Ngāi Tahu and ACC to build new central city Dunedin ACC office

Ngāi Tahu Property and ACC today signed an agreement to build a new state-of-the-art ACC office building in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

Construction is set to get underway in 2021 at the site of the Dowling Street Carpark. The building, which is a 50:50 joint venture between Ngāi Tahu Property and the ACC Investment Team, will create 8,000 square metres of office space on the site. Ngāi Tahu Property will be the development manager. ACC will lease the building for 20 years from the joint venture.

The project has been actively encouraged by mana whenua and the Dunedin City Council and reflects the long-standing relationship between the city and local Rūnaka, who were in attendance for the signing.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Deputy Kaiwhakahaere Matapura Ellison says:

"Tahu Pōtiki, who was passionate about investing in Dunedin, was a major champion of this project. Unfortunately, Tahu is no longer with us to see it come to fruition, but his influence on it is certainly still felt.

"Ngāi Tahu Property is an iwi company with an intergenerational view, so it's strongly focused on investing in our regions. Local Rūnaka will have an active role in this project, including ensuring an authentic Kāi Tahu narrative is reflected in the build."

ACC Chief Executive Scott Pickering says Dunedin is an essential hub for ACC's national operations and the new building will be able to house up to 650 staff, who are presently in four separate buildings in the city.

"This is an exciting day for ACC as we have been working on finding a suitable, single location in Dunedin for a number of years. The new building will provide a modern and environmentally friendly office space that will be safe, welcoming and easier to access for our people and our customers," Scott says.

"This is about ACC's commitment to the South and developing an enduring, long-term relationship with Ngāi Tahu. This complex will be a symbol of the strength of that partnership and we look forward to building on that in the mahi we will do together in the coming years."

The new development will be constructed to New Zealand's seismic standards. It will also incorporate sustainable design features and attain a NABERSNZ certified rating, administered by the New Zealand Green Building Council. The building will have capacity for 80 bike parks and have multiple charging stations for electric vehicles – including cars, bikes, and scooters.

Craig Ellison (Chief Operating Officer, Ngāi Tahu Holdings Group) says:

"This building will define new standards in office accommodation for Dunedin. We're talking about a market-leading and highly energy-efficient working environment and very much in line with our Ngāi Tahu values."

Craig says local council support has been critical to the project.

"We must acknowledge Dunedin City Council, who have played an integral role in getting the development to this point. This is just another example of the enduring relationship between Ngāi Tahu and DCC, as well as the strong partnership between these three entities."

The new building is due for completion in early 2024.