Lake Macquarie City Council staff have moved into temporary offices following the November fire that damaged the Speers Point administrative centre.

Council CEO Morven Cameron confirmed that a former Ausgrid administration building on Douglas Street, Wallsend, will serve as a base for about 400 indoor staff over the next six months while repairs continue.

“Furnished buildings with such a large capacity within or close to Lake Macquarie are hard to come by, so we’ve been very fortunate to secure this location for our staff,” Ms Cameron said.

She assured ratepayers that the cost of leasing the temporary premises is covered under Council’s insurance policy and will not impose additional financial burdens on the community.

Meanwhile, Council’s Customer Service Centre remains operational at Speers Point Library for walk-in enquiries. A separate site on Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay, will accommodate the Mayor and Councillors, while also serving as a venue for development application pre-lodgement meetings and discussions with key stakeholders.

“This will allow us to continue hosting important stakeholder meetings within our LGA until the Speers Point administrative centre reopens,” Ms Cameron added.

Work on repairing the fire damage is progressing, with NSW Police treating the 27 November incident as an alleged arson attack.

Ms Cameron expressed gratitude to law enforcement and Council staff, many of whom had to transition to remote work. “I’d like to thank not only the police working tirelessly on this case, but also all our staff who have had to readapt to working from home,” she said.

Council staff began relocating to the temporary Wallsend site earlier this month, with the remaining personnel moving in this week.